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How to get back into the computer science career fields, after 4 years off
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Comments (6)

Alex B in Newport, Rhode Island

43 months ago

Hello,
I am looking for some advice.

I graduated with a BS in Computer Science from Boston University in 2002. I learned C/C++ well in college and learned Java more loosely. I also took a databases course using SQL, and have some experience with PERL and Python.

I worked for 6 months as a civilian for the Navy programming C/C++. I quit and went on a few years of soul-searching.

It has been about 4 years since and I am wondering how I might go about getting into the computer programming or software engineering careers again. I figure that I am somewhat out of the loop.

What is the difference between software engineering and mere computer programming?

What skills would I need to brush up on to resume programming as a career?

What skills would I need to learn or refresh from my college education to become a software engineer and not just a computer programmer?

Also, any other thoughts you might have that you think are important to add would be much appreciated.

All the Best,
Alex

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Eagle in Raritan, New Jersey

42 months ago

Try posting your question on the discussion groups of dice.com. They are visited much more frequently by technical people than here. Best of luck.

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Alex B in Newport, Rhode Island

42 months ago

Thank you for the assistance. Will do.

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Travis in Edmonton, Alberta

40 months ago

computer

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vbead in Denver, Colorado

40 months ago

I have over 20 years programming experience (15+ in C/C++), holding my current job for over 15 years, and have had no response to any of the resumes I've sent out. So far what I've "found" (comments on the web) is that C/C++ is out, C# is in.

As far as obtaining C# experience, my plan is to read the book and play around with it. If you can afford to take this route, local community colleges and some other organizations offer classes/online classes. Also, I am combing craigslist.org to try to find people who want small programming gigs done for free in exchange for references.

Unfortunately, this is ALL speculation. I haven't tested any of it yet. Good luck and let me know if you find anything out.

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eagle1970 in Rochester, New York

38 months ago

vbead,

My experience is that if they are looking for C#, C/C++ does not matter how many years. I have had the same experience as you. Welcome to the IT "profession".

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