Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
It's pretty easy to see how being a computer science major helps you get a job in the computer science field: You'll have the necessary programming skills and a basic knowledge of how all parts of the computer work. But there are so many computer science majors out there with pretty much the same exact skill set, too.
The best way to stand out in the crowd of applicants is to do some personal programming projects before you even start to apply for internships and jobs. After all, employers would much rather take a graduate who already has had some real-world experience related to the job he or she is applying for over someone who only has theoretical knowledge.
If you can't think of your own project to get started on, take a poke around at the classes your college offers that incorporate some sort of large project into the actual class; you can usually count that as your programming experience, too (as long as you can talk about what you learned from doing that project).
Also, keep in mind that whatever you end up concentrating in is probably going to push you into a job in that area, since some of the skill sets between concentrations (like graphics and computer security) can get pretty different.
Common Career Fields
Computer programming. This is the best career for all the code junkies out there. Right from the get-go, you'll take what you've learned about the popular types of codes and algorithms and apply them to whatever your employer wants you to code. In almost every single movie that has to do with outsmarting the bad guy, there's a computer programmer friend who saves the day by hacking into their computer and finding incriminating evidence or their plans for world domination.
Database administration. Your knowledge of computer systems and databases will come in handy here, as well as your knowledge of code, but that's really for any job involving computer science. Basically, you'll be in charge of making sure that databases are running smoothly and that no pesky, meddling kids can access it. Although, you aren't going to be some evil database administrator dressed up in a ghost or monster costume, are you? Zoinks.
IT specialist. Think of yourself as a plumber or handyman, except with computers. All the general stuff that you've learned about how computers, programming, and networks work will be applied as you run around identifying and fixing any and all problems in a company's computer system. An IT specialist knows, for example, that your printer doesn't work because someone jammed a Poptart in there, and can tell you if you need to beef up your password.
Research scientist. (Requires Master's degree) If you're more into the theoretical side of computing, being a computer research scientist is for you. This job is all about understanding how programming works at a fundamental level and how it gets integrated with the world, and how we can improve our current ways of computing. As with most jobs requiring advanced degrees, being a research scientist will probably prompt a lot of philosophical questions about the role that computers play alongside humans. Like, what even is a brain?
Software engineering/development. You're still probably going to be doing a bit of coding as a software engineer, but definitely not as much as an actual programmer. Instead, software engineers do more higher-level stuff when it comes to creating an actual program or solving its problems, like thinking about its functionality and how it could be expanded to be more user-friendly. Most of the software engineer's ideas on how to make a program better or more efficient is then sent to a programmer, who translates those changes to the program's code.
Systems engineering. Even higher up on the abstract ladder than software engineering, as a systems engineer, you'd be in charge of making sure that everything comes together, be it groups of hardware, groups of applications, groups of computers, or a Volkswagen full of leprechauns (okay, maybe not that last group). This ladder goes: programmer > software engineer > systems engineer, in terms of amount actual coding.
Web development. All the websites that you love visiting (like Shmoop) all have to get created with some code, and that's where a web developer comes in. A web developer works behind the scenes and is in charge of making sure a website looks nice and that it's working like it should. A good sense of style is important here, so if you're into sparkly banners and Comic Sans, you might want to take a graphic design class first.
Current unemployment of the major
5.6%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
28%Stats obtained from this source.