Author Topic: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?  (Read 6575 times)

maginvizIZ

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Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« on: March 18, 2018, 08:34:21 PM »
Hello Mustashians.

I'm 27, BS in accounting, and MS in finance.  I'm currently working in the defense industry as a financial analyst (I have 4 years finance xp).

The work is becoming stale to me (export data into excel, create pivot table, email project manager, repeat)...  How scary is that?  All this effort to get bored of it by 27?


I've become more intrigued making VBA macros to automate my job, rather than the job itself.  I just started using sololearn.com (free online classes to teach myself coding), to see if I really want to make this switch.

Anyone else been in this situation?  Am I crazy? I wonder if I should jump to a different industry within finance (Goldman Sachs? Although I don't want to slave away 60+ hours a week, which GS is known for) , before making the switch to CS?

Thank you in advance!!

obstinate

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2018, 10:54:33 PM »
Not crazy, and it is promising that you started coding for its own sake, not because you heard it was a hot industry. That said, it may not be an easy road. But it is doable.

tyler2016

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2018, 08:03:27 AM »
Not crazy at all if you are comfortable with abstraction. I work in IT. I do a lot of coding.

I'd highly recommend learning a bit about algorithms and data structures. You won't be creating your own sorting or graph search. You probably won't be creating any new data structures that haven't been thought of that aren't in existing libraries. It is very important to understand the underlying principles of them and complexity classes so you know what is possible, impossible, and can create well performing code.

I'd also recommend discrete mathematics. Functions, recursion, induction, and set theory are concepts that you will see a lot if you ever make the leap to functional languages. Especially recursion.

Open source software makes it possible to learn a huge range of skills without spending money. If you want to learn Linux and network administration, Virtual Box makes it possible to build systems that mimic what you would see in a corporate  or hosting provider environment at a small scale. There are free compilers for pretty much any language you can think of. Some payware stuff even allows for using it for development or learning use at no cost (it actually makes a lot of sense for them to do this)

I would also consider learning enough C to understand some of the POSIX calls.  A lot of languages do little more than provide wrappers for these, especially the socket interface.

Learn how to write secure code. Various injection and overflow attacks aren't that hard to avoid if you are mindful when handling input.

Others may have different advice or disagree.

CptCool

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2018, 10:51:02 AM »
Not crazy at all if you are comfortable with abstraction. I work in IT. I do a lot of coding.

I'd highly recommend learning a bit about algorithms and data structures. You won't be creating your own sorting or graph search. You probably won't be creating any new data structures that haven't been thought of that aren't in existing libraries. It is very important to understand the underlying principles of them and complexity classes so you know what is possible, impossible, and can create well performing code.

I'd also recommend discrete mathematics. Functions, recursion, induction, and set theory are concepts that you will see a lot if you ever make the leap to functional languages. Especially recursion.

Open source software makes it possible to learn a huge range of skills without spending money. If you want to learn Linux and network administration, Virtual Box makes it possible to build systems that mimic what you would see in a corporate  or hosting provider environment at a small scale. There are free compilers for pretty much any language you can think of. Some payware stuff even allows for using it for development or learning use at no cost (it actually makes a lot of sense for them to do this)

I would also consider learning enough C to understand some of the POSIX calls.  A lot of languages do little more than provide wrappers for these, especially the socket interface.

Learn how to write secure code. Various injection and overflow attacks aren't that hard to avoid if you are mindful when handling input.

Others may have different advice or disagree.

This might be putting the cart before the horse.

I think you're doing it right by starting slow and checking out if you like it on your own time before diving in. Start slow and make sure it is still enjoyable after doing it for a few months.

FWIW, I am on the same course myself. Started in accounting --> finance --> quasi programming. I too enjoyed creating excel macros and devising creative ways to automate tasks and processes. I've eventually switched over to RPA (Robotic Process Automation), which is similar to a VBA macro, but can be more versatile as it works with any application seamlessly.

maginvizIZ

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2018, 09:02:48 PM »
Not crazy at all if you are comfortable with abstraction. I work in IT. I do a lot of coding.

I'd highly recommend learning a bit about algorithms and data structures. You won't be creating your own sorting or graph search. You probably won't be creating any new data structures that haven't been thought of that aren't in existing libraries. It is very important to understand the underlying principles of them and complexity classes so you know what is possible, impossible, and can create well performing code.

I'd also recommend discrete mathematics. Functions, recursion, induction, and set theory are concepts that you will see a lot if you ever make the leap to functional languages. Especially recursion.

Open source software makes it possible to learn a huge range of skills without spending money. If you want to learn Linux and network administration, Virtual Box makes it possible to build systems that mimic what you would see in a corporate  or hosting provider environment at a small scale. There are free compilers for pretty much any language you can think of. Some payware stuff even allows for using it for development or learning use at no cost (it actually makes a lot of sense for them to do this)

I would also consider learning enough C to understand some of the POSIX calls.  A lot of languages do little more than provide wrappers for these, especially the socket interface.

Learn how to write secure code. Various injection and overflow attacks aren't that hard to avoid if you are mindful when handling input.

Others may have different advice or disagree.

This might be putting the cart before the horse.

I think you're doing it right by starting slow and checking out if you like it on your own time before diving in. Start slow and make sure it is still enjoyable after doing it for a few months.

FWIW, I am on the same course myself. Started in accounting --> finance --> quasi programming. I too enjoyed creating excel macros and devising creative ways to automate tasks and processes. I've eventually switched over to RPA (Robotic Process Automation), which is similar to a VBA macro, but can be more versatile as it works with any application seamlessly.

YOU!  Thank you!  RPA?  Never heard of it.  Something to look into!  How did you get into it?

I can tell my passion is to make things more efficient. Reduce the number of steps to achieving things. Whether that is optimizing my nutrition, expenses, time it takes to tie my shoes, whatever.

Through VBA, I can totally see massive opportunities to automate jobs (like, lots and lots of "financial analysts" are really just pivot table makers).  RPA sounds like up my alley...


COEE

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2018, 09:29:53 PM »
I would imagine there is demand for good software folks in finance for more heavy duty number crunching.  Thats where I'd concentrate.

Gronnie

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2018, 10:11:59 PM »
You are definitely still young enough to make the change if you want. I graduated with my CS degree at 28.

desire2Fire

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2018, 10:40:41 PM »
I would recommend you go to your local meetups, network at fintech events local hacker meetups. This will be where you may find opportunities to dig more about the skill sets needed for your favorite industry tools for a target segment of the tech industry.  Then you can talk to them face to face to get a better understanding of the types of people working in fintech. It would suck to work hard and jump to a career known for averaging 50 hour / week with people you hate.

Another thing about Computer Science is that regular hours are not guaranteed, many teams underestimate and bugs crop up, it is the reality of production coding. It is also harder to detach from coding as you will go home thinking about "that bug" for a few hours. It is one thing to code 1 / 2 hours for a day or two. It is another when your promotion metric is based on your ability to focus for 4+ hours 5 days a week. So I would look at a exercises to extend your focused concentration time. Side projects (build an app), finding more work to automate, setting up your own wordpress blog are good endeavors to work on.

If you don't plan on getting a degree, instead of starting with all the fancy data structures and algorithms, the one skill I would look for is: "given a problem you never seen before, can you do an adequate job of figuring out the key parts, google possible solutions and execute something half decent?"
So, e.g. You need a blog, can you figure out how to setup Wordpress, how to look for a hosting provider, how to setup a custom theme?

e.g. #2 You want to automate reconciling your spending reports generated as 2 different excels, how do you figure out when a new excel is generated? How can you run a script to merge the results when a new excel file is found?

Once you have a portfolio of completed side projects, it'll help build up your confidence in tackling novel problems, and you'll get comfortable dealing with the crap ton of new things to learn. You'll end up learning a lot of random things trying to fit into a difference job descriptions, many of them you might never use again, but once you hit a combo of stuff you did that a job needs, you'll be able to capitalize and get your foot in the door.
« Last Edit: March 19, 2018, 10:42:27 PM by desire2Fire »

skibum

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2018, 11:03:06 PM »
You could also investigate other avenues into tech that are not coding. If you think RPA might be your thing, might I suggest software testing? Some QA folks have CS backgrounds, but many do not, and it can often be an easier path in. From there, you can look at test automation, which is angling more towards the coding side.

There are companies like uTest / Applause (https://www.utest.com/) where you can start testing projects, often without a whole lot of experience. You may have to do your first few projects for free, the paying ones do start to come once you've built a bit of a rep. Particularly with a finance background, you would probably start to get quite a bit of side work. It's reasonable on the resume as well, particularly some larger projects.

I've hired and managed a lot of testers, and the ones with a natural affinity for figuring out how something works and trying to break it are always the most trainable (and most successful).

grantmeaname

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2018, 02:00:51 AM »
I think your problem might be with your job rather than the whole field of finance. I would consider either automating as much of your job as possible so you can take on new roles or finding a new job. Finance is a pretty diverse field and there are other roles very different from being a cost analyst. It could be that you like them no better than what you do now, of course.

If the banking life isn’t to your liking, but you want something new, you may look into one of the economic consultancies (like Charles River Associates), a Fortune 500 rotational program, a specialist group at the Big 4 accounting firms, or a role at a governmental/nonprofit institution like the IMF/World Bank/Fed. Those have always been the top of my list if/when I no longer want to work at a bank.

formerlydivorcedmom

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2018, 10:38:04 AM »
You don't necessarily need a career change to computer science. I am in IT.  I know lots and lots of analysts who write their own Excel macros.

Some of these people move into more programming-ish reporting.   A (mostly bad) example is writing their own Microsoft Access databases.  One (good) example is Tableau, a data visualization tool.  Part of my job is actually training our analysts (not just in finance) in how to build their own data visualizations and then help them as they move through their projects.  A handful of them have built some really amazing dashboards, and I'd recommend them for an IT reporting job.

You might also see what type of other reporting your company uses and volunteer to learn those tools. In my last job, I trained a bunch of analysts on how to write SAP BusinessObjects reports.

Another of my financial analyst colleagues is pursuing a data science degree, paid for by the company, and is learning more statistical languages (like R).


Gronnie

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2018, 10:55:27 AM »
If you don't plan on getting a degree, instead of starting with all the fancy data structures and algorithms, the one skill I would look for is: "given a problem you never seen before, can you do an adequate job of figuring out the key parts, google possible solutions and execute something half decent?"
So, e.g. You need a blog, can you figure out how to setup Wordpress, how to look for a hosting provider, how to setup a custom theme?

e.g. #2 You want to automate reconciling your spending reports generated as 2 different excels, how do you figure out when a new excel is generated? How can you run a script to merge the results when a new excel file is found?

4.0 CS grad here, and I couldn't do either one of these without Googling.

desire2Fire

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2018, 12:49:33 PM »
4.0 CS grad here, and I couldn't do either one of these without Googling.

Yeah neither can I xD, but breaking down problems into google-able terms and then delivering on a solution is the crux I was aiming for. Prove you can do that and you'll find an opportunity.

The degree is another way to prove that, but not always :).

ChickenStash

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2018, 01:20:36 PM »
If you are still interested in finance but want to add more "computer stuff" then perhaps looking into the realm of Business Intelligence/Data Analytics would be worthwhile. BI is a huge, hot field right now and probably will be for some time. Much of it is the more mundane report and database query writing (programming) but where a lot of companies have a gap is in finding some one that can actually interpret the data and make it actionable - that's where the MS in Finance comes in.


dhc

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2018, 05:55:36 PM »
Not crazy, and it is promising that you started coding for its own sake, not because you heard it was a hot industry. That said, it may not be an easy road. But it is doable.
I'd echo this.


One small caution at this point: while by all means I agree with others who've said you should spend your time now trying to figure out how to solve the real problems you have (such as automating some of your current tasks), VBA is one of those things many in CS tend to turn their noses up at (right or wrongly), mostly because it's easy for people in positions like yours to learn a little bit and start to think it can do everything. It can do a lot, but even for some of the things it can do, it's not always the ideal choice. Spend enough time to know what you're doing, but don't be afraid to look for better tools to solve a problem instead of using the one hammer you have and thinking everything must be a nail.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2018, 07:50:11 AM »

I've become more intrigued making VBA macros to automate my job, rather than the job itself.  I just started using sololearn.com (free online classes to teach myself coding), to see if I really want to make this switch.

Anyone else been in this situation?  Am I crazy? I wonder if I should jump to a different industry within finance (Goldman Sachs? Although I don't want to slave away 60+ hours a week, which GS is known for) , before making the switch to CS?


I am a software developer with over 30 years experience having a Masters Degree in Computer Science. I have also worked at Goldman Sachs for about 5 years. I also made the switch from more research like jobs to Wall St. At the time I made the switch to Wall St. , I had more than 10 years experience in hardcore development (C++, Unix etc).
So, I feel I am qualified to answer your questions.

VBA macros programming is not programming! I have spent a lot of years fixing issues with end-user tools created with Excel/VBA  full of security holes. e.g. Excel passwords could easily be bypassed (3-4 years ago was the last time I did it) by modifying a couple of bytes in the binary using Hexedit. So, I suggest you build up a base set of knowledge. Learn Perl/Python as a scripting language. Java as a server language. Understand operating systems especially any Unix based system (e.g RedHat/CentOS/Linux etc) which are used as servers. Windows is used strictly as a desktop OS. Learn databases and SQL programming since Wall St. is all about data. MySQL and Oracle should be your main targets. A lot of these tools/languages I have mentioned are free (CentOS, Java/Eclipse, MySql, Perl, Python) so learning costs will be minimal.

Goldman Sachs used to hire only the best. They, or any Wall St. firm, will not pick up someone who is not great at what they do. So, you need experience and the specific skill that they are looking for as well as a good dose of luck to break in. Remember, this is where the big money is, so the competition is intense. If you do manage to break in, then subsequent jobs are a lot easier since you have references within the industry. Also, long hours are common in Wall St. as you have mentioned. But the bigger killer is the intensity of each hour of the day. Unlike other jobs where there might be occasional pressure, there is intense pressure all the time on Wall St.

If software development is still your intended career path, may I suggest you leverage on your existing skills? Use the software learning and use the domain knowledge that you already know (ie. accounting) and find a marriage of those two.

Best of luck!
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 08:02:27 AM by CowboyAndIndian »

radram

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #16 on: March 21, 2018, 08:47:46 AM »
I am FIRE for 3 years. A 1993 graduate of Computer Science, transferring to education in 2001. No doubt I am outside looking in, having been out of the field for going on 17 years. I am interested in other perspectives on the following thought.

Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?

Gronnie

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #17 on: March 21, 2018, 12:29:17 PM »
I am FIRE for 3 years. A 1993 graduate of Computer Science, transferring to education in 2001. No doubt I am outside looking in, having been out of the field for going on 17 years. I am interested in other perspectives on the following thought.

Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?

Well considering I got a CS degree from a state school here in MN and then got a job here in MN as a Firmware Engineer working on SSDs straight out of school making about what you stated, I'd say it's very possible. This is even an average cost of living area.

Now if you are talking about C students that barely got through school, bootcamp graduates, and self taught code monkeys -- I'm in full agreement.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2018, 12:31:02 PM by Gronnie »

radram

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2018, 06:23:40 AM »
I am FIRE for 3 years. A 1993 graduate of Computer Science, transferring to education in 2001. No doubt I am outside looking in, having been out of the field for going on 17 years. I am interested in other perspectives on the following thought.

Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?

Well considering I got a CS degree from a state school here in MN and then got a job here in MN as a Firmware Engineer working on SSDs straight out of school making about what you stated, I'd say it's very possible. This is even an average cost of living area.

Now if you are talking about C students that barely got through school, bootcamp graduates, and self taught code monkeys -- I'm in full agreement.

Congrats Gronnie! I am right next door in WI. That salary for this area is KICK ASS! What a great start to your post college days. Thank you for your feedback.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2018, 06:38:11 AM »
...
Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?

No.

 A lot of the folks who have come into the field for the money and have taken a boot camp etc. are not very good. They can google and copy paste code. Give them an empty editor window and no google and they would not even be able to develop simple programs. They cannot solve problems and architect. A good developer who can design, architect and, build will always find the money and the jobs.

I blame the Y2K problem for the surge of bad developers. In 1999, anyone who was warm and breathing got a job since employers were so desperate.

FIPurpose

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2018, 07:26:44 AM »
I am FIRE for 3 years. A 1993 graduate of Computer Science, transferring to education in 2001. No doubt I am outside looking in, having been out of the field for going on 17 years. I am interested in other perspectives on the following thought.

Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?

No I don't think so. If anything, there is not enough talent to fill the amount spaces needed. All jobs need more computer skills, and having coding experience will be an advantage, but programming in my eyes is actually becoming more and more specialized. Even as a CS grad it can be difficult to transition between Firmware, Software, Web development, Networking, Security, Databases, etc. Each of these have several specialized tools, languages, and programming patterns. Not impossible to change, but that's the industry right now.

brian313313

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2018, 07:48:11 AM »
If you started programming on your own, you sound like just the sort of person who would be successful in programming. There is plenty of demand in many areas of IT. Understanding PivotTables gives you a good start to PowerBI development. Get to know DAX & building models and then you would have enough to find a transitional job. We just hired someone from that route. She's 1 yr out of college but has proven that she's bright. This is just one route though. There are many. That just happens to fall in my area of expertise so I know about that.

Good luck.

radram

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2018, 08:01:05 AM »
...
Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?


No.

 A lot of the folks who have come into the field for the money and have taken a boot camp etc. are not very good. They can google and copy paste code. Give them an empty editor window and no google and they would not even be able to develop simple programs. They cannot solve problems and architect. A good developer who can design, architect and, build will always find the money and the jobs.

I blame the Y2K problem for the surge of bad developers. In 1999, anyone who was warm and breathing got a job since employers were so desperate.

Y2K. Oh what memories :)

I was actually thinking of that time when I wrote my original post. I see some similarities when comparing then to now(go into CS, help solve the problem, there is a lot of money to be made, etc.). I also remember a short lived drought shortly after. In my area (WI), there was little out there from early 2000 until at least mid-year 2001. I know because that was when I shifted into education and part of the reason why I did.

Trying2bFrugal

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #23 on: March 22, 2018, 08:33:18 AM »
Being IT professional for 13 years, I agree to most IT suggestions in thread, each has its own +-.

Just keep one thing in mind. If you plan to switch, you are diving into a profession where constant learning (either new tool/prog language/software) is required. Otherwise you would end up in the same situation you are now. Also from seeing many people, once married, kids, family time, then many are looking for a profession with stability, less pressure. I know people moved from IT to Finance because they like the stability and simplicity of job.

Either way if you have passion, you would go where you want to go.

All the best.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #24 on: March 22, 2018, 09:18:34 AM »
...
Just keep one thing in mind. If you plan to switch, you are diving into a profession where constant learning (either new tool/prog language/software) is required. Otherwise you would end up in the same situation you are now.
...

Very true.

Unlike other professions where you are more respected as you gain more years of example (e.g Civil Engineer, Chemical Engineer or a Accountant), the older you get as a software engineer, the more vulnerable you get to layoffs. You are earning more, but the young whippersnappers have more recent skills which you might not have.

Learning is a continuous job. For example, this was my progression of languages
  • Assembler (8085/Z80)
  • Basic
  • Pascal
  • C
  • C++
  • Java
  • Perl
  • Web stuff (JS, Jquery, CSS etc)

I am thinking of learning Python now

brian313313

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #25 on: March 22, 2018, 09:40:33 AM »
...
Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?


No.

 A lot of the folks who have come into the field for the money and have taken a boot camp etc. are not very good. They can google and copy paste code. Give them an empty editor window and no google and they would not even be able to develop simple programs. They cannot solve problems and architect. A good developer who can design, architect and, build will always find the money and the jobs.

I blame the Y2K problem for the surge of bad developers. In 1999, anyone who was warm and breathing got a job since employers were so desperate.

Y2K. Oh what memories :)

I was actually thinking of that time when I wrote my original post. I see some similarities when comparing then to now(go into CS, help solve the problem, there is a lot of money to be made, etc.). I also remember a short lived drought shortly after. In my area (WI), there was little out there from early 2000 until at least mid-year 2001. I know because that was when I shifted into education and part of the reason why I did.

A lot of the people who got in around Y2K will be getting out soon due to retirement. Myself included. :) There will always be peaks & valleys but I think it's here to stay. We've had a shortage since around 2005 I think. Things could change but that's true with any industry.

Gronnie

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #26 on: March 22, 2018, 11:25:05 AM »
I am FIRE for 3 years. A 1993 graduate of Computer Science, transferring to education in 2001. No doubt I am outside looking in, having been out of the field for going on 17 years. I am interested in other perspectives on the following thought.

Does anyone else feel the "programmer" career is fast approaching the saturation point? Now I see programming experience to be used as a tool in a toolbox rather than THE skill to make it a career.

EVERYONE is getting skills on how to code. You can learn for free. It is still believed you can get a CS degree and get paid $80,000 starting.

Does anyone else see/agree that the writing on the wall says computer science is quickly becoming a saturated market and wages must come down as a result?

No I don't think so. If anything, there is not enough talent to fill the amount spaces needed. All jobs need more computer skills, and having coding experience will be an advantage, but programming in my eyes is actually becoming more and more specialized. Even as a CS grad it can be difficult to transition between Firmware, Software, Web development, Networking, Security, Databases, etc. Each of these have several specialized tools, languages, and programming patterns. Not impossible to change, but that's the industry right now.

We have a good adage around here (it comes from Scaled Agile Framework for Enterprise): "The problem isn't typing, it's thinking." Basically anyone can do the typing, copy and pasting, etc. Solving the problem is the hard part.

maginvizIZ

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Re: Career Change From Finance to Computer Science?
« Reply #27 on: March 22, 2018, 02:27:57 PM »
I think your problem might be with your job rather than the whole field of finance.


Maybe I'm over estimating that enjoying VBA = enjoying programming as well.

I'll keep thinking... Thanks for everyone's input.  I'm in a position in where leaving the company doesn't make sense until June 2019 (tuition reimbursement contingency expires, I'll be fully vested, and I'm on a 1 year temporary relocation gig in San Diego, $30k 1 year lease apartment they are currently paying).

I like the idea of exploring BI, as well as other industries within finance.

Not sure which one I'll tackle, but I have more than enough information to research.  Thanks again!