Science, Math & Technology Archives | Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/industry-major/science-math-technology/ Mon, 19 Feb 2024 23:34:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://guideassets.wayupcdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/way-logomark@2x-150x150.png Science, Math & Technology Archives | Career Advice & Interview Tips | WayUp Guide https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/industry-major/science-math-technology/ 32 32 5 Technology Trends You Need to Know to Work in Any Industry https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/1-5-technology-trends-need-know-work-industry/ Wed, 03 Apr 2019 20:50:25 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=657 5 Technology Trends You Need to Know to Work in Any Industry

If you’ve been following the news on exciting tech trends like artificial intelligence, then you’re probably aware that emerging technologies are changing the way we work and interact with others. In fact, with things like machine learning and touch commerce becoming increasingly popular across every industry from banking to healthcare, technology is revolutionizing the way … Continue reading "5 Technology Trends You Need to Know to Work in Any Industry"

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5 Technology Trends You Need to Know to Work in Any Industry

If you’ve been following the news on exciting tech trends like artificial intelligence, then you’re probably aware that emerging technologies are changing the way we work and interact with others. In fact, with things like machine learning and touch commerce becoming increasingly popular across every industry from banking to healthcare, technology is revolutionizing the way we do business and making high-tech approaches an integral part of our lives.

Here are the top five technology trends you need to know to work in any industry.

1. Internet of Things (IOT)

One of the biggest tech trends to emerge in recent years is the Internet of Things. Simply put, the Internet of Things (abbreviated IOT) is the idea that all technological devices can be connected to the internet and to each other in an attempt to create the perfect marriage between the physical and digital worlds. How will this impact you? It depends on your industry. For example, for those who work in marketing, advertising, media or business management, IOT could provide a wealth of information on how consumers engage with products by tracking their interactions with digital devices. In turn, this data could be used to optimize marketing campaigns and user experiences.

How it’s affecting industries: The really cool thing about IOT is that it’s not only changing the way we do business but also the business models we use to do it. For example, pay-per-use models are becoming increasingly popular across all industries as new customer data becomes available.

2. Machine learning

Another exciting emerging technology is machine learning, which is essentially a computer’s ability to learn on its own by analyzing data and tracking repeating patterns. For example, social media platforms use machine learning to get a better understanding of how you’re connected with those in your social network. They do this by analyzing your likes, shares and comments and then prioritizing content from your closest connections, serving you that content first.

How it’s affecting industries: In addition to shaping your day-to-day interactions with friends on social media, machine learning is also changing the way companies do business with customers. Companies like Google are using machine learning on mobile devices which can continue learning even when offline. The result? Machine learning is reshaping the way businesses interact with their customers in a big way by helping them anticipate and meet customer needs more easily.

3. Virtual reality (VR)

Remember watching movies about virtual reality and thinking how cool it would be if it was actually like that in real life? Well, it’s about to be. Although VR has been around since the 1950s, until recently the technology wasn’t able to deliver the fully immersive digital experience users have been craving. That’s about to change with recent improvements to both hardware and programming, and the effects are going to be felt across almost every industry from retail to education.

How it’s affecting industries: Virtual reality has been a popular component of video games for several years and this trend is continuing to expand. In addition to video games, VR is likely to affect companies across the board as they adopt the technology to help them engage customers more effectively and optimize their sales and marketing efforts. It’s also a potentially useful tool for learning and is increasingly being adopted by educational organizations.

4. Touch commerce

Being able to buy anything you want with the touch of a finger may have seemed like a fantasy a few years ago, but it’s now a reality. Merging touchscreen technology with one-click shopping, touch commerce allows consumers to buy products easily from their phones. After linking their payment information to a general account and enabling the feature, customers are able to buy everything from clothes to furniture with just a fingerprint.

How it’s affecting industries: This is one of the biggest things to hit eCommerce in recent years with purchases of this type expected to increase by 150% this year alone and retailers in almost every industry anticipating an increase in sales directly related to this new technology.

5. Cognitive Technology

Cognitive technology is in the same vein as machine learning and virtual reality except that it’s a broader concept. For example, the cognitive technology umbrella includes things like natural language processing (NLP) and speech recognition. Combined, these different technologies are able to automate and optimize a lot of tasks that were previously done by people, including certain aspects of accounting and analytics.

How it’s affecting industries: Although cognitive technologies have a broad range of applications, one of the industry sectors most affected by this trend initially will be the software sector. Automated analysis of user data and experiences will be particularly useful for software companies hoping to scale.

With emerging technologies changing professional industries including banking, eCommerce, healthcare and education, staying up to date on the latest trends will give you a better understanding of your chosen industry and make you a more competitive candidate. Best of all, this knowledge might open up new doors within your field and others.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look For in a Company and find answers to common interview questions such as How to Answer: What Are Your Strengths?

FIND YOUR NEXT ROLE ON WAYUP. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE.

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Here’s What You Need To Know About Working In Business Technology And IT (Hint: A Tech Degree Isn’t Always Required) https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/avanade-3013599-sponsored-business-technology-it/ Wed, 08 Aug 2018 17:10:56 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=11133 Business Technology IT

Every successful company specializes in something—but being an expert in one area doesn’t make them an expert in all areas. This is especially true when it comes to technology. Executives across all industries need help deciding which tools work best for their companies, and that’s where business technology and information technology (IT) professionals come in. … Continue reading "Here’s What You Need To Know About Working In Business Technology And IT (Hint: A Tech Degree Isn’t Always Required)"

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Business Technology IT

Every successful company specializes in something—but being an expert in one area doesn’t make them an expert in all areas. This is especially true when it comes to technology. Executives across all industries need help deciding which tools work best for their companies, and that’s where business technology and information technology (IT) professionals come in.

What does Business Technology and IT mean?

This industry spans everything from your in-house IT support team to the Chief Information Officer (CIO)—and there’s plenty in between. Network Architects, Systems Engineers, Business Tech Analysts, and Project Managers all play a role in a company’s IT strategy.

Working internally in one of these positions, you’ll be making decisions about what kinds of technology your company purchases, which software packages best suit the needs and values of your firm, and the installation and maintenance of this infrastructure.

One of the reasons this is such an important element of business—aside from the obvious necessity of having at least some technology—is the efficiency that can be achieved by having the right technology. This is huge. Efficiency is time, and time is money. This is why firms often turn to Business Technology and IT Consultants to make sure they get it right.

The Advantages Of Working As A Business Technology IT Consultant

Consultancies with a focus on business technology are becoming increasingly important as technology evolves and grows. That’s why traditional management consultancies like Accenture have formed such tech-dedicated offshoots like Avanade—the leading digital innovator, focused on driving results for their clients through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem.

One of the benefits of working as a consultant in this field is the superior professional challenge, and rich employee experience. Because these consultancies are solely focused on crafting the best business technology solutions, their employees have the opportunity to innovate for a variety of companies across a multitude of industries.

If you’re someone who loves the hustle and bustle of activity, another benefit of being a Business Tech Consultant is the opportunity to travel for work. At a company like Avanade, which works in more than 20 countries around the globe, your services can be called upon nearly anywhere. You’ll fly out to meet the client on-site and start working out of their office while you and your team craft the solution that’s right for their business needs. This can make consulting in this field an excellent choice for recent grads looking to expand their horizons.

How To Start A Career In Business Tech And IT

While it’s obvious how having a degree in computer science or engineering could provide useful knowledge for one of these roles, those aren’t the only ways in. Firms look for any number of qualifications, many of which revolve around business sense, intelligence, and problem-solving ability.

“We’re not focused on the degree. It’s more about the skills and technical mindset,” says Avanade hiring expert and head of North America Campus Recruiting, Lisa Kochert. “It’s about critical thinking and problem-solving.”

So, you might be a physics major, but your exposure to data science and programming in labs could make you a great fit for the role. Or perhaps you’re a political science major who has exposure to statistics and digital problem-solving—there are plenty of tracks that prepare you to perform in a technical role without having a specific IT or computer science degree.

At companies like Avanade, you’ll also receive a ton of training and professional development—more than 80 hours a year. As long you can show that you’re a proactive problem-solver with a passion for technology, you can possibly start a career in the field right out of school (or do an internship while you’re still an undergrad).

If you’ve got the technical mindset and a voracious appetite for creating and delivering solutions, then check out opportunities at Avanade. They’re hiring on WayUp!

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3 Things You Didn’t Know About the Aerospace and Defense Industry https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/lockheed-martin-994063-sponsored-5-things-you-didnt-know-aerospace-defense/ Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:54:22 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=3294 lockheed martin

The aerospace and defense industry is full of incredible achievements, and a career in this area will put you at the forefront of future advances in engineering and technology for aircraft, spacecraft, watercraft and more. If you’re considering working in aerospace and defense, below are three things you might not have known about industry leader … Continue reading "3 Things You Didn’t Know About the Aerospace and Defense Industry"

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lockheed martin

The aerospace and defense industry is full of incredible achievements, and a career in this area will put you at the forefront of future advances in engineering and technology for aircraft, spacecraft, watercraft and more. If you’re considering working in aerospace and defense, below are three things you might not have known about industry leader Lockheed Martin and the industry as a whole. These facts might prove helpful when you’re interviewing for a job in this field and want to prove you’ve done your research.

1. Lockheed Martin’s U-2 Dragon Lady aircraft can ascend to 70,000 feet.

This aircraft nearly doubles a commercial airplane’s cruising altitude, and it reaches most of that height in roughly the same amount of time it takes a passenger plane to get to 35,000 feet. The U-2 Dragon Lady is a spy plane that took its first flight all the way back in 1955, and has an average mission success rate of 97 percent. When it’s not completing spy missions and flying beyond the reach of radar, it’s used to help with disaster relief efforts during and after earthquakes, floods or forest fires. At its highest altitude, it connects to satellites, making worldwide communication possible. And Lockheed Martin had the first U-2 up in the air just nine months after they started the program to build it.

2. Landing on Mars might not be so far away.

Lockheed Martin is the contractor behind the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, a NASA spacecraft engineered to bring humans into deep space for long-term missions. Currently, Lockheed Martin is studying what it will take for humans to travel farther into space than ever before, and be able to return home safely. Their goal is to bring humans to Mars by the year 2028. It’s all part of a NASA initiative called “Journey to Mars”.

3. The space industry has been using solar power since the 1950s.

The popularity of solar power may seem relatively new to most of us, but for the aerospace industry, it’s been used for over six decades to keep the power running on spacecraft. A satellite called Vanguard 1 was launched in 1958, with power from solar cells keeping it in orbit. It claims the title of “oldest man-made satellite in orbit”.

Working in the space and defense industry means you’ll be contributing to a legacy of record-breaking achievements and impressive feats of science, math and technology. Want to learn how to get a job in space and defense? Check out our guide to the industry.

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What Does an Intelligence Analyst’s Job Look Like? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/lockheed-martin-994063-sponsored-3-intelligence-analyst-job/ Thu, 28 Dec 2017 18:41:10 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=3218 lockheed martin

Being an intelligence analyst is an exciting career path that requires critical thinking and an analytical mindset. You’ll play a key role in decreasing both physical and digital threats at home and abroad. If you’re thinking of becoming an intelligence analyst, you might be wondering what a day on the job looks like. Depending on … Continue reading "What Does an Intelligence Analyst’s Job Look Like?"

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lockheed martin

Being an intelligence analyst is an exciting career path that requires critical thinking and an analytical mindset. You’ll play a key role in decreasing both physical and digital threats at home and abroad. If you’re thinking of becoming an intelligence analyst, you might be wondering what a day on the job looks like. Depending on your specific role and the company where you work, a day on the job might include one or more of these assignments.

Gathering Critical Information

Intelligence analysts are some of the most thorough researchers out there. In this role, you will be tasked with finding out as much as possible about the subject assigned to you. Collecting this information can take many forms: fieldwork and interviewing, location searches and computer research to compliment your work in the field. Once you have completed your research you will then compile it into a report to share with your company so they can take the necessary next steps.

Data Analysis and Threat Assessment

An intelligence analyst’s job relies heavily on data collection and analysis to pinpoint potential threats in their home country and in countries across the world. You’ll be looking at details related to geography, historical events and statistics, and putting all the puzzle pieces together. With this information, you’ll build a more complete understanding of risks to determine what details are beneficial, and what information is misleading or not considered a threat. Your data analysis and threat assessment work could be used to improve intelligence, reconnaissance or surveillance efforts, monitor for foreign computer network operations or deploy technologies for countering cyber attacks.

Crisis Management

When it comes to intelligence analysis, ensuring everyone at your company knows how to respond properly to threats is a critical part of the job. In this function of your role, you might build, maintain and update crisis management plans and protocol. You might also organize exercises to train others at your organization on the importance of crisis management to make sure the threats you can’t anticipate are handled before they get out of control. You will also gather data about the state of your company’s crisis management solutions and present your findings to your team.

Being an intelligence analyst comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility, but it is also an incredibly rewarding career path with the potential to make a positive impact not just on your own country but around the world. By having a clear idea of what to expect from the role, you’ll be able to set yourself up for success and land the job you want.

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Top Interview Questions in the Aerospace and Defense Industry https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/lockheed-martin-994063-sponsored-4-aerospace-defense-interview-questions/ Fri, 28 Jul 2017 18:48:16 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=3270 lockheed martin

A career in the aerospace and defense industry is an exciting opportunity for your work to have a lasting impact—not just on your company but on the lives of the people your work will protect. If you’re considering a job in this area, you might be wondering what to expect from the interview and how … Continue reading "Top Interview Questions in the Aerospace and Defense Industry"

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lockheed martin

A career in the aerospace and defense industry is an exciting opportunity for your work to have a lasting impact—not just on your company but on the lives of the people your work will protect. If you’re considering a job in this area, you might be wondering what to expect from the interview and how to set yourself up for success. There are a range of aerospace and defense career paths you can take, from working in engineering to quality assurance to maintaining and repairing aircraft electrical systems, and each of these will come with its own unique set of interview questions. That said, the following questions will likely come up in some form during your interview.

Why do you want to work at this company?

Whether you’re interviewing for a job in quality assurance, mechanical engineering, or any other job within the aerospace and defense industry, your interviewer will want to know that you’re serious about the position and passionate about contributing to the next generation of air and space innovation. To prepare for this question, make sure to research the company, including its past achievements. Highlighting specific details about the company’s work and tying that work into your own interests and experience is a great way to demonstrate that you will thrive in the role.

Tell me about a time you were in a stressful work situation. How did you handle it?

This question is designed to test your problem-solving skills under pressure. Any job within the aerospace and defense industry requires a lot of responsibility, and your interviewer will want to make sure you’re up for the challenge and can keep cool even when the stakes are high. When answering this question, it’s important to be as specific as possible. Describe the stressful situation and talk through the steps you took to get your work done quickly and effectively. How did you decide what to do? What was the outcome of the project?

Tell me about a project that didn’t work out. What did you learn?

In the aerospace and defense industry, you’ll likely encounter your fair share of challenges as you and your team test out new tools, technologies and processes. Your interviewer won’t just want to hear about your past successes—they will also want to know how you respond to failure. No one likes talking about this, but being able to show your interviewer what you’ve learned from a project that didn’t go according to plan is extremely important. In a fast-paced, ever-changing field like this, you’ll need to be adaptable. Often, you’ll be working on brand-new projects, which means there will be a lot of testing and learning along the way. When answering this question, focus on a project that didn’t go smoothly but still had a big impact on your work.

Tell me about a time you challenged popular opinion.

The most important advances in any field often happen when someone doesn’t accept that “we’ve always done it that way”. This question is used to understand how you react when the opinion of your peers conflicts with how you think things should be done. It isn’t easy to stand up and state your opposing opinion—especially when you’re the only one in the room that has it. However, your interviewer is likely looking for someone who is confident enough in their research and understanding of technical topics to speak up in these situations. To answer this question, clearly explain why you challenged popular opinion, how you communicated your perspective, and how you were ultimately able to show others the benefits of your suggestions.

What are your biggest career goals?

Lockheed Martin believes that even entry-level employees are an essential part of building game-changing aerospace and defense technologies. This question is designed to test how motivated you are to pursue a long-lasting career in this field versus working in this industry for a short time. This is important, since jobs in the aerospace and defense industry often come with high stakes and a lot of pressure. Those who are most successful have a clear sense of where they want to take their career.

Interviewing for a job in the aerospace and defense industry might seem a bit intimidating at first, but by knowing what to expect and how to prepare your answers, you’ll be sure to impress whomever you speak with and get one step closer to landing the job.

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Types of Jobs in the Aerospace and Defense Industry https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/lockheed-martin-994063-sponsored-2-aerospace-defense-job-types/ Fri, 28 Jul 2017 18:38:36 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=3197 lockheed martin

There are a range of job opportunities within the aerospace and defense industry, many of them targeted toward those with a strong aptitude in science and math. If you have a passion for aerospace and defense, odds are there’s a way to channel it into an exciting, fulfilling career. The challenge is deciding what path … Continue reading "Types of Jobs in the Aerospace and Defense Industry"

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lockheed martin

There are a range of job opportunities within the aerospace and defense industry, many of them targeted toward those with a strong aptitude in science and math. If you have a passion for aerospace and defense, odds are there’s a way to channel it into an exciting, fulfilling career. The challenge is deciding what path is right for you. To test out different careers within this industry, consider taking a paid or unpaid internship during college to get first-hand experience, build up your skillset and get you closer to figuring out the best aerospace and defense entry-level jobs to apply for.

Here are some of the most common jobs within the aerospace and defense industry.

Aerospace engineer

In this role, you’ll be working on military-grade vehicles and systems that can hold up during battle on land, at sea and in the air. Aerospace engineers typically have a background in areas like mechanical and systems engineering, design, structural analysis, and propulsion. Within the field of aerospace engineering, you could specialize in assignments like flight tests, mission systems or airframe structural analysis and design.

Systems engineer 

As a systems engineer, you’ll be responsible for building technology with a wide range of uses, from collecting threat information to protecting infrastructure to monitoring the climate. Data will be at the center of your job, and you’ll often work with software development teams to build software that helps improve aircraft function. You’ll also find ways to better analyze and interpret recorded data.

Electrical engineer

As an electrical engineer, your team will be be responsible for designing and building electronics for spacecraft, aircraft or helicopters. In this role, you could work on improving systems for airspace management, surveillance, satellite communication and navigation. You might also focus on the use of alternative energy sources within the aerospace and defense industry.

Flight inspector

In this role, you’ll be responsible for keeping your company’s essential aerospace and defense systems running smoothly. Your job will be part maintenance and part anticipating and solving potential risks before they become problems. In short, your work will provide critical support for all of the game-changing technologies being built at your company.

Mechanical engineer
As a mechanical engineer your work will improve a range of technologies, including robots, engines, heat transfer systems and controls for aircraft and spacecraft. You’ll research, plan, design, develop and test new systems that span a wide range of aerospace and defense applications. At Lockheed Martin, mechanical engineers have been behind both the Hubble Telescope and the Phoenix Mars Lander. That means, your work will have far-reaching applications and contribute directly to the future of the aerospace and defense industry.

Quality assurance engineer
In this role, you’ll be responsible for ensuring every piece of technology and every process created by your company is as best as it can possibly be. You’ll work to meet and exceed quality requirements and come up with even better ways to improve the performance of everything your company builds and does. Your focus might be on software, systems, service, manufacturing, hardware or program management quality.

If you’re interested in working in the aerospace and defense industry, you have a wide range of career paths to choose from. To ensure that you pick a position that’s right for you, it’s important to figure out where your interests lie and to pursue a role that you’re passionate about. Whether that ends up being a flight inspector or a mechanical engineer, the skills you’ve developed in school and during any internships will definitely help you shine.

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What is the Aerospace and Defense Industry? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/lockheed-martin-994063-sponsored-1-aerospace-defense/ Fri, 28 Jul 2017 18:26:59 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=3149 lockheed martin

Professionals in the aerospace and defense industry might build aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft or weapons, or focus specifically on manufacturing the parts needed for each. They might also build information systems for processing and interpreting complex data. Typically, companies in this field manufacture their products for military, federal government or space programs. If you’re interested in … Continue reading "What is the Aerospace and Defense Industry?"

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lockheed martin

Professionals in the aerospace and defense industry might build aircraft, watercraft, spacecraft or weapons, or focus specifically on manufacturing the parts needed for each. They might also build information systems for processing and interpreting complex data. Typically, companies in this field manufacture their products for military, federal government or space programs. If you’re interested in pursuing a career path in the aerospace and defense industry, here’s what you need to know.

What roles exist within the aerospace and defense industry?

There are a range of positions within the aerospace and defense industry, many of them highly technical. If you’re interested in working in this field, you can look into positions including:

  • engineer
    • aerospace, electrical, mechanical, systems, quality assurance
  • flight inspector
  • aircraft electrician
  • … and more

What does someone in the aerospace and defense industry do?

Aerospace and defense industry professionals are responsible for a wide range of jobs, and your work will be critical, both for your own company and for the protection and defense of the people who use the vehicles and technology you help to build and maintain. For example, an electrical engineer might be responsible for designing and building electronics equipment for spacecraft, aircraft or helicopters. Meanwhile, aerospace engineers might work on military-grade vehicles and systems that can hold up during battle, whether by land, air or sea.

What is a typical salary for someone in the aerospace and defense industry?

Salaries in the aerospace and defense industry vary significantly, depending on your specific career path. Aerospace engineers and flight inspectors earn an average of $82,000, while quality assurance engineers and electrical engineers earn an average of $72,200 and $72,600 respectively. Meanwhile, aircraft electricians earn an average of $61,100, while physicists earn an average of $105,000.

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How to Land a Job in Technology Sales https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/dell-384348-sponsored-2-land-job-technology-sales/ Fri, 12 May 2017 17:04:06 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=1964 young woman internship

With its high rate of growth and reputation for innovation, the technology field has a lot to offer recent grads who are passionate about working with emerging technologies. One of these opportunities is technology sales, an area of the industry focused on connecting customers with great tech solutions. To learn more about technology sales and … Continue reading "How to Land a Job in Technology Sales"

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With its high rate of growth and reputation for innovation, the technology field has a lot to offer recent grads who are passionate about working with emerging technologies. One of these opportunities is technology sales, an area of the industry focused on connecting customers with great tech solutions. To learn more about technology sales and get some tips on how recent grads can get their foot in the door, we asked the team at Dell to tell us what they look for in an employee and what you can do to stand out from the crowd.

Here are the steps you need to take if you want to get a job in technology sales.

1. Learn as much as you can about the technology industry

The first step to landing a job in any industry is to be knowledgeable about that industry. If you want to work in the tech field, this means knowing what technologies are most relevant and what companies are key players in the space you want to work in. The best way to develop this knowledge is by reading as much as possible about the tech industry and getting a sense of current trends. Sites like TechCrunch and Forbes Tech offer a lot of great insights into all aspects of the field and can help you get informed about new and emerging technologies and market trends. Taking relevant classes during your time in college, particularly business and marketing classes, is another way to gain this knowledge since it will give you an understanding of how products are marketed and sold.

2. Develop your sales and communication skills

In addition to learning about the tech industry, another key step to getting hired is to develop your sales and communication skills. You can do this by becoming a campus rep or brand ambassador during your time in college. This will give you a chance to connect with other students on your campus, helping you grow your professional network, and it will also give you a sense of the best way to market products directly to consumers. An integral part of a technology sales job, these skills will come in handy as you’re establishing connections with new clients and helping them find the solutions that are right for them.

3. Intern with a technology company

Once you’ve learned all you can about the tech field and developed your core skills, it’s time to gain hands-on experience by interning with a tech company. Companies like Dell are a great place to work because they have a range of different internship and co-op opportunities that are designed to help you get on-the-job training while also preparing you for the next step in your career. The Dell University Relations program focuses on connecting undergrads with those opportunities and giving them the training they need to succeed. “There’s a big focus on development,” explains Marie Moynihan, Dell’s Vice President of Talent. “We place a lot of emphasis on feedback, coaching and individual development plans which create an environment of continuous learning.” With these initiatives in place, interns are able to make the most of the experience and often transition to full-time roles after graduation.

4. Know what recruiters look for

The final piece of the puzzle is knowing what recruiters look for. This is usually a mix of skills and industry knowledge along with a passion for the field. Being able to demonstrate that passion and being enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn more about the industry will go a long way toward impressing recruiters. Beyond that, it’s about demonstrating what you can bring to the table and how your unique skills and personality will make you an asset to the team.

By following these tips and developing your skills and experience, you’ll have no problem finding a technology sales opportunity that’s right for you.  

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Entry-Level Mechanical Engineering Job Guide https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/entry-level-mechanical-engineering-job-guide/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/entry-level-mechanical-engineering-job-guide/#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2017 06:16:58 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/entry-level-mechanical-engineering-job-guide/ college student

Many full-time mechanical engineers that are recent graduates are expert problem solvers. They enjoy creating physical devices or products that enable people to do the things that they want to do. What is an Entry-Level Mechanical Engineer? At larger companies, entry-level mechanical engineers are often specialized and working on a single critical component of a … Continue reading "Entry-Level Mechanical Engineering Job Guide"

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Many full-time mechanical engineers that are recent graduates are expert problem solvers. They enjoy creating physical devices or products that enable people to do the things that they want to do.

What is an Entry-Level Mechanical Engineer?

At larger companies, entry-level mechanical engineers are often specialized and working on a single critical component of a far larger machine. For example, an engineer at Ford might work solely on the crash beam for a car to ensure it holds up appropriately in a collision and meets the needs of the industrial designers. At a smaller company, a medical device startup for example, an entry-level engineer might be simultaneously working with everyone on the team to refine an entirely new device.

Common Responsibilities of Entry-Level Mechanical Engineers

Some primary tasks include things like:

  1. Researching problems to solve.
  2. Sketching out possible solutions to the problem.
  3. Using Solidworks and similar modeling software to flesh out possible solutions.
  4. Constructing physical prototypes of devices or mechanisms.
  5. Testing the quality and success of the prototyped contraptions.
  6. Presenting or sharing test results and ideas with other engineers, industrial designers, product, and business team members.
  7. Overseeing the actual construction of the products they’ve designed.
  8. Seeking out feedback and iteratively improving their solutions.

Types of Entry-Level Mechanical Engineering Jobs

As you can see, there are quite a few different tasks that beginning engineers can be asked to do. When you consider that larger companies will often require specialization into a single task, it’s obvious that there are quite a few different types of entry-level roles for mechanical engineers.

Salary Expectations

The median salary for entry-level mechanical engineers is $63,792.

The range is $49,430 – $81,029.

Location is one the largest factors in calculating salary, so it’s particularly helpful to consider the entire salary range.

The Bureau of Labor expects the number of mechanical engineering jobs to grow by 5% (about average) over the next 10 years.

Who Typically Gets These Jobs

Every year, we survey over 20,000 students and recent grads in an effort to understand the internship and entry-level job market. Based on the results of our State of Hiring report, the students or recent graduates that apply to these entry-level jobs have several things in common:

  • They are pursuing or have gotten at least a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering or Product Design. Occasionally, Electrical Engineering majors will pursue and get hired into Mechanical Engineering jobs.
  • Most applicants to mechanical engineering positions are looking to work at mid-size companies.
  • San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego are the most popular destination for engineering grads.
  • They tend to be very career oriented. Not many mechanical engineering majors are looking for jobs other than those found under the Mechanical Engineering umbrella.
  • 25% of graduating seniors majoring in engineering have no internship experience.
  • Over 45% of seniors majoring in engineering have taken an online course related to their major.

Related Entry-Level Fields

Even though it’s unlikely that Mechanical Engineering majors seek jobs outside of their major, it does happen. When they do go outside, here are the areas they’re most likely to look at:

  1. Electrical Engineering
  2. Computer Science
  3. General Engineering

Additional Resources

  1. It never hurts to brush up on a few mechanical engineering topics. You can take a few online courses to get back in the swing of things.
  2. For more salary information, head over to Payscale.
  3. For more advice on starting your entry-level job search, check out our guide!
  4. And finally, to prepare for an entry-level job interview, prepare for the top 20 entry-level job interview questions.

Search for Entry-Level Mechanical Engineering Jobs Now

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as What is an Entry-Level Job? and find answers to common interview questions such as Tell me about yourself.

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What is a Computer Science Major and Is it Right for Me? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/computer-science-major-right/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/computer-science-major-right/#respond Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:50:32 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=91 college student

From creating computer games to programming technology for the CIA or building the next Facebook, there are a lot of amazing things you can do with a computer science degree. It’s an exciting and constantly evolving field with virtually unlimited growth. And did you know that several successful celebrities are former computer science majors? Facebook … Continue reading "What is a Computer Science Major and Is it Right for Me?"

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college student

From creating computer games to programming technology for the CIA or building the next Facebook, there are a lot of amazing things you can do with a computer science degree. It’s an exciting and constantly evolving field with virtually unlimited growth. And did you know that several successful celebrities are former computer science majors? Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, and even comedian Jimmy Fallon all got their start by studying computer science.

What is a computer science major?

A computer science major involves the study of computers and programming languages. Majoring in this field will help you develop great technical skills and give you a new perspective on problem-solving. You’ll learn how to break problems apart and execute them effectively.

Is it right for me?

To be successful as a computer science major, you need to enjoy the process. This means that new technologies and software should excite you and you should be comfortable throwing out what you currently know to learn something new. This will ultimately lead you into a successful future, helping you deal with hard problems inside and outside of your career.

You can start by asking yourself the following questions.

  • Would I enjoy learning languages to communicate with computers?
  • Am I creative, logical and persistent?
  • Do I enjoy being able to solve challenging problems?
  • Do I like to create tools that increase productivity?
  • Do the latest technologies excite me?

What can I do with a computer science degree?

One of the best things about computer science is that it’s a rapidly-growing field. Many people with computer science degrees work as programmers or computer systems analysts, helping to build and maintain complex technological systems.

Some other potential career options include becoming a software engineer, business intelligence analyst or database administrator.

What do people with a computer science degree earn?

In addition to being an exciting field, computer science is also quite profitable. Starting salaries typically run between $50,000-$70,000, depending on location and experience. An established programmer with four to five years of experience can expect to earn anywhere from $100,000 to $120,000 per year.

 

Next, learn more about this college major such as Science and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Use a Blog to Apply for an Internship.

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How to Land a Job in Tech https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/land-job-tech/ Mon, 03 Apr 2017 20:50:25 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=889 Software engineer

One of the most exciting industries around, the tech industry has built its reputation on growth and innovation. This is great news for recent grads who are passionate about technology and interested in contributing to its development. Here are the steps you need to take if you want to land a job in tech. 1. … Continue reading "How to Land a Job in Tech"

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Software engineer

One of the most exciting industries around, the tech industry has built its reputation on growth and innovation. This is great news for recent grads who are passionate about technology and interested in contributing to its development.

Here are the steps you need to take if you want to land a job in tech.

1. Develop your knowledge of the tech industry

When it comes to starting your career, few things are as important as knowing the industry inside and out. Although this may sound a bit overwhelming at first, it’s actually good news because your knowledge doesn’t have to be academic. While computer science and business classes can be a good way to learn about the tech industry, there’s also a lot you can do to develop that knowledge on your own. Tech-focused websites like Forbes Tech offer a lot of insight into industry trends and emerging technologies. Beyond that, it’s about learning about specific companies and the kind of work they do.

2. Determine what aspects of tech you’re interested in

Once you have a strong grasp of what’s happening in the industry, it’s time to narrow your focus and pick a career path the matches your skills and interests. For example, if you’ve been coding since high school and want to take a hands-on approach to creating new technologies, you might want to focus your attention on engineering. On the other hand, if you’re more interested in sales or marketing, focusing on those aspects of the industry might make more sense for you.

3. Intern with a tech-focused company

With industry knowledge under your belt and a strong focus in mind, it’s time to get some hands-on experience by interning with a tech company. This is a great way to deepen your knowledge of the tech field while also figuring out what type of role is best for you. Depending on the type of company you work for (and the internship you choose) you may be involved in different aspects of a company’s operations from engineering to marketing or even human resources. While smaller companies can provide a more cross-functional internship experience, larger companies can give you a chance to truly specialize in your field and gain the kind of experience that might take you a year or two to develop at another company. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you apply for internships since you’ll want the internship you choose to reflect your career goals moving forward. If you’re a recent grad without a tech internship under your belt, don’t worry. You can still stand out from the crowd by developing your industry knowledge and studying the companies you want to work with.

4. Know what tech companies look for

While tech companies definitely have their share of differences, they also have a lot of similarities. One of these is the desire to hire bright, motivated people to join their teams and give them the chance to create solutions that are truly game changing. Since tech companies place so much emphasis on talent and passion, being able to demonstrate these qualities is extremely important to landing a job.

By following these tips and developing your skills and knowledge, you’ll have no problem finding a tech job that’s right for you.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as the Top 10 Skills Employers Want in an Intern and find answers to common interview questions such as Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

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How to Become a Software Developer https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/how-to-become-a-software-developer/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/how-to-become-a-software-developer/#respond Wed, 16 Nov 2016 04:59:02 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=674 college student

If you’re considering a career as a software developer, then you might be wondering about the best way to get started. What are some things you can do to set yourself up for success and land the job of your dreams? Should you take attend networking events or build a portfolio of your work? Here … Continue reading "How to Become a Software Developer"

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college student

If you’re considering a career as a software developer, then you might be wondering about the best way to get started. What are some things you can do to set yourself up for success and land the job of your dreams? Should you take attend networking events or build a portfolio of your work?

Here are the relevant steps to take if you’re thinking of becoming a software developer.

1. Figure out what types of projects you want to work on

One of the key parts of becoming a software developer is deciding what kinds of projects you want to work on. Are you interested in solving complex technical challenges or building products that will be used by a lot of people? This is the time to assess that. Once you have an idea of your interests, take some time to research relevant companies in order to determine the type of role that best fits your skills and interests. For example, if you’re interested in getting hands-on experience with a broad range of applications, then you might want to consider working for a small company that will give you maximum exposure to those technologies. On the other hand, if you’re interested in doing a deep dive into a specific type of project, then working for a larger company that will let you specialize in one area might be the right option for you.

Pro Tip: Knowing what type of brand you want to work for is just as important as knowing what kinds of projects you want to work on. This is because being passionate about your work extends beyond the technology itself. By finding a brand that aligns with your broader interests and goals, you’ll be more likely to understand the problems the company is trying to solve and to enjoy coming up with the solutions.

2. Develop your skill set by taking relevant classes

Becoming a software developer requires having an understanding of certain front-end and back-end technologies and knowing programming languages such as Java, C++ and Python. In order to develop your skill set, it’s important to take relevant computer science classes in college and to use the skills you learn to develop projects of your own. This will show potential employers that you’re proactive about building your skill set and that you’re able to use those skills to build features.

Pro Tip: If you’re not a computer science major, that’s okay too. You can still develop your skills by taking a few computer science classes as electives or by teaching yourself to code through online programs like those developed by Khan Academy or CodeCademy. Since more and more developers are self-taught these days, not having a formal education won’t count against you as long as you can demonstrate your ability to build products.

3. Take on an internship

One of the best ways to develop your skills and figure out what types of projects you want to work on is by taking on an internship. This will give you a chance to get hands-on experience in a tech role while also helping you to identify your personal work style and determine the type of work environment that best fits that style.

Added bonus: Since software developers are in high demand at the moment, you’ll not only gain valuable experience during your internship but you’re likely to be well compensated too.

4. Build your portfolio and professional network

In addition to developing your skill set and taking on an internship, one of the other key steps to becoming a software developer is to build your portfolio and professional network. The best way to achieve both of these things is by creating a profile on a platform like GitHub or Stack Overflow where you can showcase projects you’ve developed and contribute to open source projects that other developers are working on. This is a great way to establish your personal brand and to connect with other developers.

Becoming a software developer is an exciting and challenging career path that will give you the opportunity to work on interesting projects and come up with innovative technological solutions. The best way to find out if being a software developer is right for you is by interning at a tech company and getting a feel for what the industry is all about.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look For in a Company and find answers to common interview questions such as Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?

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What Types of Skills Are Best for a Computer Science Major? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-skills-best-computer-science-major/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-skills-best-computer-science-major/#respond Mon, 07 Nov 2016 15:11:02 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=668 college student

If the idea of writing code and coming up with creative tech solutions appeals to you, then becoming a computer science major might just be for you. What’s the best way to thrive as a computer science major and set yourself up for success? It starts with having the right skill set. Here are the … Continue reading "What Types of Skills Are Best for a Computer Science Major?"

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college student

If the idea of writing code and coming up with creative tech solutions appeals to you, then becoming a computer science major might just be for you. What’s the best way to thrive as a computer science major and set yourself up for success? It starts with having the right skill set.

Here are the top five skills the most successful computer science majors possess.

Analytical skills

Being a computer science major involves identifying a problem and coming up with a technological solution to address it. This requires having strong analytical skills that will enable you to understand the issue you’re dealing with and evaluate different solutions in order to find the one that best fits your needs.

Problem-solving skills

One of the other key skills for computer science majors is the ability to solve complex problems in a systematic and logical way. This is because most of the projects you’ll be working on will require you to take a concept and turn it into a reality. In order to do this, you’ll need to be able to think about the best way to execute the project and then outline the steps needed to get it done.

Creativity

Creativity goes hand in hand with problem solving and it’s one of the other key skills you’ll need as a computer science major. Since coming up with solutions to problems is almost never a straightforward process, out-of-the-box thinking is often required in order to ensure that you’re delivering the most innovative and effective solutions.

Critical-thinking skills

Critical thinking is an important skill to have in any major, but it’s especially important when it comes to computer science. This is because you’re going to be working on a variety of projects and using a variety of methodologies, so knowing which methodologies to use (and when to use them) is an essential part of getting the job done. By thinking critically, you’ll also be able to assess why certain solutions might not work and to save time in coming up with the right approach.

Resilience

One of the key tenets of programming (at any level) is understanding that you’re most likely going to fail before you succeed. This has nothing to do with your programming abilities and everything to do with the process itself. Programming involves trying out different elements of code until you find the best solution and learning to be resilient, determined and humble in the face of multiple failures is part of the process.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What Is a Computer Science Major and Is It Right for Me? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look For in a Company.

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Top 5 Software Developer Interview Questions https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/top-5-software-developer-interview-questions/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/top-5-software-developer-interview-questions/#respond Wed, 16 Nov 2016 05:07:35 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=693 recent college grad interview

Being a software developer is an exciting opportunity to gain exposure to the tech industry and learn about innovative technologies first hand. If you’re considering a career as a developer, then you might be wondering what to expect from the interview and how you can set yourself up for success. Here are some of the … Continue reading "Top 5 Software Developer Interview Questions"

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recent college grad interview

Being a software developer is an exciting opportunity to gain exposure to the tech industry and learn about innovative technologies first hand. If you’re considering a career as a developer, then you might be wondering what to expect from the interview and how you can set yourself up for success.

Here are some of the most common questions you’re likely to encounter during the interview process.

1. How do you interface with a team?

This question is considered a “fit” question and it’s designed to get a sense of the type of work environment you prefer to work in. Although culture fit questions are common in all types of interviews, the fit questions you’re likely to encounter during a tech interview are generally targeted towards getting a sense of how well you work with other team members and how comfortable you are working on software engineering processes on a team — including things like code review, version control and communication. To answer this question effectively, it’s important to talk about your prior experience of working with a team (either at a previous job or on a class project) and to explain how you approach working with others.

2. Tell me about a time that you had to build something and then support it.

Another common question you’re likely to encounter during a tech interview, this question is designed to test your understanding of the challenges engineers face when building technology for other people. The key to answering it well is demonstrating that you understand how to elicit feedback from end users and stakeholders, and that you know how to weave it into the product. From an engineering perspective, many employers want to see that you’re “thinking 100 steps ahead” but “building 10 steps ahead” — in other words, that you’re thinking ahead but not overengineering today.

3. Tell me about a project you worked on and explain how and why you chose to architect it the way you did.

This question is designed to test your critical thinking and problem-solving ability by asking you to describe the path you chose to take when architecting a specific project. When answering this question, it’s important to outline the steps you took in proceeding with the project and to explicitly state why you made certain decisions. For example, what tradeoffs did you consider when making those decisions? Mention this and be sure to justify why you chose the path you did. This will show the hiring manager that you’re thoughtful about your decisions, aware of possible drawbacks and that you take calculated risks when necessary.

4. What are some projects you’re working on in your spare time?

Being a great developer involves building your skill set by continuously learning new things. The best way to do that is by exploring projects on your own. When hiring managers ask this question, it’s because they want to know that you’re passionate about the work you do and that you’re learning about new technologies by working on one or more side-projects. A great way to answer this question is by referring to something you’re developing (or have developed) and highlighting the reason why the project is important to you. Are you trying to solve a specific problem or excited to try out a new programming language? Mention that and explain how it connects to the work you’ll be doing in the role you’re interviewing for.

Pro Tip: If you’re not currently working on any projects of your own but you’re collaborating on projects on an open source platform like Github, be sure to mention that. This is a great way to demonstrate that you’re involved in ongoing projects in the industry and eager to learn more.

5. Tell me about a project that completely failed.

Talking about your failures is never fun but being able to show that you’ve learned from them is extremely important, particularly when it comes to being an engineer. This is because failure is a crucial part of the programming process and being able to demonstrate that you’re resilient and able to iterate quickly will go a long way towards impressing the interviewer and showing them that you’re able to work well in an agile environment.

Interviewing for a job as a software developer might seem a bit intimidating at first but by knowing what to expect and how to prepare your answers, you’ll be sure to impress the hiring manager and get one step closer to landing the job.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Be Effective in a Remote or Virtual Job and find answers to common interview questions such as Tell Me About Yourself.

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What is a Natural Sciences Major and is it Right for Me? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/natural-sciences-major-right/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/natural-sciences-major-right/#respond Mon, 08 Aug 2016 19:09:32 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=241 science major

Interested in science but not sure exactly what you’d like to study? Do you like the idea of learning about a large number of science-related topics at once? Want a major that can be applicable to the real world and help you solve challenges people encounter every day? If so, a natural sciences major may … Continue reading "What is a Natural Sciences Major and is it Right for Me?"

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science major

Interested in science but not sure exactly what you’d like to study? Do you like the idea of learning about a large number of science-related topics at once? Want a major that can be applicable to the real world and help you solve challenges people encounter every day? If so, a natural sciences major may be for you.

What is a natural sciences major?

How does majoring in natural sciences differ from majoring in a specific type of science (such as biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology or microbiology)? Natural sciences programs are usually interdisciplinary, covering several sciences at once.

Additionally, natural sciences majors don’t just learn in the classroom; many work in labs or do on-the-ground work. Many natural sciences departments also require their majors to take on a research project (like a capstone or thesis) during the last year or two of college as a way to synthesize everything they’ve learned and apply it to a particular problem or area of study.

Another crucial consideration is what you hope to do after college. Many natural sciences majors go on to graduate school to receive a Masters, Ph.D. or other certification, so you’ll have to think about whether you’d be interested in going to grad school if your specific area of study strongly encourages or requires more schooling.

Is it right for me?

Think this major may be for you? Here are some key questions to ask yourself.

  • Do I have strong math and science skills? Am I confident that I could perform well in a number of different science-related subject areas like biology, physics and chemistry?
  • Am I ready to concentrate, minor or double major in another subject (most likely science-related) in addition to a broader natural sciences degree?
  • Am I willing to spend extra time taking lab classes and also working in a lab over the course of my college years
  • Do I like spending large amounts of time collecting and interpreting data? Am I okay with spending summers or other school breaks conducting research?
  • Am I interested in ending my college career with a research project like a capstone or thesis?

What can I do with a natural sciences degree?

Natural sciences majors use their degree as a springboard into a number of different fields. Some go into research in a particular area of science, while others may choose a health- or medicine-related track.

Once armed with a natural sciences degree, graduates have gone on to any number of science-related careers including:

  • physician assistants
  • doctors
  • nurses
  • therapists
  • educators
  • technical writers
  • engineers
  • chemical or material scientists
  • professors
  • forensic science technicians
  • surveyors
  • biologists
  • … and more

What do people who majored in natural sciences earn?

While you may need to attend graduate school to maximize your salary, natural sciences majors tend to do well financially after graduation. For example, a senior geologist makes a median salary of $93,000, and a clinical data manager can make a salary of well over $100,000.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What Types of Skills Are Best for a Natural Sciences Major? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How Do I Get a Job in Another City or State?

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What is a Math Major and is it Right for Me? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/math-major-right/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/math-major-right/#respond Mon, 08 Aug 2016 16:34:20 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=236 science major

Do you love working with numbers? Do you love the fact that numbers in themselves are a whole other language? Want to spend your day problem-solving and working with others? If so, being a math major might be perfect for you. Many people are intimidated by the thought of majoring in math, or they have … Continue reading "What is a Math Major and is it Right for Me?"

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science major

Do you love working with numbers? Do you love the fact that numbers in themselves are a whole other language? Want to spend your day problem-solving and working with others? If so, being a math major might be perfect for you.

Many people are intimidated by the thought of majoring in math, or they have misconceptions about what math majors actually do. Here’s what the life of a math major is really like, so you can decide if it’s right for you.

What is a math major?

Becoming a math major is about more than just being good with numbers; it requires a big time commitment that includes going to class, meeting with study groups and teaching assistants (TAs) and solving problem sets. If you’re willing to take the time to be successful in the major, it can definitely be the right track for you.

Additionally, the term “math” is broad, which means that math majors often tackle a number of different topics within that concept. Potential classes include algebra, calculus, trigonometry, geometry, computational mathematics, statistics, number theory and discrete math. Thus, even if you consider yourself a “good” math student in school, you’ll want to be sure you can do well in any math course, not just in a particular subject area like calculus.

Furthermore, many math majors often concentrate in a particular math subject or even major or minor in that area. It’s not uncommon to meet people who double major in math and computer science or math and statistics.

It’s also important to note that often people in more quantitative fields decide to pursue graduate degrees (a Masters, PhD or specialized certification program), so that will also have to factor into your decision as well.

Is it right for me?

Here are several key questions to ask before pursuing a math major in college:

  • Am I willing to put in extra time going to study groups or TA (teaching assistant) sessions to work on my problem sets?
  • Do I like problem-solving, especially when the answer doesn’t come easily to me at first? Am I willing to work on a particular problem as long as it takes, no matter how hard it is?
  • Am I willing to ask for help from a professor or TA if I need it?
  • Do I like working on different types of math, including calculus, algebra, statistics, geometry and computational mathematics?
  • Would I be open to double-majoring, minoring or focusing on a particular area of math, like statistics, accounting or computer science?
  • Am I interested in pursuing a graduate degree to supplementing my undergraduate one if my career called for it?

What can I do with a math degree?

Very few people with math degrees go on to be “mathematicians” per se, but the great thing about this degree is that if you want to work in a quantitative field after you graduate from college, a math major gives you many diverse options.

Math majors have gone on to a number of interesting positions, including:

  • professor
  • investment banker
  • financial/business analyst
  • accountant
  • statistician
  • researcher
  • information technology analyst
  • engineer
  • programmer
  • …and more

What do people who majored in math earn?

Great news: Majoring in math and pursuing a quantitative career involving numbers and research can give you a great ROI (return on investment) after graduation. For example, actuaries make a median salary of $70,000, and operations research analyst managers have a median salary of $146,000.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What Types of Skills Are Best for a Math Major? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as What is an Internship?

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Do I Need Coding Bootcamp to Become a Software Developer? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/do-i-need-coding-bootcamp-to-become-a-software-developer/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/do-i-need-coding-bootcamp-to-become-a-software-developer/#respond Tue, 06 Dec 2016 15:39:14 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=673 college student

In recent years, coding bootcamps have become increasingly popular in tech-centric cities like New York and San Francisco. This is largely because these bootcamps are designed around the idea that anyone can learn how to code, an idea that is very appealing to many recent grads who don’t have a traditional engineering background. If you’re … Continue reading "Do I Need Coding Bootcamp to Become a Software Developer?"

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college student

In recent years, coding bootcamps have become increasingly popular in tech-centric cities like New York and San Francisco. This is largely because these bootcamps are designed around the idea that anyone can learn how to code, an idea that is very appealing to many recent grads who don’t have a traditional engineering background. If you’re interested in becoming a software developer, then you might be wondering whether you need a coding bootcamp to get started. Will a bootcamp help you develop your skills and get you job ready as quickly as possible? It depends.

Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to sign up for a coding bootcamp.

What are your current skills and professional goals?

One of the keys to understanding how close you are to landing the job you want is being able to assess your current skill set and your professional goals. For example, if you’re a computer science major with some coding experience and basic knowledge of programming languages like Python and Javascript, then you’re already well on your way to becoming a developer and would likely benefit more from an internship than a bootcamp. On the other hand, if you’re just becoming interested in programming and are eager to learn a lot very quickly, then a structured program like a bootcamp might be a good fit for you.

Pro Tip: Since most bootcamps offer intensive courses over a period of eight to 12 weeks, figuring out how much you want to learn (and how quickly) will likely play a big part in your decision. A key thing to note is that because of the intense nature of these programs, most bootcamp students aren’t able to complete them while also having a job, so if you decide to do a bootcamp, you’ll need to commit to it fully.

What can you learn on your own?

With so many options for self-study out there, including free online classes from Codecademy and Khan Academy, there’s a lot you can do to teach yourself about coding and to figure out where your programming interests lie. If you’re comfortable taking a less structured approach (or developing your own curriculum), then teaching yourself how to code can be something you do in your spare time, even while you’re still in school.

Added bonus: Since many coding bootcamps charge upwards of $10,000 for a full training course, being able to design your own program will allow you to potentially save quite a bit of money.

How can a coding bootcamp help to fill remaining gaps in your knowledge?

Once you’ve assessed your skills, goals and what you’re able to learn on your own, it’s important to figure out whether there are any knowledge gaps that a coding bootcamp can help to fill. For example, if you’re interested in learning how to program in Python in order to improve your job prospects, then a coding bootcamp could potentially be a good way to supplement your existing knowledge.

Deciding whether to sign up for a bootcamp involves assessing a lot of factors such as your financial circumstances, professional goals and time commitments. In order to make an informed decision, it’s important to figure out what your needs are and to determine whether a bootcamp is the best way to meet them. And if you want more hands-on experience without going the bootcamp route, an internship could be a great option for you.

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Become a Software Developer and find answers to common interview questions such as What Are Your Strengths?

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What is Technology Sales? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/dell-384348-sponsored-1-what-is-technology-sales/ Wed, 16 Nov 2016 04:59:02 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=873 Recent grad phone interview

If you’re interested in the innovation going on in the tech world — like big data and the Internet of Things — you may wondering what career opportunities are available in the industry and whether they might be a good fit for you. One of the rapidly growing areas of technology is sales and it’s … Continue reading "What is Technology Sales?"

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Recent grad phone interview

If you’re interested in the innovation going on in the tech world — like big data and the Internet of Things — you may wondering what career opportunities are available in the industry and whether they might be a good fit for you. One of the rapidly growing areas of technology is sales and it’s a great chance for recent grads to get their foot in the door while learning all about the industry. To find out more about it, we asked the team at Dell to tell us what you can expect from working as part of a technology sales team.

Here are some of the key things you need to know about the field.

What is technology sales?

Focused on connecting consumers with innovative tech products, technology sales is all about identifying the customers who can benefit from a particular solution and showing them how that solution can meet their needs. Encompassing hardware (computers, servers, networking devices), software (operating systems) and services (applications, big data and cloud computing) technology sales can vary greatly depending on the particular company you work for and the type of sales you do. At a company like Dell, which offers solutions across all three of these areas, there is also a lot of potential to learn about different types of technology sales and broaden your understanding of the field as a whole.

What do technology salespeople do?

From learning the ins and outs of the particular technology they work with to researching potential clients and putting together packages to meet their needs, technology salespeople have two main goals: 1) Promoting the products of the company they work for and 2) Making sure that their customers are getting as much value as possible from the technology solution they are buying. And while you might think that you need to major in a technology-focused subject to work in tech sales, that’s not always the case. At Dell, many employees in tech sales started with a strong interest in tech and learned the rest on the job.

What are the challenges of working in technology sales?

A fast-paced field, technology sales does have a few challenges. These include staying on top of ongoing product updates, sourcing and connecting with potential customers, ensuring that customers are satisfied with their purchases and problem-solving the issue when they’re not. Although these challenges are part of the day-to-day life of almost everyone working in technology sales, they’re also fairly straightforward to overcome, particularly when you work for a company that offers great customer support and a whole range of resources for their sales team. At Dell, this means being part of a team that sees problem-solving as one of the key components of their work and aims to provide the best experience for both their customers and their employees.

What are the benefits of working in technology sales?

While there are certainly a few challenges to overcome in technology sales, there are even more benefits. These include working with cutting edge technology, meeting talented and innovative people across a broad range of industries and having the opportunity to learn and grow with others on your team. In fact, working in sales is a wonderful way to expand your professional network both within the industry and beyond, which can help you grow your sales business or move into other sectors of the tech world.

What is a typical salary for a technology salesperson?

Another benefit of working in tech-focused sales is the high earning potential. With a base salary between $40,000 and $92,000, and bonuses and commissions that can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, technology salespeople are often high earners, with many earning upwards of $100,000 per year.

An exciting field with uncapped potential, technology sales has a lot to offer recent grads. By knowing what to expect and what skills you need to succeed, you’ll be able to decide if this career is right for you.

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Career Opportunities for Computer Science Majors https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/career-opportunities-computer-science-majors/ Fri, 24 Feb 2017 00:08:06 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=821 young woman internship

A computer science major is a wonderful opportunity to develop your coding and problem-solving skills while learning about the technology industry. And because computer science majors are in high demand, it’s also a great way to open up the door to multiple career opportunities, including those related to new technologies like machine learning, virtual reality … Continue reading "Career Opportunities for Computer Science Majors"

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A computer science major is a wonderful opportunity to develop your coding and problem-solving skills while learning about the technology industry. And because computer science majors are in high demand, it’s also a great way to open up the door to multiple career opportunities, including those related to new technologies like machine learning, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

Here are just a few of the many technological trends creating opportunities for computer science majors.

Virtual Reality (VR)

In the past couple of years, we’ve seen substantial advancement in the field of virtual reality with new hardware and programming making it possible to create the immersive digital experience experts having been trying to develop for years. At the moment, virtual reality is especially popular in the video game industry and the need for software developers and product managers is increasing steadily in this field. If you’re interested in learning more about cutting edge technology, working on video game development with VR technology might be a good fit for you.

What to learn

The main programming languages are C++ or C#. These languages will be handy once you start actually developing content in Unity and Unreal game engines, which are the main Software Development Kits (SDKs) used in VR.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Not too long from now, we’ll start to witness machines communicating with each other. Smartphones, cars, bridges, even trash cans will have the ability to “talk” to one another other. In its essence, IoT is about bringing together devices through the use of sensors, cloud and data and it’s a trend that promises to affect almost every industry from retail to technology, creating new job opportunities along the way.

What to learn

IoT itself is really broad, so let’s break it into three categories:

● Embedded programming: C/C++ and Python
● Device Level (Smartphones and tablets) : Android and iOS
● Hardware and basic electrical engineering

Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence

TechTarget defines machine learning as a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that allows computers to learn without being explicitly programmed. At present, most machine learning is used for crunching large sets of data that power technologies including:

● Virtual reality assistants (e.g., Siri)
● Intelligent agents (e.g., automated online assistants)
● Expert systems (e.g., medical decision support systems, smart grid)
● Embedded software (machine monitoring and control systems)
● Autonomous robots (including self-driving vehicles)
● Purpose-built smart machines (such as neural computers)

Because of the broad range of applications machine learning enables, the technology is affecting every type of company from social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to eCommerce companies looking to interact with their customers more easily. If you’re interested in learning more about machine learning, working as a developer in one of these industries could be a great fit for you.

What to learn

According to Machine Learning Mastery, a website dedicated to teaching machine learning, the most popular languages are R, Python, SQL, SAS, Java and MATLAB. There are also a lot of open source projects like Tensor Flow that allow you to develop your skills and learn at your own pace.

Virtual reality, machine learning and Internet of Things offer the most untapped potential for computer science majors to explore. Whether you’re considering a paid or unpaid internship or an entry-level job, entering these industries will be beneficial for you in the long term, especially as the industries become more mature.

Next, find out more about opportunities for computer science majors such as the Types of Internships for Computer Science Majors and Types of Entry-level Jobs for Computer Science Majors.

This article was written in partnership with the team at Outco.

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Types of Internships for Computer Science Majors https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-internships-computer-science-majors/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-internships-computer-science-majors/#respond Mon, 07 Nov 2016 15:11:02 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=670 college student

If you’re majoring in computer science, an internship is one of the best ways to explore career paths in the tech industry. In addition to learning on-the-job responsibilities, you’ll also discover what types of team dynamics best fit your style of working. As an intern, you’ll usually be paired with a more experienced engineer who … Continue reading "Types of Internships for Computer Science Majors"

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college student

If you’re majoring in computer science, an internship is one of the best ways to explore career paths in the tech industry. In addition to learning on-the-job responsibilities, you’ll also discover what types of team dynamics best fit your style of working. As an intern, you’ll usually be paired with a more experienced engineer who will act as your mentor, giving you guidance on the technical aspects of your project as well as helping you to manage and execute it. While you don’t have to go into engineering just because you’re a computer science major, an internship will offer you the opportunity to see what the field is like and whether it’s a good fit for you. And because computer science majors are very in demand among employers, the internship is also likely to be very well compensated.

Here are the most common types of internships for computer science majors.

Front-End Engineering Intern

As a front-end engineering intern, you’ll gain real-world experience working on the user-facing portion of a website or application. In addition to writing code in HTML, CSS and Javascript, you’ll also be testing and debugging that code to ensure that the user experience is as smooth and immersive as possible. During your internship, you’ll get hands-on experience executing challenging projects and helping to build incredible products.

Back-End Engineering Intern

As a back-end engineering intern, you’ll be working with the data that powers a website or application and using programming languages like Python, Ruby and Java to connect the server, application and database. Similar to a front-end developer, your responsibilities will include writing code pertaining to your project and testing the code to ensure a robust finished product. You’ll also be responsible for debugging and figuring out which parts of your product are not working properly. In addition, you’ll most likely go through code reviews to make sure that you develop best practices and that you learn to work in an agile development environment.

Full-Stack Software Engineering Intern

As a full-stack engineering intern, you’ll be combining the best of both worlds by working on both front-end and back-end technologies, seeing how data flows through the application and how it’s transferred and displayed. By being actively involved with the technological components the customer sees and with the back-end data that powers the site, you’ll quickly develop an understanding of the different technologies and you’ll be able to implement optimizations to enhance performance. This is a great internship for anyone who wants to understand how to build a feature end-to-end.

Information Security Intern

Security is what protects every company’s confidential information. During this type of internship, you’ll be able to see the security challenges that companies face on a daily basis and to understand how to react in such situations. This type of internship is especially common in the healthcare and finance industries where information security is used to protect patient records and sensitive financial materials.

Mobile Engineering Intern

As a mobile engineering intern, you’ll be working with one or more types of mobile technologies to develop user-facing applications. Depending on what type of mobile technology you’re working with (iOS vs. Android), you’ll be using different types of code and potentially getting both front-end and back-end development experience.

iOS Engineering Intern

As an iOS engineering intern, you’ll gain hands-on experience developing apps that are specific to Apple. You’ll be using XCode, Swift and maybe even React Native to work on both front-end and back-end components of the app, thereby getting full-stack experience. Patience will be necessary as you learn the process of publishing to the App Store, which includes provisioning profiles, getting developer certificates and submitting apps once they’re developed.

Android Engineering Intern

As an Android engineering intern, you’ll work with a team to design and build advanced applications for the Android platform. Communication will be very important as you collaborate with cross-functional teams to define, design and ship new features. You’ll also assist with technical planning, development and systems integration on client engagements from the definition phase all the way to implementation. Critical thinking is essential in this internship since you’ll be analyzing requirements, wireframing and listing capabilities of related systems to propose appropriate solutions.

Product Management Intern

An increasingly popular type of internship for computer science majors is a product management internship. This involves working with a team of engineers to develop the strategy and roadmap of a specific product as well as to QA test the product. As a product management intern, you’ll also act as a bridge between the engineering and marketing teams, helping to do market research and come up with effective marketing strategies for your product.

Data Scientist Intern

If developing statistical modeling, segmentation, quantitative analyses and customer profiling sounds exciting to you, then you may want to intern as a data scientist. During this internship, you’ll learn how to build and deploy complex statistical models to generate powerful insights and predictions useful to the business. Part of your job will also be to discover new insights in order to best understand your customers by performing advanced statistical analysis and modeling.

Data Engineering Intern

As a data engineering intern, you’ll be collecting, storing and processing data and creating a system that will allow others (particularly data scientists) to analyze that data. Combining coding skills with an understanding of data science, data engineers create infrastructure for processing huge amounts of data, enabling data scientists to do their job more effectively.

Whether you’re considering a summer internship or an internship during the school year, taking on an internship will give you the experience you need to pursue a career in the technology industry after graduation.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What Is a Computer Science Major and Is It Right for Me? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as When to Start Applying for a Summer Internship.

* This article was written in partnership with the team at Outco.

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What is a Network Development Engineer? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/dell-384348-sponsored-3-network-development-engineer/ Thu, 03 Nov 2016 20:37:24 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=867 Software engineer

A rapidly growing and incredibly innovative field, the technology industry has a lot of exciting opportunities for recent grads who are passionate about working with cutting-edge technology. One of these opportunities is network development, an area of engineering that focuses on automating and scaling networks in order to allow companies to process data more efficiently. … Continue reading "What is a Network Development Engineer?"

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Software engineer

A rapidly growing and incredibly innovative field, the technology industry has a lot of exciting opportunities for recent grads who are passionate about working with cutting-edge technology. One of these opportunities is network development, an area of engineering that focuses on automating and scaling networks in order to allow companies to process data more efficiently. To learn more about network development, we sat down with the team at Dell to find out what you can expect from this career path.

Here’s what you need to know about being a network development engineer.

What is a network development engineer?

The short answer is that a network development engineer is a person responsible for building and scaling data networks. The slightly longer answer is that a network development engineer is responsible for creating, deploying and automating networks that will enable data to move swiftly between different data centers.

What does a network development engineer do?

Depending on the type of company they work for, network development engineers can be responsible for a variety of things. This can include meeting with clients to understand their networking needs, designing solutions to meet those needs and then testing the solutions to ensure that they’re able to scale as the company grows. Network development engineers are problem solvers and project managers who are able to see the big picture and address challenges related to how data is transmitted. At a large company like Dell, this means leveraging the organization’s resources and technologies to create solutions that will not only scale, but that can also be automated and updated as needed.

What training do you need to become a network development engineer?

Training to become a network development engineer starts with taking relevant classes during college. These include technical computer classes that will give you the coding skills you need to do the job and also more theoretical classes that will teach you about the theoretical side of programming. After completing your undergraduate education (or even while you’re still in college) you can look for opportunities to get hands-on training. Dell’s University Relations Program offers a lot of these opportunities and gives students and recent grads a chance to learn about what it means to work in network development.

What are the benefits of being a network development engineer?

One of the main benefits of working in network development is being able to solve problems creatively and coming up with unique processes that help companies scale their business. In addition to the creative challenges of the role, network development also provides great insights into other areas of the tech industry and gives you a wonderful overview of exciting things that are happening across different fields. Working at a company like Dell also comes with additional benefits including access to cutting-edge solutions and employee-focused initiatives designed to help employees grow both personally and professionally.

What is a typical network development engineer salary?

Although network development engineer salaries vary slightly depending on location, they typically start at around $60,000 for an entry-level position and go up from there with experienced network development engineers earning upwards of $110,000 per year.

An exciting part of the technology industry, network development is a great opportunity to develop your technical skills while helping companies establish processes that will allow them to handle and process data.

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Types of Entry-Level Jobs for Computer Science Majors https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/entry-level-jobs-for-computer-science-majors/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/entry-level-jobs-for-computer-science-majors/#respond Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:50:32 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=671 college student

If you’re a computer science major who is interested in pursuing a tech-based career, you might be wondering about the best options for entry-level jobs. Depending on your interests and familiarity with the various industry verticals, there are many options to choose from and each one involves a combination of challenging and exciting projects. Here … Continue reading "Types of Entry-Level Jobs for Computer Science Majors"

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college student

If you’re a computer science major who is interested in pursuing a tech-based career, you might be wondering about the best options for entry-level jobs. Depending on your interests and familiarity with the various industry verticals, there are many options to choose from and each one involves a combination of challenging and exciting projects.

Here are the various roles you can pursue to kickstart your career.

Front-End Engineer

Front-End engineers make the interfaces we all love and use daily. If you like to see immediate, “tangible” results from your code and have a flair for design, then being a front-end engineer may be the role for you. As a front-end engineer, you’ll typically be working on the very front of the page. In a nutshell, you’ll be taking mockups given to you by the designer and turning them into web pages; implementing designs, prototyping and writing code that translates directly into what users see on the screen. The code you’ll be writing for this job is almost exclusively HTML/CSS and JavaScript, and it requires a strong ability to write cleanly in order to ensure long-term maintainability and future fast iterating. Deep knowledge of CSS and other front-end frameworks such as jQuery are a must.

Back-End Engineer

If you enjoy learning how to optimize read times on large data sets, crafting large data structures like an architect would a building, or making sure that your app has the best search function around, you may have a calling in back-end development. Back-end engineers are most concerned with what goes on behind the scenes — the business logic, data storage and retrieval, and key features that happen on the server. Knowing your SQL commands and relationships, familiarity with appropriate back-end languages such as Java, C++, Ruby, Python or JavaScript, knowledge of systems architecture and understanding of the hurdles of building applications at scale are helpful for this role.

Full-Stack Engineer

Being a full-stack engineer involves working with a combination of both front-end and back-end technologies, and it’s the perfect role for someone who likes building complete products or features. In addition to being able to develop back-end processes to connect servers and databases, you’ll also be working on the user-facing application to ensure that the product delivers seamless experience from end to end. However, it’s important to note that given the scope of this position, many full-stack engineers are “jacks of all trades but masters of none,” so it’s worth considering whether you want to be an expert in a particular discipline or whether you’re more comfortable when you’re constantly learning new things.

Mobile Engineer

Due to the rising use of apps, mobile engineers are in great demand right now. And since pretty much everyone uses either an iPhone or Android device these days, being familiar with their respective development platforms is a great way to secure your spot for this role.
The best way to show that you have what it takes is by being able to show off some apps that you’ve built on your own. If you already know Java, Android may be the best place for you to start, but if you prefer the iOS ecosystem, you’ll need to start learning Swift and XCode.

DevOps Engineer

The role of a DevOps engineer often differs from company to company, but at its core, DevOps engineers are responsible for the system infrastructure and “keeping the lights on.” If you’re fascinated by networking, intrigued by how the various tools and languages your team uses work and love setting up new servers, DevOps may be for you. The DevOps movement expands on the traditional responsibilities of system administrators to bring as much automation to the job as possible, so DevOps engineers are actually a hybrid of programmers and sysadmins.

Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer

Building scalable software requires that many levels of quality be considered. The first component is that the software must work, but it also must be written according to best practices and in a fashion that will not break other components of the program being developed. As a QA Engineer, you’ll be writing tests and testing suites while also running tests. Familiarity with software best practices and writing comprehensive tests that cover all edge cases will help you land your first QA job.

Product Manager

An increasingly popular role for computer science majors, being a product manager involves identifying opportunities for new products and working with an engineering team to design and execute them. As a product manager, you’ll be responsible for creating a roadmap of the product as well as market testing the product and launching it. This is a great role for someone who is interested in working on the strategy side of product development and someone who is passionate about the user experience.

Being a computer science major opens up a lot of exciting doors and offers you the opportunity to continue building your skill set as a programmer and beyond. The best way to figure out which opportunity is best for you is by pursuing an internship and figuring out which career path most closely aligns with your interests.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What Is a Computer Science Major and Is It Right for Me? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as 5 Technology Trends You Need to Know to Work in Any Industry.

* This article was written in partnership with the team at Outco.

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What Types of Skills Are Best for a Natural Sciences Major? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-skills-best-natural-sciences-major/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-skills-best-natural-sciences-major/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2016 19:30:14 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=230 science major

Do you love the sciences but aren’t sure what goes into being an amazing natural sciences major? Here are the top three skills you need to have to thrive in the major and feel confident heading into the workforce after graduation. Strong math and science skills It sounds obvious, but it bears discussion: Natural sciences … Continue reading "What Types of Skills Are Best for a Natural Sciences Major?"

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science major

Do you love the sciences but aren’t sure what goes into being an amazing natural sciences major? Here are the top three skills you need to have to thrive in the major and feel confident heading into the workforce after graduation.

Strong math and science skills

It sounds obvious, but it bears discussion: Natural sciences majors need to have incredibly robust math and science skills to succeed in this major. Your course of study will depend on which science or sciences you focus on, but regardless of your concentration you’ll be spending a lot of time in science and math classes, going to help sessions and working in a lab.

Lab skills

Having strong math and science skills doesn’t immediately translate into stellar lab skills. Lab technique is gained over time and requires the ability to be meticulous and detail-oriented. Additionally, “lab technique” isn’t just how you perform in a physical laboratory; it covers field work, sample and data collection and everything else that has to do with actual experimentation. The bottom line? You’ll need to be willing to take your time and make sure your results are accurate no matter what you’re studying.

Project management skills

Typically students who major in natural sciences are working on at least one bigger project at any given time, and it’s not enough just to know the science behind the experiments; it’s just as important to know how to run an efficient, organized and accurate set of experiments. Thus, natural sciences majors need to know how to manage their time and also any lab work and writeups they’re doing. For example, if you’re working on a major research project that includes other peers, how do you organize yourselves? How will you write your report? How will you schedule and prioritize experiments?

Having strong project management and research skills is one of the key ways to ensure that you’ll be able to handle all of the requirements of this major from completing lab work to keeping group projects organized.

Next, learn more about this college major such as Philosophy and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as How to Make Your Resume Stand Out.

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What Types of Skills Are Best for a Math Major? https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/what-types-of-skills-are-best-for-a-math-major/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/what-types-of-skills-are-best-for-a-math-major/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:10:38 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=187 science major

If the idea of working on problem sets, finding solutions and solving real-world problems appeals to you, becoming a math major might be right up your alley. But what are the key skills you’ll need to rock the math major and feel confident in your career prospects? Here are four skills that all of the … Continue reading "What Types of Skills Are Best for a Math Major?"

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science major

If the idea of working on problem sets, finding solutions and solving real-world problems appeals to you, becoming a math major might be right up your alley. But what are the key skills you’ll need to rock the math major and feel confident in your career prospects?

Here are four skills that all of the most successful math majors possess.

Strong quantitative skills

Fact: You can be a math major unless your number-crunching, quantitative and logic skills are extremely strong. Majoring in math is not for those who did “okay” in math classes in high school; you need to be confident in your abilities to solve problems.

Organizational skills

Math majors take a lot of notes in classes, so you’re going to have to think of an efficient system for note-taking on many different subjects and also organizing the notes you take. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get lost if you can’t keep track of the notes you’ve written or the problem sets you’ve finished; successful math majors are able to keep all of their documents straight.

Patience

It may seem like a strange skill for a math major, but think about it: You’re spending hours upon hours every day working on difficult problem sets, and it’s easy to get frustrated and give up.

However, math majors need to be able to stay calm and ask for help when they need it, and the most successful people in this major are those who are able to remain calm when a problem doesn’t make sense, try out different strategies to find a solution and turn to others if the answer isn’t obvious.

Problem-solving skills

Right up there with patience is the importance of having a problem-solving mind, one that desires to find the solution to any problem and will work tirelessly to find it.

The great thing about majoring in math is that your calculations and equations can solve big real-world problems, but you have to be curious, ready and willing to take on new challenges, many of which won’t have obvious solutions right off the bat.

Next, learn more about this college major such as Finance and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look for in a Company

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Types of Internships for Math Majors https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-of-internships-for-math-majors/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-of-internships-for-math-majors/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:10:38 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=690 internship

How does being great with numbers and complex equations translate into in the real world? If you’re a math major, you’re probably asking yourself that question right now. The great news is that there are plenty of career opportunities for math majors in a broad range of fields including data science and accounting. The key … Continue reading "Types of Internships for Math Majors"

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internship

How does being great with numbers and complex equations translate into in the real world? If you’re a math major, you’re probably asking yourself that question right now. The great news is that there are plenty of career opportunities for math majors in a broad range of fields including data science and accounting. The key to finding out which career path is best for you is to take on one or more internships while completing your degree.

Here are some of the most common internships for math majors:

Data science intern

A data science internship will give you first-hand experience with making data useful. You’ll learn how to clean large amounts of data and run relevant analyses by blending together applied mathematics with computer science, statistics, machine learning and other disciplines relevant to the problem at hand. You’ll also learn how to interpret these results in order to gain insights into a specific issue, identify emerging trends or even create a data-driven product.

Risk modeling intern

An internship as a credit risk modeler at a bank or financial firm can give you the opportunity to apply your math skills to the fields of banking and finance. As a credit risk modeler, you’ll assist in developing and measuring the validity of credit risk models which help the bank manage risk and measure different components of its performance. You’ll also receive training in the framework of existing credit risk models.

Quantitative research analyst intern

An internship as a quantitative research analyst will familiarize you with statistical methods and techniques used in making sense of data. From analyzing large, complex data sets to developing and testing statistical models, you’ll use your skills to interpret data and turn it into reports that can be used when making key business decisions. Because of the broad scope of this role, this internship can be found in any number of industries from healthcare to hospitality.

Financial analyst intern

A financial analyst internship is a great opportunity to learn about the process of collecting and analyzing financial information and making recommendations based on that information. This includes everything from internal and external data collection and analysis to data budgeting and forecasting. By interning as a financial analyst, you’ll be getting exposure to a broad range of duties and a hands-on feel for the world of finance.

Accounting intern

If you’re looking to branch out into accounting, an accounting internship will give you exposure to a wide range of responsibilities in the field. During your internship, you’ll be assisting with everything from preparing month end financial reports and bank statement reconciliations to crediting checks and contributing to the team’s yearly forecasting efforts.

Investment banking intern

An investment banking summer analyst position will give you a great sense of what it’s like to be a full-time analyst. Throughout your internship, you’ll be getting exposure to various aspects of investment banking including client pitches and deals such as mergers and acquisitions. Although you’ll mostly be working on behind-the-scenes projects such as analyzing financial statements and putting together presentations, you’ll also be building valuable skills that you can use in a full-time analyst role.

Business intelligence intern

As a business intelligence intern, you’ll assist the business intelligence team with their current projects such as analyzing competitor data and market trends for a specific industry. You’ll also obtain an overview of key operations within the company, support data management efforts and assist clients both within and outside the organization. Along the way, you’ll learn how to improve the organization’s decision-making outcomes and performance.

Internships relevant to math majors will tap into your problem-solving skills in more ways than one and offer you exciting opportunities for learning and skill building. By taking on an internship during your undergraduate career, you’ll learn more about the career opportunities available to you after graduation and figure out what role is right for you.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What is a Math Major and is it Right for Me? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as Top 10 Things You Should Look for In An Internship.

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Entry-Level Software Engineer Job Guide https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/entry-level-software-engineer-job-guide/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/entry-level-software-engineer-job-guide/#respond Wed, 19 Apr 2017 06:16:58 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/entry-level-software-engineer-job-guide/ Software engineer

“Entry-Level Software Engineer” is a broad term. It’s often one used by larger employers to recruit computer science majors and other student seeking software development positions. During the interview process many of these employers will ask candidates to think about what specialization they’d like to focus on (e.g. front-end, back-end, etc.). These engineers spend most … Continue reading "Entry-Level Software Engineer Job Guide"

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Software engineer

“Entry-Level Software Engineer” is a broad term. It’s often one used by larger employers to recruit computer science majors and other student seeking software development positions. During the interview process many of these employers will ask candidates to think about what specialization they’d like to focus on (e.g. front-end, back-end, etc.). These engineers spend most of their day writing code to make products and services function. The vast majority of employed entry-level software engineers work for large technology companies or startups.

Entry-Level Software Engineer Job Guide

Specialization under the software engineering is particularly common in an entry-level role. Most teams are composed of several specializations of engineers. Here are the most common types of software engineering roles:

  1. Back-end engineers spend much of their time writing services, algorithms, and architecting the core bits and pieces of a system and the way it works.
  2. Front-end engineers make the services that the back-end engineers are writing accessible to the end user through a UI. It’s not uncommon for front-end engineers to have some experience with UI design or partner often with a designer at the company.
  3. Operations engineers are responsible for ensuring the infrastructure that supports a product or service is reliable and stays up and running. Another primary responsibility is ensuring a system’s scalability.
  4. QA or test engineers are responsible for building systems that test the code that the other engineers are writing to ensure it’s stable and reliable.
  5. Full-stack engineers do everything (back-end, front-end, operations, testing). These are less common as entry-level roles unless they work at a small startup.

Common Responsibilities of Entry-Level software engineers

The tasks that software engineers perform vary greatly depending on their specialization. Here are a few examples of what they do:

  1. Building an RESTFUL API for consumption by another team at the company or a 3rd party. (Back-end)
  2. Constructing an interface in HTML, CSS, and Javascript that accesses the API and allows users to perform tasks. (Front-end)
  3. Spinning up infrastructure to support a new mobile app that the company is building, paying careful attention to how it might scale if the app takes off ala Pokemon Go.
  4. Writing tests that automatically ensure that the new app remains reliable and can handle a large load of traffic.

Types of Entry-Level software engineer Jobs

As you know by now, specialization is important. However, when searching for entry-level jobs, it’s even more important to become familiar with all of the different verbiage that an employer might use to describe their position. If you know what terms to search by, you’ll be far more likely to be able to find all of the available positions and narrow them down to the ones you’re most interested in.

Another great search strategy is to use software languages as keywords. Employers are often working on a Java or C stack and need engineers that can work in those languages.

Here are a few search terms you could use to search for entry-level software engineering postions:

Salary Expectations

The median salary for entry-level software engineers is $75,275.

The range is $54,084 – $110,908.

The higher end of this range is quite high and is often skewed significantly by the larger tech companies (Google, Facebook, etc.) and the competitiveness for their entry-level positions. They’ve been known to give $500,000 signing bonuses to the best recent grads. Crazy!

Location is one the largest factors in calculating salary, so it’s particularly helpful to consider the entire salary range.

The Bureau of Labor expects the number of software engineer jobs to grow by 17% over the next 10 years. That’s incredible growth. It’s no secret that software development is one of the most promising career choices.

Who Typically Gets These Jobs

Every year, we survey over 20,000 students and recent grads in an effort to understand the internship and entry-level job market. Based on the results of our State of Hiring report, the students or recent graduates that apply to these entry-level jobs have several things in common:

  • While many students are willing to look at jobs unrelated to their major, computer science majors are not. 72% of them only want to consider software development jobs.
  • San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle are the most popular destination for computer science grads.
  • Surprisingly enough, 75% of graduating computer science majors have worked a paid side job. Employers see this as a major benefit, as one of their primary concerns with engineers is how they will fair in a post-college work environment.
  • Only 28% of graduating seniors majoring in software engineer have no internship experience.
  • Most computer science students will not have any student debt when they graduate.
  • Almost 56% of seniors majoring in computer science have taken an online course related to their major.

Related Entry-Level Fields

Despite it being somewhat rare that software engineer majors seek jobs outside of their immediate major, it does happen. When they do go outside, here are the areas they’re most likely to look at:

  1. Electrical Engineering
  2. UX Design
  3. Product Management
  4. UI Design
  5. Analyst

Additional Resources

  1. It never hurts to brush up on a few software engineer topics. You can take a few online courses to get back in the swing of things.
  2. For more salary information, head over to Payscale.
  3. For more advice on starting your entry-level job search, check out our guide!
  4. And finally, to prepare for an entry-level job interview, prepare for the top 20 entry-level job interview questions.

Search for Entry-Level Software Engineering Jobs Now

Next, get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as What is an Entry-Level Job? and find answers to common interview questions such as Tell me about yourself.

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Types of Internships for Natural Sciences Majors https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-internships-natural-sciences-majors/ https://wayupstudent.wpengine.com/types-internships-natural-sciences-majors/#respond Fri, 05 Aug 2016 19:30:14 +0000 https://www.wayup.com/guide/?p=748 young woman internship

A natural sciences major is a great opportunity to learn about the sciences while also developing your skills. If you’re a natural sciences major, you may be wondering about the best way to develop these skills while also discovering career paths related to your major. Since the field itself is fairly broad, an internship is … Continue reading "Types of Internships for Natural Sciences Majors"

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young woman internship

A natural sciences major is a great opportunity to learn about the sciences while also developing your skills. If you’re a natural sciences major, you may be wondering about the best way to develop these skills while also discovering career paths related to your major. Since the field itself is fairly broad, an internship is one of the best ways to explore potential roles while gaining hands-on experience.

Here are some of the most common internships for natural sciences majors.

Education intern

An education internship prepares you for a career as a teacher or educational consultant in the natural sciences. You might work as an administrative intern at a school, supporting the staff by organizing events, updating databases and sending out emails. You might also work as a teaching assistant where you’ll be preparing teaching materials and presentations while helping teachers in a classroom setting. Educational internship opportunities can be also be found at ed-tech companies. In this type internship, you’ll likely be producing content or helping to design an educational curriculum.

Research intern

Research internships are a great way to get increased exposure to the natural sciences field, especially if you’re a pre-med student or if you’re considering pursuing an advanced degree. You can work as a research assistant at a university lab, join a specialized summer research program, apply to be a student trainee for the U.S. federal government (such as the Pathways Program) or work for a private research firm. This type of internship will give you the opportunity to assist with important research while also learning about the technicalities and ethics involved.

Pre-med intern

Another common type of internship is a pre-med internship. Hospitals and universities frequently have summer programs for students working toward pre-med requirements, giving them an overview of a medical environment and its various responsibilities. From observing different departments to shadowing doctors as they attend to patients, this type of internship will orient you to a healthcare setting while also giving you valuable hands-on experience.

Data science intern

Natural sciences majors can also branch out into data science, a field that involves making meaningful connections between data sets. As a data science intern, you’ll gain valuable experience with large data systems while also learning how data informs business decisions. Whether you intern with a start-up or a large corporation, this type of internship offers great exposure to how science can affect all types of businesses and company operations.

Environmental science intern

Environmental science internships give natural sciences majors an understanding of careers within the field of environmental science. From developing an educational curriculum to helping with the creation of initiatives focused on environmental protection, this type of internship will help you learn more about the field while also showing you how you can really make an impact.

Science journalism intern

A science journalism or writing internship at a scientific publication trains you to report recent scientific developments and generate ideas for other science-based articles. During this type of internship, you’ll be mentored by a staff of writers and editors, and in most cases considered an active member of the team. It’s a great opportunity to learn about science writing and to stay ahead of the latest science news.

From working in a lab to exploring the environmental sciences, a natural sciences internship is a wonderful opportunity to find out what you’re passionate about and to develop the skills you need to succeed in your chosen field.

Next, learn more about this college major such as What is a Natural Sciences Major and is it Right for Me? and get more career tips for internships and entry-level jobs such as When to Start Applying for a Summer Internship.

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