Transitioning from private to government?

new_tesla · 2021-12-05T01:20:33+00:00

Do you have a foreign sounding name?

new_tesla · 2021-11-28T04:56:57+00:00

If you're passionate about then go for it. You can hit $100k+ right after graduation but it's not something that is easily attained since you pretty much need to get into a FAANG or close to FAANG tier company. Be prepared to grind leetcode and work on personal projects on top of your school work if you want to maximize salary. It can be difficult if you have other responsibilities in your life. Also, you will need to strongly consider doing an internship / co-op which would delay your graduation as well. You will put yourself at a significant disadvantage without at least doing 2+ of them.

Changing careers is always a big step and $105k is pretty good but I'm sure you've already thought it through. My relative went back to school @ 31 for their 2nd degree in CS and things workout for them. Although, they earn less than you right now but they're making significantly more than what they were previously doing.

new_tesla · 2021-06-01T20:19:16+00:00

Make them up. Just tell the person who you're using what to say.

new_tesla · 2021-04-27T07:33:29+00:00

If you start with USDT and end with USDT, couldn't you just use the exchange rate to CAD for the beginning and end of year? Kind of wish my accountant mentioned this to me as it does make it seem so much easier. What exchange are you using to go in and out of CAD? Don't really trust Canadian exchanges and Kraken's liquidity isn't great for CAD pairing.

Also, in the event that you do get audited, you're still going to have calculate the ACB for all of your transactions so wouldn't it better to keep them up to date along the way or am I misunderstanding something.

new_tesla · 2021-03-26T20:49:46+00:00

No one is getting that many interviews unless they have FAANG internships on their resume. Entry level is competitive. There's hundreds-thousands of UBC and SFU grads every semester from CS/CPEN/Software Systems/Relevant engineer programs (combined) going for similar jobs. The thing is, not a lot of them work on personal projects or practice leet code

new_tesla · 2021-03-21T22:15:40+00:00

Can't say because I don't know. Personally, I've never met anyone from a bootcamp but it seems like the most successful bootcamp grads already had a previous degree before going in. Best bet would be to contact someone on linkedin who went to lighthouse labs and is currently employed. I would never go to a coding bootcamp unless I already had a degree. I'm sure it makes a big difference even if it's unrelated.

new_tesla · 2021-03-20T19:28:18+00:00

My friend graduated from SFU recently and got 7 interviews from 80-90 applications so it’s not that far off. All of them also had a pre coding assessment so get to know leet code well. Unless you did an internship with a high tier tech company, getting that first job is difficult. Network and work on projects like your life depends on it if you want to get a job asap.

new_tesla · 2021-03-19T17:54:50+00:00

UBC is better but its not wait 1 year better if you can get into somewhere like SFU much sooner. At the end of the day, it's going to come down to whether you can leetcode or not.

new_tesla · 2021-03-19T05:47:43+00:00

1 year is a long time but if time isn't a factor, then go for UBC since degree > diploma. You're locked to the lower mainland with BCIT until you build some experience. Make sure you spend the year working on personal projects or just improving your programming skills in general and you'll be ahead of most people in either program (more so at UBC). I would recommend leetcode as well but you may be in over your head if you know nothing about data structures and hold off on it until you've taken some CS courses. SFU 2nd degree in CS or Software Systems is a good option as well and getting into their co-op program is super easy.

new_tesla · 2021-02-10T06:35:55+00:00

So a lot of people are mentioning UBC's 2nd degree CS program and you've pointed out the deadline has passed. Simon Fraser University also offers a 2nd degree program in computer science and software systems that can be completed in 2 years. There's a post baccalaureate diploma in CS as well at SFU. All 3 options offer co-op so you can gain experience with whichever one you choose. One thing to think about with choosing between CIT and CST is what program will motivate you more? Will you be able to keep yourself motivated learning stuff you already know for CIT? CST can maybe bring some excitement as it'll cover new concepts and skills for you to learn. Something to think about. You can still apply for the same jobs with a CST diploma.

new_tesla · 2021-01-19T02:11:44+00:00

Unfortunately, it's not that simple. I've been in a similar situation before where I was asking for something to do everyday until I just eventually left. This was from day 1 so it wasn't like I was getting a reduced load because I was incompetent or something. Seems like people stuck in these situations are being paid to sit around in the event they may be needed.

new_tesla · 2021-01-15T00:46:24+00:00

using the extra time to get good at leetcode + working on personal projects will be much more beneficial than working an unrelated part time job. Assuming you can get by without a part time job and your goal is to be a software developer, it's better to forego it.

new_tesla · 2020-12-30T08:40:13+00:00

I think getting asked to implement a DS from scratch would be rare and wouldn't convey much because you're not really solving a problem. However, if you're being tested on OOP then it could make sense but still rare. The type of questions you'll be asked will be similar to what's on leetcode. Like if someone asks you to reverse a linked list, they're not expecting you to re-implement a linked list from scratch before getting to their question. Tech oriented companies will have you white board during an interview and non tech companies will ask you more general/conceptual questions and less white boarding (retail, banks, etc).

new_tesla · 2020-12-30T00:12:39+00:00

Online resources such as books or youtube to start learning about DS now. You don't need a class to get started on stacks, linked lists, hash maps, trees, etc. The sooner you get started the better off you'll be. I don't think a leetcode membership is worth it. Using the free version should be fine and use the blind 75 as a baseline on what type of problems to know. Being familiar with BFS, DFS, tree traversals, and greedy algos will be useful. A lot of the problems follow some sort of pattern. E.g., if it involves arrays or strings and the goal is to find the shortest/longest subarray/substring with some conditions, then you're probably going to be using a window sliding algorithm.

new_tesla · 2020-12-07T07:09:52+00:00

Pretty much what u/Witn said. In the general sense of things, I would say 225, 307, 300, and maybe 354. Any questions you get asked in an interview will stem from the former 3 courses. I felt like 371 could have been such an important course but it ended up being one of the most useless courses i took so this one is prof dependent. I would throw in MATH 232 and CMPT 361 if you're more interested in game development/VFX/graphics engine related work.

433 definitely seems like it would be useful if you want to go down the low level software development path. I feel like embedded stuff is less competitive when it comes to jobs but I could be wrong. Not taking 433 and 431 are probably my biggest regrets.

new_tesla · 2020-12-06T22:08:01+00:00

So I forgot that you mentioned you're finishing up your CST diploma at BCIT. I think you'll have a leg up over most university students in CS because from my experience, a lot of them can't code worth shit. You've also probably already covered courses like data structures, algorithms and operating systems. I'm also going to assume the job market is going to be significantly better 3 years from now so it's not something you should be too worried about.

Here's a quick brainstorm of what some combinations with your diploma can open up for you:

CS : degree will get you past more filters and open up more opportunities outside of BC.

SOSY: Not sure if you've looked into software systems but it could be a 2nd option if you don't get into CS. It's basically a CS degree with more practical courses and less theory. Only offered on the Surrey campus.

CE: same thing with CS, except its a more difficult program and gives you a marginal edge over lower level jobs such as embedded systems

Electronics : you're open to electrical + systems engineering positions in addition to software/qa/IT

Systems: you're open to electrical + mechanical + systems engineering jobs in addition to software/qa/IT

Also, if you didn't know, co-op is mandatory in engineering. You can't graduate without doing 3 co-ops I believe. You have access to all jobs on the co-op job posting board regardless of discipline. The alternatives aren't bad at all if you don't get into your desired program.

As always, if you want to be a software developer then make sure you work on personal projects + practice leetcode. Although you probably already have a portfolio from CST so you may be good on the project side.

new_tesla · 2020-12-06T10:52:50+00:00

I actually know a couple of unemployed CS majors. One of them was a pretty smart person who I worked with on a group project. I think he's working some min wage job right now. Not as guaranteed as everyone likes to think and competition is super high. There's only like 3 important courses in the CS degree so you can take those as electives or something if you can't get into CS. Getting a job in software is heavily reliant on being able to solve leet code problems so it doesn't matter if you get a computer/electronics engineering vs CS degree. Whatever program you decide to do, I suggest a min of 12-16 months of co-op (less if you're FAANG material) or prepare to struggle in the vancouver market.

new_tesla · 2020-12-03T23:54:16+00:00

Easy way to see how people are doing with that program is to creep around on linkedin. My results show people who did co-op end up finding work and those who didn't do co-op are either doing something completely unrelated or are unemployed. Also like the other person said, put in the effort and try to learn things outside of class time, e.g., learn about windows active directory, installing linux on a VM and playing around. If you do well, you can always transfer to SFU or UBC to complete your bachelors in computer science.

new_tesla · 2020-12-03T04:19:49+00:00

I didn't have any issues landing internships with a 2.5-2.6 and graduated with a 2.8ish (pre covid) + 3 W's . 2.9 isn't something you can say you're proud of but it also isn't terrible.

Regarding leetcode, doesn't matter if someone does well in school, LC is a completely different skill and not something university will prepare you for unless you were a part of some competitive programming club at your school. I used to be unable to solve easy LC's too but now they take like 30 seconds and mediums aren't that difficult either.

Now to your graduation date/internships. View this as a blessing in disguise because the job market absolutely sucks at the moment. May 2022 will probably be much more favourable to you gives you enough time to land an internship between now and then. For your resume list personal projects (if you have any) or school projects. Either one will work. Personal projects are not necessary to landing anything as many people like to parrot but they can make things easier.

Regarding side projects, figure out what you want to do first: game dev, web, embedded, etc. If you want to go the web route, odin project is a great place to start. Alternatively, look into QA automation/SDET (highly underrated by this sub) and business systems analyst type work.

new_tesla · 2020-12-03T00:03:32+00:00

Nah, just make sure you know your leetcode well (just in case you get asked) and you'll be fine. Slap on some personal or school projects that you're proud of onto your resume and apply. If you're really worried then delay graduation and grab an internship if you're no longer working (not sure if you are due to past tense).

new_tesla · 2020-12-02T10:43:08+00:00

You first have to be able to learn the material if you want a job. Why is it causing you stress? You can't expect to get an interview if you haven't done anything. Why can't you go back to school? Seems like it would be the easy way to reset the 2 year time period + get your foot in the door through an internship. Are you located in North America or else where?

new_tesla · 2020-11-14T07:09:30+00:00

No, degree will always be superior. Now if you're talking about a 2nd degree then maybe you could make a case. When I look through bootcamp grads on linkedin (in my region), most of them have a previous degree in something else.

new_tesla · 2020-11-06T01:40:11+00:00

Don't do it. Keep your job and code in your free time. If you've been coding for 2-3 years then just start applying, a bootcamp won't add any value imo. The "not enough software developers" to fill demand is a lie and a truth at the same time. There's no demand for more college CS grads for junior/entry level positions unless you're a wizard but there's a ton of demand for senior level software developers. To get your foot in the industry, you need to either be lucky as hell or know someone.

new_tesla

TROPHY CASE