[magnusPT]

Hey guys, i have a little problem here, my mom doesnt want me to go for software engineering because she said that computers age was 10 years ago and that the job i will get from software engineering will leave me without money, can you help with some arguments that can change your opinion ? :S

This post has been edited by magnusPT: 19 July 2009 - 08:13 AM

[AdamSpeight2008]

What area of work does your mum want you do?

[magnusPT]

something that ain't computers....

[PsychoCoder]

You need to explain to your mom that her statement is incorrect, the age of computers want 10 years ago, it's 10 years ago, today and for the foreseeable future. Computers are going anywhere, they're the wave of the future

[masteryee]

Does she want you to be a doctor or lawyer because they're more reputable, or because they make more money? Even doctors and lawyers need to use computers. Hospitals and courts use computers. And it's the software developers/engineers that create these software systems for the hospitals and courts.

If the computer age was 10 years ago, what age are we in now? Technology is still booming. Computers are everywhere unless you choose to work in strawberry fields under the beating sun all day long. So many innovations undiscovered. Software engineers can pretty much work in any industry, whether it's hospitals (medical/health informatics), cyber security (biometrics - fingerprint/dna scanning/eye scanning), robotics (A.I.), real-time stock quotes, GPS... your refrigerator is going to have software in it soon! Your car has a computer chip in it.

Just tell her you want to make console video games; at least you can play those on a TV instead of computer, so you may be able to trick her that way . Otherwise, have fun being a truck driver or working in the strawberry fields!

[abgorn]

Neumann, on 19 Jul, 2009 - 09:08 AM, said:

You don't have to convince your mother. She has no right to tell you what to do with your life.

No matter what you say, your parents raise you and it's only natural to want to please them and his mother is only trying to do what's best for her child. Talking like that doesn't help and would probably offend/hurt. With that said, I think you should try to convince your mother that it's the road you want to go down and it makes you happy and that there's always a chance to go back and try something else. Even if you decide that being a software engineer isn't for you, even in your late 30's there's still over 20 years before retirement and that's plenty of time to go back to college (if the job your interested in requires so), get work experience and go into whatever industry you soever choose.

This post has been edited by abgorn: 19 July 2009 - 03:41 PM

[dementedprogrammer]

Software engineering is the future!!

This post has been edited by dementedprogrammer: 19 July 2009 - 07:57 PM

[sscheider]

dementedprogrammer, on 19 Jul, 2009 - 07:57 PM, said:

Software engineering is the future!!

If the age of computers was ten years ago and software engineering is the future, then what have I been doing for 35 years?

Predicting the future direction of the computing industry is pretty impossible. However, some form of software will exist, always. With the financial meltdown and homeland security efforts in the US as well as abroad, you can be sure that demand will be high for the next ten years. However, I would expect more volitility with relocation over that period.

All said, I'll never be CEO, unless I start the company myself. Then again, I've been very comfortable with the salary that I've earned in computer science.

[Jaakuuta]

Another good thing about software engineering besides the whole "it's useful for every career" idea is that it's useful for pretty much anything. That doesn't even have to be work related. You learn a neat skill set that you can use towards anything. You get some of the best from math and science, and you learn how to solve problems. How is this NOT useful?

[xclite]

Computers will only get more important instead of less important.

[thursdayniac]

Your mother is wrong, no offense. Computers are the future. The science of computing is going to be the backbone of just about every other technology from here on out.

[c0mrade]

Neumann, on 19 Jul, 2009 - 09:08 AM, said:

You don't have to convince your mother. She has no right to tell you what to do with your life.

I agree, respectfully tell her that this is the career you want to pursue. If she does not listen then she does not deserve to be listened to.

[sparkart]

Maybe your mother is talking about computer engineering jobs will be outsourced.

Outsourcing is one thing that really scares me about following this career path.