How are jobs/careers (or lack of) viewed?

[Python Forever]

This may be a bit of a typical, overthought premed question, but I have a question about how adcoms view careers, or a lack thereof.

I graduated with a CS degree about 2 months ago, and I haven't really been employed outside of some freelance work. I'm looking to start a career change DIY post-bacc, but I haven't really done anything related to CS/programming (career-wise; I've done a large enough number of medium-large scale projects to know this field isn't for me).

1) Will having a lack of CS career even with a CS degree look bad to adcoms? I bought into the Silicon Valley hype as a sophomore and stuck with CS even though I hated it due to sunk cost fallacy, and now that I've had some volunteering experience in a health care setting, I feel driven to pursue a career in health care (whether that be a doctor, PA, nurse, etc.). I'd like to get started on the post-bacc later this year, and continue volunteering at a hospital for the first 6 months and shadow a doctor and PA to really make sure this is for me. I just really do not want to work as a SWE.

2) The only way I can support myself during my post-bacc is to work minimum wage jobs at restaurants/McDonald's due to the flexibility they provide. Working these jobs for 2-3 years during study/volunteering shouldn't have any affect, right? Or would it look like "why did this guy work at a min. wage job even though he has a bachelor's in a fairly lucrative field"?

Thank you.

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[907914]

This may be a bit of a typical, overthought premed question, but I have a question about how adcoms view careers, or a lack thereof.

I graduated with a CS degree about 2 months ago, and I haven't really been employed outside of some freelance work. I'm looking to start a career change DIY post-bacc, but I haven't really done anything related to CS/programming (career-wise; I've done a large enough number of medium-large scale projects to know this field isn't for me).

1) Will having a lack of CS career even with a CS degree look bad to adcoms? I bought into the Silicon Valley hype as a sophomore and stuck with CS even though I hated it due to sunk cost fallacy, and now that I've had some volunteering experience in a health care setting, I feel driven to pursue a career in health care (whether that be a doctor, PA, nurse, etc.). I'd like to get started on the post-bacc later this year, and continue volunteering at a hospital for the first 6 months and shadow a doctor and PA to really make sure this is for me. I just really do not want to work as a SWE.

2) The only way I can support myself during my post-bacc is to work minimum wage jobs at restaurants/McDonald's due to the flexibility they provide. Working these jobs for 2-3 years during study/volunteering shouldn't have any affect, right? Or would it look like "why did this guy work at a min. wage job even though he has a bachelor's in a fairly lucrative field"?

Thank you.

They will not care what career path you took. If you are able to work a job, any job, while maintaining a 3.7+ during Post-Bacc as a full time student, it will be a positive. People get out of their degrees all the time and realize they hate the field they chose. If anything, you may be asked why you went down a career path you didn't like and how they know you won't do that with medicine. The likelihood this is asked is fairly low, however if asked you seem to have a pretty good answer. Just do well in that DIY PB and don't look back or question the CS. Never mention it in any application/interview section, but just know even if you don't get in, you already have a degree (one that you don't like, but still a career) that you can fall back on.

 

[Goro]

This may be a bit of a typical, overthought premed question, but I have a question about how adcoms view careers, or a lack thereof.

I graduated with a CS degree about 2 months ago, and I haven't really been employed outside of some freelance work. I'm looking to start a career change DIY post-bacc, but I haven't really done anything related to CS/programming (career-wise; I've done a large enough number of medium-large scale projects to know this field isn't for me).

1) Will having a lack of CS career even with a CS degree look bad to adcoms? I bought into the Silicon Valley hype as a sophomore and stuck with CS even though I hated it due to sunk cost fallacy, and now that I've had some volunteering experience in a health care setting, I feel driven to pursue a career in health care (whether that be a doctor, PA, nurse, etc.). I'd like to get started on the post-bacc later this year, and continue volunteering at a hospital for the first 6 months and shadow a doctor and PA to really make sure this is for me. I just really do not want to work as a SWE.

2) The only way I can support myself during my post-bacc is to work minimum wage jobs at restaurants/McDonald's due to the flexibility they provide. Working these jobs for 2-3 years during study/volunteering shouldn't have any affect, right? Or would it look like "why did this guy work at a min. wage job even though he has a bachelor's in a fairly lucrative field"?

Thank you.

1) No. We don't care about your major, only that you did well.

2) Yes in my book. Medicine is a service profession, and working in a service economy will do wonders for you. Consider that for most medical school graduates, residency is their first job ever. That's not good.

 

[bigal123]

This may be a bit of a typical, overthought premed question, but I have a question about how adcoms view careers, or a lack thereof.

I graduated with a CS degree about 2 months ago, and I haven't really been employed outside of some freelance work. I'm looking to start a career change DIY post-bacc, but I haven't really done anything related to CS/programming (career-wise; I've done a large enough number of medium-large scale projects to know this field isn't for me).

1) Will having a lack of CS career even with a CS degree look bad to adcoms? I bought into the Silicon Valley hype as a sophomore and stuck with CS even though I hated it due to sunk cost fallacy, and now that I've had some volunteering experience in a health care setting, I feel driven to pursue a career in health care (whether that be a doctor, PA, nurse, etc.). I'd like to get started on the post-bacc later this year, and continue volunteering at a hospital for the first 6 months and shadow a doctor and PA to really make sure this is for me. I just really do not want to work as a SWE.

2) The only way I can support myself during my post-bacc is to work minimum wage jobs at restaurants/McDonald's due to the flexibility they provide. Working these jobs for 2-3 years during study/volunteering shouldn't have any affect, right? Or would it look like "why did this guy work at a min. wage job even though he has a bachelor's in a fairly lucrative field"?

Thank you.

CS major who currently works as a software dev here during the gap year and matriculating at med school this cycle so I am going to chime in.

Are you serious? you're telling me you would rather flip burgers at mcdonalds than work in one of the chillest jobs in the best labor market in years while finishing a PB???

I'm sorry but I agree with this:
"why did this guy work at a min. wage job even though he has a bachelor's in a fairly lucrative field"

 

[Python Forever]

CS major who currently works as a software dev here during the gap year and matriculating at med school this cycle so I am going to chime in.

Are you serious? you're telling me you would rather flip burgers at mcdonalds than work in one of the chillest jobs in the best labor market in years while finishing a PB???

I'm sorry but I agree with this:
"why did this guy work at a min. wage job even though he has a bachelor's in a fairly lucrative field"

"Flipping burgers at McDonald's" lets me squeeze in 3-hour shifts in between classes, and I can generally plan work around my study schedule. And it may be chill for others, but I genuinely hate programming as a career (yeah yeah "why did you study it"), and the time I spent as an intern was miserable for me. Also I can't take on a full-time job when classes are in the morning or afternoon.

 

[bigal123]

"Flipping burgers at McDonald's" lets me squeeze in 3-hour shifts in between classes, and I can generally plan work around my study schedule. And it may be chill for others, but I genuinely hate programming as a career (yeah yeah "why did you study it"), and the time I spent as an intern was miserable for me. Also I can't take on a full-time job when classes are in the morning or afternoon.

The grass isn't always greener on the other side, unless you've worked in food service before, I wouldn't recommend it. If you have more power to you.

One more thing. What's great about software engineering is that there are a lot of jobs with a flex schedule which means you can work whenever you want as long as you get the hours (part/full time) in every 2 weeks, you won't get that kind of flexibility in food service.

 

[deleted645092]

There isn't really anything "wrong" with your plan per se, but I worked in the full range of food service jobs during undergrad and there is nothing worse. I started as a line cook flipping burgers, and made my way up to busser, host, server, and bartender.

The lack of respect you're going to get from your bosses is gonna really get to you, because no matter what your degree is in, you're a line cook, and you have bosses who didn't accomplish much more but are still your bosses. And good luck getting a flexible schedule in the food service industry, ESPECIALLY working for a corporate entity. Those schedules are designed weeks in advance, and whoever said you will get to design your own fed you a bag of lies. If you're committed to food service, the more local, the more likely they are to treat you with respect and give you some flexibility. I've never worked in computer science but from according to my friends who do, getting the job done is more important than when you're putting in the hours, as long as it's done on time.

 

[LizzyM]

You'd be better served by a part-time research job of some kind, even if it is minimum wage. There are flexible, part-time research gigs particularly if you have any bench skills or something in data entry, or organizing tables and graphs.

 

[Python Forever]

There isn't really anything "wrong" with your plan per se, but I worked in the full range of food service jobs during undergrad and there is nothing worse. I started as a line cook flipping burgers, and made my way up to busser, host, server, and bartender.

The lack of respect you're going to get from your bosses is gonna really get to you, because no matter what your degree is in, you're a line cook, and you have bosses who didn't accomplish much more but are still your bosses. And good luck getting a flexible schedule in the food service industry, ESPECIALLY working for a corporate entity. Those schedules are designed weeks in advance, and whoever said you will get to design your own fed you a bag of lies. If you're committed to food service, the more local, the more likely they are to treat you with respect and give you some flexibility. I've never worked in computer science but from according to my friends who do, getting the job done is more important than when you're putting in the hours, as long as it's done on time.

I figured I'd work at an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ if any are hiring, since I have about 6 months experience working in that setting. The tips hourly can be almost double the wage on weekends, so I could potentially take home $20-$30 an hour. But I definitely understand what you mean by lack of respect; they definitely make it obvious you're expendable. And unfortunately, at least in my area any SWE gig that provides flexibility/non part-time are remote or consulting jobs that require at least 5 years experience, so that's out. Thanks for your advice.

You'd be better served by a part-time research job of some kind, even if it is minimum wage. There are flexible, part-time research gigs particularly if you have any bench skills or something in data entry, or organizing tables and graphs.

Are these jobs usually at universities, or "private labs"? Also, do you happen to know if these part-time research jobs can potentially lead to actual research experience (since I never did any research as an undergrad)? Thank you.

 

[LizzyM]

Are these jobs usually at universities, or "private labs"? Also, do you happen to know if these part-time research jobs can potentially lead to actual research experience (since I never did any research as an undergrad)? Thank you.

Universities and academic medical centers would be the most likely to hire you. Do you have any skills acquired in college courses and labs?

If you can make $20-30/hr in a food service job, take it and spin it as a "working with people" job that requires teamwork and that had a customer service focus. All that could make sense if you want to say that computer science left you cold and you wanted something that involved more interaction with people.

 

[Python Forever]

Universities and academic medical centers would be the most likely to hire you. Do you have any skills acquired in college courses and labs?

If you can make $20-30/hr in a food service job, take it and spin it as a "working with people" job that requires teamwork and that had a customer service focus. All that could make sense if you want to say that computer science left you cold and you wanted something that involved more interaction with people.

The $20-$30 an hour would be on good weekends, and not a consistent income, so it might be better to work at a lab; that hasn't even occurred to me. I've learned some data science in college, including cleaning and predictive modeling, so hopefully that can be enough for an entry level position. Thank you!