Career Aspirations

My name is Jesse Graham, I am an Information Science student at USF. My concentration is in Data Science and analytics. Originally this seemed like something I would be interested in. Currently, I am working as a full stack app developer and the more I learn and grow in this field the more I enjoy it. I have always had a passion for making websites and tools for people to use. Unfortunately, the more I learn about Data Science, the idea of working in that field and working with data sounds fun and interesting, however I feel more passionate about app development. I still have one more Data Science related class left before I graduate, so there is a chance I might still find some interest in Data Science.

My current company is a small company that has multiple avenues for creating revenue. I have created a few applications for the company, one of which is an asset management system or an inventory management system, which they have to offer to our clients as a service that we can offer. Every day I am learning more and more about coding, different coding languages and different web frameworks. I have been in application development for almost 3 years now with multiple years of web development knowledge from a previous position. I have not set up a career service appointment, however I have had multiple mentoring sessions with other professionals working in app development.

When enrolling into the University of South Florida, the major I had originally wanted to pursue Information Technology. I unfortunately did not meet the requirements for that program due to not taking some classes while at Hillsborough Community College. I researched the Information Science major on websites such as www.whatcanidowiththismajor.com and saw that database administration, IT administration and Data analysis were job options with this degree (About – What Can I Do With This Major, n.d.). I also checked www.Indeed.com for React and Angular programing jobs and saw some jobs were accepting Information Science degrees. With that information, I decided to pursue Information Science, however my default concentration was in Cybersecurity. I took a couple classes and wanted something that would be more programming oriented as I aspired to become an application developer, so I changed my concentration to Data Science and Analytics.

I have not found any internships in Data Science. Unfortunately, due to my life situations, I also could not accept any unpaid internships. Most of the opportunities I have searched for have been paid positions. The only other job-related experience I have is that of web development. As a full stack developer, you work on front end or user interface aspects as well as the back end, database management and access. When working with the front end, generally web development knowledge such as HTML and CSS is very useful. Many web applications are essentially fancy dynamic websites, unlike a static site that only displays set information.

While taking classes here at the University of South Florida, I have grown to like Data Science and Analytics, but at the same time not sure if it’s what I would like to concentrate on long term. The term Data Science is a bit of a buzzword currently with new jobs developing from the science of analyzing and manipulating data. With the help of a data analyst, companies can find what data points are the most useful to aid businesses in making strategic decisions(Mastersindatascience.org 2022). While this sounds interesting the assignments, I have needed to do to complete my courses has not been as interesting. I feel the right path is to continue with what I learn at my day job of application development. While every week I learn something new with data science, it just is not enough for me to decide to switch specializations.

Conclusion

Fortunately for me I already work in the career that I aspire to be in. Luckily the degree that I am pursuing will also work with this career field as well. I like to check the job market every few months and apply for new positions, unfortunately, not having my degree has disqualified me from some interesting and high paying positions. I was in an interview with Amazon where they told me there was a 50K signing bonus and they would pay to relocate me to Los Angeles, California or Seattle, Washington, however when I mention I had not completed my degree they replied they could only offer me an internship. When I compare the salaries of an Application Developer and a Data Scientist, they are similar, however, to be a Data Scientist usually requires pursing your Master’s Degree. A data analyst makes a little less money, which also pushes me to pursue App Development even more. While I believe one should never stop learning no matter how old you get, I am 37 and the work/life/school balance or juggling that I am doing has worn on me. I’d love to pursue my master degree, but I also want to enjoy my life.