Created: February 26 2019
Updated: November 19 2019
Choosing a career and strand was a rough journey for me, especially in Grade 10, Philippine K-12 Curriculum. It was not an easy task for me to choose this path Iβm taking, but it was worth all the research Iβve done late nights. And Iβll show why I chose STEM strand (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) specifically on Software engineer, instead of Tech-Voc strand, which I wanted for animation and multimedia arts.
I had to consider two factors when choosing, passion or money? Because I am worried of what my parents think. My passion lies on reading, studying, drawing, painting, and designing, on the other hand, I need a job that gives me a good run on money to sustain my life, to be honest. I knew I was not the only one in this when choosing a career, but most of my peers, at that time, has their eyes set already on what they want to do, such as being a ophthalmologist, obstetrician gynecologist, civil engineer, mostly in the medical and engineering fields. Other factors can also include tuition fees and location, I live in a place which has one of the most expensive colleges branching from the U.S.A. and more, though there are colleges that is affordable for my family, there was limited options, unlike in the Philippines.
The first thing Iβve discovered about software programming is that it can be flexible, its has different careers you can choose from instead of staying in one place, in-demand, and has a high salary. According to Trade Schools, Software developers is considered one of the best careers for 2020 and beyond. In fact, almost 1.2 million total job openings are projected to become available in the software development field between 2016 and 2026. The median yearly pay for application software developers in 2016 was $103,620.
Amazing, isnβt it? What inspired me to go for further with software engineering/programming was that animation studios, such as Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks, graphics software companies, similar to Adobe and Autodesk, UI (User Interface) /UX (User Experience) designing to make things both functional and beautiful, and video game studios, like Nintendo, Blizzard, Electronic Arts, are in great need for software engineers, which is in line with my creative passion! Iβm not gonna lie, I also love to solve and compute problems; there is a satisfaction in getting the right answer. I personally just need to practice my math skills, which I do not mind, since I love to study.
From Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job growth should increase much faster than the national average at 12% through 2026, much faster than any occupations. Computer software engineers can find employment anywhere. In fact, nearly a third of information technology-related positions seek software developers!
Lastly, its because of my parents, mostly my dad. Disclaimer though, I absolutely have nothing against them; I love them so much. He is just one of the reasons why I choose engineer because he is one too. He also isnβt in favor for me getting a art degree, which is also fine by me because I definitely understand why, βArt is subjective; beauty is in the eye of the beholder, anak (meaning child) β my mother would say, and I do agree. Especially nowadays, artists get hired by Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney just through social media. Thatβs why Iβve decided I can work as a software engineer and have side projects on my artwork to show online, if I wasnβt able to dream company. Or much better, create my own business such as clothing or something so I can be my own boss.
βYou might think programmers are artists, but programming is an extremely creative profession. Itβs logic β based creativity.β - John Romero
References
Trade Schools. (2019). Best Careers for the Future: 51 Jobs for 2020 and Way Beyond! Retrieved November 20, 2019, from https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/best-careers-for-the-future.asp.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019, September 4). Computer and Information Technology Occupations. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm.