# So You Just Graduated with a Computer Degree

DevFeed: [So You Just Graduated with a Computer Degree](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/so-you-just-graduated-with-a-computer-degree-28350.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<http://fuzzyblog.io/blog/student/2020/02/17/so-you-just-graduated-with-a-computer-degree.html>)

Author: Fuzzygroup

Published: 2020-02-17T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Scott Johnson](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/scott-johnson.md>)

Topics: [Computer science](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/computer-science.md>), [Job](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/job.md>)

Tags: [career](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/career.md>), [computer-science](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/computer-science.md>), [job](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/job.md>), [side-projects](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/side-projects.md>), [student](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/student.md>), [time](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/time.md>), [work](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/work.md>)

## AI overview

An experienced computer professional offers career advice to new computer science graduates. The article recommends treating employment as a 40-hour-per-week commitment and building personal side projects to maintain skills, learn, and potentially demonstrate value to employers.

## Source excerpt

I have a good friend who is about to graduate with a Computer Science degree and, as a seasoned professional in the field (aka old fart), I know he's going to be asking me for advice. And if I'm going to give cogent advice, I always feel that: It might be useful to someone else so putting it online is helpful Advice is improved by clear thinking and clear thinking comes from written expression (at least for me) My view of the time between graduation and joining the workforce is that you want to build the habits that will make you succcessful in your career. Note that I said career and not your first job. Your Job Will Be 40 Hours Per Week My first bit of real advice to a new graduate is that your job, unless it pays overtime, is 40 hours per week. Your employer will always subtly or not so subtly encourage you to work more and, if you like computer stuff, it is easy to fall into a model where you work more than 40 hours. I did this for years and years and, imho, it didn't pay off. We all have the belief that if we work hard and put in the time that we will get ahead. Given the myriad disconnects between employer and employee, I no longer think that's the case. And, yes, there are times where some extra work is called for but making it a systemic practice that defines your life, well, that's just dumb and it is poor career management. Build Something My basic recommendation to you is that you build something that you personally want. This is also known as a side project. I'm a fan of side projects as a way of improving yourself / teaching yourself new things. And, sometimes, side projects become real and make you money (my RSS search that I made back in 2003 over a snowy weekend ended up becoming a venture funded thing). Now that is a best case, you could also end up with a directory of side projects that never go anywhere (I have that too). You should understand that what is going to happen to you once you graduate and leave formal academia is your skills begin to a