Career Information

Computing jobs are socially relevant. Computing today is a component in solving many of the world’s problems. Computing professionals work in every industry including health, education, business, transportation, etc. Studies suggest that CS/IT people are the most satisfied with their careers, when compared to other majors. These are careers where people really make a difference and get to learn and play with new technology all of their lives. CS/IT professionals also spend a great deal of time communicating and working in teams.

Cyber Systems Jobs are Hot

US News and World Report top 100 job report rates several CS/IT related jobs at the top. This includes Computer Systems Analyst, Software Developer, and Web Developer as some of the best jobs each year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 24 percent employment growth for software developers between 2016 and 2026, much faster than average for all occupations. During that time period, an estimated 302,000 jobs will need to be filled.

Xpanxion open house

Career Exposure Opportunities

Each year, the Cyber Systems Department provide several professional presentations and industry tours for current students. Cyber Systems also provide networking opportunities for students to meet with business professionals and seek internships and full-time employment at two major events each year, the fall UNK Career Fair, and the spring Technology Networking Breakfast/Career Fair. Typically, there are over 30 businesses at these events looking to hire Cyber Systems students for internships or full-time employment. 100% of all Cyber Systems graduates have gained professional employment in their major area of study. Of the graduates in the last several years who were U.S. citizens, 36% decided to stay in the Central Nebraska area, 33% are employed in the Omaha/Lincoln area, and 23% are employed in regional states outside of Nebraska.

Top 10 reasons for majoring in a Computing field

(from ACM.org)

  1. Computing is part of everything we do. Computing and computer technology are part of just about everything that touches our lives from the cars we drive, to the movies we watch, to the ways businesses and governments deal with us. Understanding different dimensions of computing is part of the necessary skill set for an educated person in the 21st century. Whether you want to be a scientist, develop the latest killer application, or just know what it really means when someone says “the computer made a mistake”, studying computing will provide you with valuable knowledge.
  2. Expertise in computing enables you to solve complex, challenging problems. Computing is a discipline that offers rewarding and challenging possibilities for a wide range of people regardless of their range of interests. Computing requires and develops capabilities in solving deep, multidimensional problems requiring imagination and sensitivity to a variety of concerns.
  3. Computing enables you to make a positive difference in the world. Computing drives innovation in the sciences (human genome project, AIDS vaccine research, environmental monitoring and protection just to mention a few), and also in engineering, business, entertainment and education. If you want to make a positive difference in the world, study computing.
  4. Computing offers many types of lucrative careers. Computing jobs are among the highest paid and have the highest job satisfaction. Computing is very often associated with innovation, and developments in computing tend to drive it. This, in turn, is the key to national competitiveness. The possibilities for future developments are expected to be even greater than they have been in the past.
  5. Computing jobs are here to stay, regardless of where you are located. There actually are more computing jobs than qualified people to fill them in the United States. U.S. IT employment was 17% higher in 2004 than in 1999. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says computing has the greatest potential for new jobs through 2014. Yes, some IT jobs have gone overseas. If you consider the expected growth in computing, it’s easy to see that companies simply need more talent. Don’t miss out on pursuing the large number of open positions available right now, here in the United States.
  6. Expertise in computing helps you even if your primary career choice is something else. Having a computing major will provide you with a foundation of knowledge, problem solving and logical thinking that will serve as a competitive advantage to you in your career, in whatever field you choose.
  7. Computing offers great opportunities for true creativity and innovativeness. Creating high-quality computing solutions is a highly creative activity, and computing supports creative work in many other fields. The best solutions in computing exhibit high levels of elegance and beauty.
  8. Computing has space for both collaborative work and individual effort. Computing is often about being part of a team that requires people with many different kinds of skills. Yet there is also plenty of space for individual flair and imagination.
  9. Computing is an essential part of well-rounded academic preparation. An increasing number of universities and employers see successful completion of a computer science course as a sign of academic well-roundedness.
  10. Future opportunities in computing are without boundaries. Computing is one of those fields where it is almost impossible to predict what will happen next. This is why we cannot even begin to imagine all the ways that you can make a contribution to it and it can make your life’s work exciting and real.