The
field of Computer Science has become
a top discipline in most Universities
in Nigeria and each year thousands of students are admitted into this
field. One of the reasons for this is
the saying that graduates of Computer Science can work in any company. But how true is this saying? What makes a Computer Science graduate employable in
any company? What’s so unique about his certificate?
Is it because of the number of courses
he studied during the course of his training? Is it because computers are
used in all companies? Or is it because he tends to look smart
whenever he is with his computer?
How many students actually know the reason for this saying?
Another
reason why the field of Computer Science has been getting a lot of traffic is
the believe that a Computer Science
graduate doesn’t need to look for a job but can immediately be self-employed.
Now think of this again. Is this belief
true? If it is, what is the reason behind it? How many graduates of Computer
Science have actually setup their own businesses? How many are working in
companies? These questions need to be in the mind of any serious Computer
Science student.
I
have answers that I’ve come up with.
- Yes, it’s true! Graduates of Computer Science can work in any company.
- It’s also true! A Computer Science graduate doesn’t need to look for a job but can immediately be self-employed.
I’ll
lay emphasis on the second. There are
quite a number of activities in which a Computer Science student can engage in
even before graduation that can earn him a living. Here are a few (In case
you’re in doubt, the activities listed are feasible in the Nigerian market):
1. Web Design
2. System analysis
3. Software Engineering (Web or desktop
based)
4. Database Administration
5. Search Engine optimization
6. Network Administration
7. Hardware manufacturing
Now,
let’s start dealing with these activities one after the other.
Web Design
As
a Computer Science student, you can develop skills in web technologies and
start developing websites for clients. Developing a website is easy; all you
need to do is learn how to use the technologies involved and you’re good to go.
Technologies you need to be able to develop a website include HTML, CSS,
JavaScript, PHP and other easy to learn languages. For tutorials on these
technologies, you can visit www.w3schools.com
www.codecademy.org etc. So many organizations today need websites and people
who can manage them. Why not learn web design and make your cool money
today>
Software Engineering
You
can develop you skills in programming and start developing applications for
clients and other users. Programming is relatively easy. You basically need to
learn a programming language and then build your applications with it. You can
build applications that run on the web or on desktop. You can also build
applications that run on android or iOS. Technoliges you can use in writing
applications include Visual Basic, Java, C#, Ruby, Python, C++ etc. Placing
your apps on platforms like Google play, Windows store, and others opens your
way to a very large customer base which in turn means money. So what are you
waiting for? Pick up materials on programming, develop yourself and employ
yourself!
Search Engine Optimization
I
think Efukikata Efet, a Nigerian blogger and Computer Scientist is one of the
perfect example of those who studied computer science and benefiting from
Search Engine optimization. With SEO, one can start development and creating
traffic to websites
Guest Post By John Lawal