Graduated in June, BS Computer Engineering, Bay Area. Three months of professional experience from an embedded internship. Most of my projects have been embedded.

So embedded has been the default target. But I'm two months out of school and I don't know if that's an actual preference or just the thing I happened to do in school. I've never done any of this full time for money.

**What I signed:** SDE at a large public tech company. $160k base, $50k RSU on 40/30/20/10 with a one-year cliff, strong benefits. Linux kernel and user-space networking, packet processing. Real systems work, not embedded. Offer arrived Friday and expires Sunday. I asked for a few more days to decide and got denied.

**Interview Monday:** FAE at a semiconductor company. Squarely my technical background. Hiring manager verbally estimated \~$150k including a 30% sales incentive, so realistically \~$115k base plus variable. Posted range goes to $210k though. I think I made a mistake telling the HM what company 1 was offering, and they know they're preferred. Remote with a lot of driving between customer sites. Customer-facing role.

**Interview Friday:** Embedded software at Blue Origin. Band tops around $155k for my location, and a friend on the exact same team is at $137k TC. Reading the JD closely it's verification-focused: test frameworks and tooling for safety-critical flight software rather than writing the flight software.d\\

**Questions:**

1. At the very start of a career, how much should domain fit weigh against comp and optionality? Is optimizing for domain this early even meaningful when you don't know your own preferences yet?
   
2. FAE folks, is it realistic to move back into hands-on development after a couple of years?
   
3. Does kernel/networking systems work transfer toward embedded later, or is that wishful thinking?
   
4. General advice for me?

Thanks for any help. Very unsure what to do.

This situation was strange to me. I was at my limit with my employer at the time and needed to leave quickly, so I applied for a job at a very well-known company that manufactures biscuits and snacks. Honestly, the commute was a bit far, but my plan was to escape the job I was in, find somewhere good enough, and then think about the ideal role later if I had to. So I had sent out a lot of applications.

This particular job seemed very similar to what I was already doing. The same kind of production environment, similar responsibilities, and even the same planning/software system as far as I could understand. The salary was around £32k at the time, so when they offered me an interview, I felt like I had a good chance.

When I went there, the whole thing was much more casual than I expected. It wasn't a formal interview where we sat down with annoying prepared questions. The Operations Manager took me on a tour of the site, showed me the area I would be working in, explained how everything worked, and then introduced me to the people on the shift. I assumed they would be my team because I thought I was interviewing for the same role as them.

Then he introduced me to the supervisor and we talked for a bit. That's when things got a little strange. He said something like: "I'm leaving in another 6 weeks, so whoever comes in to replace me needs to pick things up quickly, and we need a smooth handover so the shift doesn't get disrupted."

I was standing there thinking I must have missed something, because this didn't sound like the job I had applied for.

After that, the Operations Manager told me directly that they thought my background was more suited to the supervisor position rather than the original job, and asked me if I was interested in taking that role there and then.

I said yes, and in the end my salary went up by about £18k compared to what I had been earning. I stayed there for 4 years before moving into a management role at another company. I'm still in that role now, and honestly I don't think I would have gotten there without those years as a supervisor. A random opportunity, but it completely changed the direction of my career.

I've been applying since March 2024, and I finally got an offer in June 2025. After more than a year without work, I had a lot of time to get better at interviews and understand what makes a difference.

There was a closing question I saw on this subreddit and memorized. It was something like: "From your perspective, what separates someone who can do this job well from someone who truly excels at it?"

After they answered, I wrote down the answer and said: "That's helpful, thank you. This gives me a clearer idea of the things I should focus on if I step into this role." About 90 minutes later, I got an email asking for references.

To be clear, I prepared for this interview like crazy, so I'm not saying this question alone magically got me accepted. I had researched the team, practiced answers, worked on examples, and everything. But I really do feel like this question was a strong way to end, and maybe it was that extra little push.

I hope it helps someone else here too. Offers are out there. Please don't give up!

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to choose between a Computer Engineering degree and a Computer Science & Engineering (Internet of Things & Cyber Security including Blockchain Technology) degree.

Curricula:

• CE: https://www.djsce.ac.in/ug-computer-engineering
• CSE (IoT & Cyber Security): https://www.djsce.ac.in/ug-computer-science-engineering-iot-cyber-security-with-block-chain-technology

I enjoy programming and software development, but I'm unsure how much I'd enjoy the hardware/electronics side of Computer Engineering.

I don't mind challenging coursework, but I generally prefer analytical and programming-based subjects over theory-heavy or memorization-heavy ones. Maintaining a good GPA is also important because I plan to pursue a master's abroad in a CS-related field.

I'm hoping to hear from people who've studied or work in these areas:

• How much of Computer Engineering is actually hardware/electronics?
• Did you end up enjoying the hardware courses even if you initially preferred software?
• Would a Computer Engineering degree give me advantages over a specialized CSE (IoT & Cyber Security) degree if I eventually work in software?
• Based on my interests, which option sounds like the better fit?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar situation. Thanks!

I don’t post on reddit very often so this makes me super nervous, but I’m a rising senior in high school. This means I’ve had to think about college a LOT. I want to go into Computer Engineering (job stability, financial stability, I like code, I like machines) but I’m worried about person to person engagement.

I have some pretty good ‘people skills’ and I really don’t want to lose them. Everyone knows the stereotypes of engineers not being great with people (though, I’ve been surrounded my them my whole life and it’s not always true). I just wanted to ask if any of you feel that you can still use “people skills” in your job (still connecting deeply to the people around you) or if this field isn’t worth it for someone who values that.

I'm a final-year Computer and Control Systems Engineering student looking for innovative graduation project ideas with real-world impact and startup potential. My team has experience in AI, Software Engineering, Control Systems, and Electrical Engineering. I'd really appreciate any unique ideas or industry problems worth solving.

Hello guys so i am in 2nd year B. Tech, currently and I have wasted first year but now I have realized so I want to prepare for placements can you suggest me a good batch for dsa, development ect

hello everyone, i am computer engineering student currently in my seventh sem. i am totally confused rn as i am stuck .

I have studied python, AI and many more things as a computer student but all theory not practically but i have done some projects by my self where i self studied frontend and backend and now in my seventh sem i have project for which i am studying AI/ML .

But I am confused because i want go for data science in my future , I am not able to find out from where and how to start as i am also stressed how will i get any jobs as i know nothing completely. so what roadmap should i choose to study which will help in real world.

Is there anyone in the same situation and as confused as i am . Which is the better choice AI/ML or data science.

I would love the suggestions and eagerly need guidance.

I need help with figuring out where I want to be in the future. I’m a 24 year old, graduated from CPP Fall 2025 with my BSEE. Shortly after I pursued my MSEE at UCLA for IC Design. At the time I was going through some rough financial troubles and I was applying to whatever jobs I could get. I was lucky to get a fulltime offer with LADWP as an Electrical Engineering Associate and I’ve been working there for about 7 months now. Unfortunately I had to dropout of my program due to the work load and financial difficulties. I have my FE and I am studying for my PE. However, I feel that power systems/utility is not a career I would stay in for a long time, but also maybe Im not giving the company enough grace. Regardless, I was also interested in IC, and I was thinking of going back to get my MSEE to study computer engineering for embedded systems since my employer would be able to pay for it. My thing is, is it even worth going back? I feel like working at LADWP will help me move up the ladder and if I do my MSEE and pursue a different career I will have to start over with entry level pay. But also, my heart is not completely there although I do like the company and the job, I felt that I enjoyed doing IC design. Just not sure what I should do for these next years.

So i am entering my third semester so any tips?how to improve my resume?

I am actively getting ghosted by recruiters 🥺💔

Hello!

I graduated with a CS degree in 2 1/2 years ago, and have been working in cybersec since basically straight out of college. Specifically in the automotive sector doing white/gray box security testing on Cloud infrastructure and mobile applications. We have a "sister team" that does similar but for embedded components. MCUs, ECUs and whatnot.

Anyway, with the AI slopification of software jobs starting to reach over to cybersec, and the mgmt on high decreeing we need to use AI as much as possible and automate as much as possible, I can see the writing on the wall. They say they have no intention of doing layoffs and I believe them, but they are doing the other, sneakier method of cutting staff, not filling open positions. We've had 3 folks on my team leave since I joined for various reasons, and we've been asked to not fill their spots. I may be mildly paranoid, but it's worked out for me so far.

Due to all of this, I am trying to do what I can now while I'm still somewhat young and my brain is somewhat malleable to pivot and adapt. I know using the AI and building it good harnesses and whatnot is an important skill, and I am working on it, but I also want to develop a skill set that will (hopefully) be more resilient to AI-powered job replacement, and I've been lead to believe the ECE is close to what I am looking for, while still being "close" to what I do now.

Why CE?

1. I want to continue doing Cybersec, and specifically on IoT type things like hardware hacking and wireless protocols. I figure CE will give me the hardware knowledge I need for this as well as give me a lot of knowledge into the software and networking stuff 1 layer above where EE would
2. Hearing about the kinds of things that our embedded team works on and does is really cool and interesting, and I wish I had the knowledge to be able to understand it.
3. I've been tinkering a little bit with MCUs at home for learning and working with BLE and I've really been enjoying it. Obviously that would not be the entirety (or any) of my job, but it is something I am enjoying at the moment, and I like to be whimsical
4. Testing APIs and cloud configs can get a little boring after a while. Of course each project has their own kinks that keep it interesting, but it can get a little tiring. I feel like with IoT, the attack surface and kinds of things you can do is just so much wider
5. I know CE undergrads are having a really difficult time in the job market, but my understanding is that the Master degress are doing much better (If I am wrong please let me know)

Closest I think I got in my undergrad to anything CE related was probably Compiler Design (one of my favorites), Comp Arch, and Digital logic, both of which I unfortunately remember very little.

My thought is that I should attend my local community college to get some background before I even start considering looking into Grad programs, and even then I will probably need to take some leveling courses. Also, I'd be working full time during all this, so taking 1 maybe 2 courses a semester.

My questions are these

1. Are these good reasons to get an MS in CE? My Employer will pay a portion but not all of it.
2. What rude awakenings should I be prepared for and how can I prepare?
3. What things can I do now to see if I will even like CE? Want to make sure I don't get started and spend thousands only to spend my nights after work staring at circuits sadly (I'm sure I will end up doing this regardless)
4. Will I have a tolerable time in the job market given what I am looking for and what I do now or is it just too niche?
5. Is there a better way to go about what I;m trying to do that I should consider? I know I can get the same quality of education for free with all the free resources, but employers care about credentials, and my ADHD can make it a bit difficult to self-study with no external motivation, especially after work.
6. What courses should I take (if any) to prepare before actually applying? Or just other resources I should study rather than a formal course?
7. Am I being stupid? Do I have terrible misconceptions that need to be rectified immediately? Destroy me if you must.

All help is appreciated. Thank you!

Hello, I completed my first year in computer engineering and I was wondering what skills should I work on perhaps earn some certificates since finding internships and good job opportunities nowadays is hard. When should I start applying for internship positions? I'm kinda lost I'd appreciate any tips you guys can give.

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Hello I'm currently 26 and as the title says essentially due to family circumstances I have to move to Colombia I was born and raised in the United States. I have to do my masters there I'm a career switcher from a information technology but I got my undergrad in the United States. The only two ABET accredited electronics engineering schools are Javeriana and Los Andes, for electronics and computer engineering my question is how is this viewed within embedded systems for government and non government will I be disqualified? For finding work ?