Hello everyone,
as mentioned above, I’ve been thinking about my job prospects after completing my computer science degree. I know there are already quite a few posts like this, but I believe my situation is somewhat different.
I am currently 36 years old and will likely finish my computer science degree in 2027 at the age of 37, within the standard period of study, but with rather below-average grades (around a 3.5 GPA equivalent).
Of course, I haven’t just been sitting around during my life and have acquired various qualifications. I’ll try to list them as completely as possible:
Secondary school (Hauptschule) diploma.
Completed vocational training as a warehouse logistics specialist, followed by a role as a shift supervisor; this also granted me an intermediate school certificate (Realschulabschluss equivalent).
Various jobs in the field of warehouse logistics.
10 years of leadership experience in the German Armed Forces as a logistics NCO (Material Management Sergeant), leaving with the rank equivalent to Sergeant First Class. During this time, I obtained the following qualifications and responsibilities:
Hazardous goods transport by road, rail, and sea in accordance with ADR/RID/IMDG regulations.
Hazardous goods transport by air (PersKat 6 certification).
Responsible for load securing of all transports.
I am leaving out purely military-specific qualifications here.
During this time, SAP was my primary tool, through which I gained practical experience.
Further training as an industrial foreman in logistics, which also granted me university entrance qualification.
And now, I am currently studying computer science.
So far, I have gained knowledge in Java, C, Python, Docker, PostgreSQL, Spring, and Thymeleaf. Additionally, I have completed a group project in which we developed a solution to match students with suitable bachelor thesis topics.
My long-term goal is to end up in the field of cloud architecture, and I intend to take on jobs that move me toward that goal.
In other words, I am aiming to start in DevOps, backend development, or a similar role to build a solid foundation.
At the moment, I am financially supported by transitional military benefits combined with an education subsidy. Any job (such as a working student position) would be deducted from this support, which is why I have not taken such a position so far. My reasoning has been that I do not want to effectively work for very little additional income, and that this allows me to focus more on my studies. I am aware that this line of thinking might be a disadvantage, and I would appreciate your thoughts on that as well :)
I would be very interested to hear how this background comes across to you, what you think my job prospects are, and what recommendations you would give me.
Thank you very much in advance for your assessment, and I wish you all a great week.