Becoming a Computer Scientist - Example

Critical analysis of computer Scientist job (Insert Name) (Institution Affiliation) Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 The Job Description 4 2.1 Main tasks of computer scientist 4 2.2 Workload 5 2.2 Skills and education required 5 2.3 Flexibility and hours of work 6 3.0 Technological Factors 6 4.0 Gender Issues 8 5.0 Challenges and opportunities 9 6.0 Conclusion 10 References 11 1.0 Introduction Many corporations depend on computer systems for efficient day to day operations. With the modern technological advances, security and efficient operations of this computer system is of key importance. This is because many companies and store their data electronically and proper measures must be taken in order to ensure unauthorized people and hackers do no lay hands on this information (Pearl, Pollack, Riskin, Thomas, Wolf & 2002). This paper critically analyses the job of a computer scientist who works as an ICT specialist for the British American Tobacco here in the United Kingdom. His work involves walking people including other employees on the steps to be followed in fixing their computer problems and also ensure all the systems are secure and working properly. The last few years have seen heightened interest by many individuals and corporations to apply communication and information technologies for the global development. This draws interest from many disciplines such as engineering, information technology, computer science and socio development among others which work together to achieve a common goal and is often referred to as ICTD. My elder brother’s friend, Tom Henderson, is a computer scientist and he works as an ICT specialist in the technical department of British American Tobacco. His job is very involving and requires advanced skills in order to be executed efficiently. As consumers, businesses, government agencies and corporations continue to embrace the technological advancement, the demand for skilled computer science professionals continue to grow exponentially. Computer scientists play a key role in automation process where they collaborate with the electrical engineers and they are also required to solve the business issues which are usually complex in nature and create new computer program that will enable the company keep up with the heightened consumer demands. Additionally, the computer scientists also develop software programs for entertaining and educating the consumers. 2.0 The Job Description Professional computer scientists have a wide variety of career paths which are available for them. This is due is due to the technological advances which has increased the need for security of the computer system as a result of constant attacks from hackers and also the public needs for tailor made innovative software solutions. The field of computer science is thus wide with a good number of defined roles for computer scientist, computer analysts and database administrators. Some of the key areas include application development, information technology, system analysis, computer programming, web development and computer engineering. 2.1 Main tasks of computer scientist As a computer scientist, Tom specializes in web development and information security. His work does not only involve sitting behind the desk and working on the computer but also involves interaction with the customers through email and over the phone and sometimes face to face in order to get their feedback and views regarding the company products and services (Gonzalez, 2012). His work also involves teaching new British American Tobacco employees on how to effectively use various computer hardware and software in their day to day work. Tom is also obligated with the duty of educating the employees on the need to secure their work stations by safeguarding their passwords in order to prevent unauthorized access and ensure maximum security for the company data. 2.2 Workload According to Tom, the company requires those in the technical department to work for about 40 hours in a week. This includes weekends, public holidays and nights or when one is on call. Sometimes they are required to work overtime in order to meet the tight deadlines. In order to address the complex business problems, the company relies on the computer scientist to research and come up with innovative technological solutions. The computer scientists usually develop computer programs and also improve the existing software performance. As a web developer, Tom is more conversant with the web programming but also liaises with others in the same field to ensure they meet the company objectives and deal with the security threats. 2.2 Skills and education required Most firms in the United Kingdom usually employ university graduates who hold at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering or any related fields, from reputable universities such as Cambridge University and other technical institutions. According to Tom, for one to be eligible for employment as a computer scientist, the course work in the technology related course he or she is undertaking must cover software development, technical mathematics, algorithms, database management, aspects of web programming and the general theory of computer science. Logical and creative thinking is a must for all the professionals practicing in the technology field of computer science. On top of the theoretical knowledge gained in class, the person must have excellent multi- tasking abilities, analytical and problem solving skills. Although in most occasions the computer scientists usually work independently, Tom says that his work sometimes requires the ability to work as a team and be able to properly communicate with people such as managers, technical staff, engineers, HR personnel and other fellow programmers on a systematic regular basis. 2.3 Flexibility and hours of work The job description requires that a person work for a minimum of eight hours a day starting from 8.00 am. However, as a computer scientist, Tom says that the working hours are a bit dynamic and flexible. For instance, when one is on call, he or she can be called any time including the nights. Also, sometimes the situations demand for the computer scientist to work during the odd hour’s especially if there is any threat to the company’s computer security system. Within the official working hours however, the working time is a bit rigid with a tight timetable which includes staff refreshment breaks that are fixed at specific times. The job contract also stipulates that a person may be recalled from a holiday off or leave if situation demands so. The company however offers good allowances to anyone working outside the official stipulated time. 3.0 Technological Factors Recent years has seen the increase in the computer complexity in terms of speed, computer viruses and software. As a result of these technological advancements, many businesses and corporations want professionals who are dynamic and creative enough to keep up with the rapid changes that are being experienced in the computer and ICT industry. Computer science is a skill and at the same time a science that has continuously experienced rapid development in its actions, theories, processes, artistry and workmanship throughout the short history of digital computing (Bitner, Zeithaml, & Gremler, 2010). The field of computing has experienced a higher rate of technological momentum that any other field for the past few decades. The computer experts of 1980s would probably be armatures if they try to apply their computer knowledge of that time in our modern world. With the emergence of faster algorithms and new computational models, the computer scientists are faced with uphill tasks of upgrading the existing system architectures and interconnection structures. Tom says that new challenges emerge on a daily basis in web development field. Among the most common ones include radical changes in data representation, file systems, data structures, computer languages, operating systems, browsers and plug-ins, network protocols, software development methodologies and online security threats and firewall. Technological advancement has also improved the computers in term of the hardware aspects. In order to remain competitive, all the computer scientists are required to continuously update their knowledge and skills. This is because the computer communication system, architecture, bus system and even the peripheral control systems are experiencing increased complexity. In the British American Tobacco technical department, most of the processes are automated. Most of these processes are controlled by use of programmable logic circuits which requires a joint venture between the engineers and the computer scientists. According to Tom, the computer scientist must embrace the technological aspects even in the engineering field in order to remain relevant. The intellectual and technological changes in the computer scientist job can thus be described as an ongoing cycle which requires creativity and the ability to embrace new things. The computer scientist should be ready to learn continuously and have a passionate hunger for knowledge and be able to accommodate the resistance offered by nature. Lastly, since most the technical challenges are always generic computer science problems, there is a great need to attract and retain great talents in this field in order to have a significant impact on global development. 4.0 Gender Issues Despite the British American Tobacco encouraging women to apply for various positions in the technical department, there are very few women working in this department. Many of Tom’s colleagues are men. Indeed, very few women work as computer scientist in the United Kingdom (Rountree & Rountree, 2009). Computer science is a male dominated field not only in UK but also in other parts of the world. According to Tom, majority of women are subjected to the societal pressure from some of the subjects that that are considered unfeminine and women who are academically successful in this fields are usually considered less happy and taken less seriously. Some people still hold the belief that women are less capable than men in the engineering and computing areas. Due to this men and women are treated differently in our culture which considers female aspirants in some fields as unattractive. Despite the principle of equality that is adopted by the British American Tobacco, won working as computer scientists reports several forms of biases. This include being interrupted more than their male counterparts when performing their duties, the supervisors concentrating more on the female than on the male, nearly all senior positions in the technical department are occupied by men and most of the time, the duties delegated to female computer scientists are usually fewer or easier than for the male counterparts (Iyer, Zhao, Chow & Tate, 2011). Technology wise, women are usually considered less capable. For instance, a female computer scientist who works for British American Tobacco pointed out that many visitors and newcomers in the technical department usually mistaken her for a secretary and bother her with endless inquiries. People generally have lower expectations for the female and even when an organization puts into place measures to coerce the male perpetrators not to openly display sexism, such rules cannot eliminate less directly displayed fundamental biases such as encouraging women to participate in a given field which seems positive. 5.0 Challenges and opportunities In order to establish the emotional, employee representation, survival strategies, conflict resolution and the career opportunities that are available for the computer scientists at the British American Tobacco, I conducted a face- to- face interview with Tom. The interview questions and responses as shown below (Henderson, 2013): Me: Does your work involve emotional labour? Tom: Yes but in rare occasions. Sometimes I have to deal directly with the customers either through phone, emails or face-to- face. Most people who I interact with are professionals. Me: How are the computer scientists represented within the organization’s management? Tom: The Company has a well set communication channel and we have a technical manager who is well conversant with the issues concerning this department. Our welfare is also well catered for be the employees union. Me: Are there any work place conflict which you have encountered in the line of duty? Tom: there are always various conflicts here and there, but I have never been involved in a major one. The few that arises are usually settled internally. Me: What are some of the career opportunities available for a computer scientist? Tom: This is the best place to be for me. Each day there are new challenges and as one struggles to solve them, the knowledge and experience gained is indispensable. I also work in an inter-disciplinary context which allows me to learn many things some of which are outside my area of specialization. The skill level is ever growing. 6.0 Conclusion In conclusion, many organizations have gone digital and are now relying on the computer scientists for effective and efficient operation. The field of computing is dynamic rapidly growing as scientists and researchers work relentlessly to invent new technology and improve on the existing one. Computer science is thus one of the most marketable job and which is expected to enhance global development. References Bitner, M. J., Zeithaml, V. A., & Gremler, D. D. (2010). Technology’s impact on the gaps model of service quality. Handbook of Service Science, 197-218. Gonzalez, A. (2012, May 1). Computer Scientist Duties. Retrieved February 25, 2013, from eHow Money: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5640137_computer-scientist-duties.html Henderson, T. (2013, February 5). Computer Scientist Job. (Me, Interviewer) Pearl, A., Pollack, M. E., Riskin, E., Thomas, B., Wolf, E., & Wu, A. (2002). Becoming a computer scientist. ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, 34(2), 135-143. Rountree, J., & Rountree, N. (2009). Issues regarding threshold concepts in computer science. In Proceedings of the Eleventh Australasian Conference on Computing Education-Volume 95 (pp. 139-146). Australian Computer Society, Inc. Iyer, L., Zhao, X., Chow, A., & Tate, S. (2011). Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) Identity: An Integrative Theory to Explain Gender Gap in IT. Read More