I've just got my degree in Computer Science with Business Information Engineering from the University of Hull. Now that's happened, my year long job as the VP for Academic Representation in the Student Union has started. That job involves the following:

• Being in charge of somewhere between 350 and 400 student representatives in departments across the university.
• Being on roughly 20 committees and chairing some of them.
• Overseeing the Postgraduate Committee and managing it's budget.
• Overseeing the union's Training Team and managing it's budget. The Training Team is there to provide skills like time management, creating presentations and making CVs. All trainers (including myself) go on the National Student Training Programme, which makes sure we have a recognised qualification to back up what we're doing.
• I liaise with the Advice Centre on Academic matters.
• I look after the academic interests of all types of students and get involved with a number of campaigns relating to groups like mature students.
• I'm a signatory for the charity side of the Student Union.

After this job is over (sometime in June 2007), I'm considering going for a job in the university's Quality Office (deals with learning and teaching quality) if they have any jobs on offer. If they don't, then I may look for other jobs in the uni if there are any that interest me.

My worry is that if I don't go into a computing job in the next few years, I might be considered by some employers to be 'out of touch' with what's happening - even though it won't be true. My ideal job in computing would be something that offers both management and some level of programming.

The big question - how long can I go without being in a computing job?

EDIT: I'm also a full member of the British Computer Society and have a computer engineering qualification.

Hi Pimp Daddy - Nice name. :)  We can use this topic for one of our future Just a Byte advice blog posts.  In the meantime, I'd love to see what other readers think.  Readers, chime in!

Greetings PD!

This is a great question that I am obviously interested in seeing a serious response to.  I am kind of in the same boat but from a different angle.  I have a BS in Business Management and an MBA.  These degrees are obviously aimed more towards management positions.  However, due to circumstances here at work with the big cuts from 2001 and on, I am now in a position where the only way I can move into a management spot here is for a senior level manager to leave.  I started out as a sup and then had a manager to report to.  I now report directly to the regional manager meaning that there are only 3 people between myself and the top.  This means my utilization of my knowledge gained in the degrees is limited to the projects I work on.  This also means that I will not be able to give myself a manager title even though I have these advanced degrees.

My first answer would be that yes, it probably would not look good to prospective employers.  However, I do feel that you can counter this by using these skills either on pet projects or by incorporating them into your current role somehow.  There is always a need for improving a program or process so I would look at the tools you and your peers use now to see if there is an opportunity to do something cool.  Also, as I do, just keep reading up on the latest and greatest.  Keep in touch that way as well as by posting to sites like this. 

That is the best advice I can give right now and it comes from experience.  Good luck with your endeavors and I look forward to seeing what kind of input you can bring to this site.

Mike Kinney

Hi PD - I answered your question over on our blog.  Good luck!