This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mackenzie McAllister, a 22-year-old graduate from the University of Missouri. Her identity has been confirmed by Business Insider. This story has been edited for length and clarity.
When I went to college, computer science just felt like the right fit.
Four years ago, there were a lot of people talking about computer science and how, “if you just get this four-year degree, you’re going to make a ton of money right out of graduation. You’re going to have that job security. It’s going to be really easy to get a job.”
I didn’t have much intense coding experience in high school, but my dad and my grandpa were both software engineers. So I was always around coding and programming.
That familiarity and knowing I would have job security made me want to get into it.
AI became a crutch
ChatGPT came out in 2022, which was my freshman year of college. In the first few years of school, we weren’t allowed to use AI. In my freshman year, the tools weren’t as good, and professors were still hesitant about students using them for homework.
In the past two years, though, and especially in my senior year, more professors started being open to students using AI tools. During my last semester, all my professors except one allowed us to use AI for homework and projects.
Students, including myself, started to use it as a crutch for assignments, and those core concepts of computer science have left my brain a bit. I have a good technical foundation, but I feel like I’m out of practice because it’s been a long time since I’ve coded without using AI.
I’m looking for data analytics roles
I realized, for a number of factors, that software engineering wasn’t really what I thought would be best for me anymore.
I’ve been exploring other areas of computer science careers. I interned as a systems analyst, which was primarily database-related. I still did SQL coding, but it’s different than traditional software engineering work.
I graduated in May, and 90% of the applications I send out are for data analyst roles. I still apply to a few software engineering roles that pop up, but I applied to a lot of software engineering roles last year and the year before, and I had a few technical interviews. But I felt defeated after. I didn’t feel like the work that I did was good enough.
AI changed the industry
Part of the reason I pivoted is definitely because of AI — not necessarily because of the tools themselves, but because of how it’s impacted the field. I feel underprepared for technical interviews, and maybe even for the job. I’m confident I’d be able to get up to speed and regain the skills I had in my freshman and sophomore years, but it would take a lot of time.
Computer science and software engineering roles are really demanding, just having taken the classes and done a few projects from school isn’t enough. You have to practice a lot to feel confident for LeetCode assessments, interviews, and eventually the job.
I haven’t had the time with work, school, and a social life. It’s hard to balance all three while also spending time honing those skills. So that steered me away.
I also struggle with imposter syndrome. I struggled with it throughout my education. There are not a lot of women in my major, and I want to be in a career path with more women.
It also feels like AI has changed the opportunities available for entry-level candidates. Even if I were to take the time to prepare for an entry-level role, I feel like the reward would be low because there are so few jobs in the field.
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