What does a system programmer really do?

Question

IT education

I'm studying to be a system engineer for the third year. Last year, we switched to special disciplines and taught the first LP. They solved a bunch of similar tasks of the type: "Sort an array.", "Given an array from a file. Find the product of every second odd and the sum of every fifth even element", etc. As far as I understand, nothing was said about the profession.
Yes, and this year, something is not right. Yes. Learning C/C++.. But the tasks are the same.
Of course, I googled and everything written above, at first glance, has nothing to do with the specialty, I understand the algorithmization of thinking.
A reasonable question arises: What will I do when (if) I get a job in the profession? How do you prepare for the right task? And what tasks await me?
Thanks in advance for your replies. Much appreciated

Answer 1

Various tasks. Starting from writing graphics engines, drivers, operating system modules and ending with the history of one byte .

Answer 2

A reasonable question arises: What will I do when (if) I get a job in the profession? How do you prepare for the right task? And what tasks await me?

Well, go to hh.ru or look for vacancies directly on the websites of the companies you are going to get a job and read the description of what is needed from you and what the company does.
You understand that the institute will not arrange a job for you, and its program is not related to system programming.
System programming - programming systems. Mostly everything related to operating systems.
Well, for example, write your own utility that can display a list of files and directories.
With sorting by different fields - file name, size, type.
The size of the directory with all the contents.
So you will work with arrays up and down.
And then you still have to learn how ntfs works and what to do with links and junction points, especially if they get stuck.
And then you can still learn about other file systems.
This is not even an area, but a piece of a simple system utility.