im in a similar position to you, just graduated with B.Sc. and working at my first "real" job. I came from a very research oriented background and was used to working on projects that were very COOL but not very practical. I think its unrealistic to expect to work on such projects immediately in the real world because, lets face it, you need either 5 years experience or AT LEAST an M.Sc. to even be considered for truly research oriented, paid positions. My advice to you, and what Im currently doing myself, is to find a company where you'll get lots of experience with real world, demand/quality driven programming. Go work for a company with good processes, where you can get your hands dirty. It wont be the most fascinating thing in the world, but it doesn't have to be your permanent career. Do that for 2 years, then either move on (if you're still not satisfied), or go back to grad school. Not to sound offensive, but if you honestly don't have any idea where to begin writing an emulator, then you probably dont have much shot of getting an "interesting" job right out of school. It doesnt mean you'll never get it, it just means not right now.