Ask HN: How to legitimize your qualifications if you don't have a degree in CS?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14865170

by kreeWall • 9 years ago

3 9 9 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I started learning how to code in my first job, but I have no formal education in Computer Science (I was a business/math major). How do I legitimize my qualifications so that I can get hired in the future in data science/comp programmer roles?

andry1• 9 years ago

You don't need a degree. You have already had your first job, you've got experience, that's far more important and most employers know that these days (though certainly not all).

If your resume is only one job deep, add a few sections with skills/talents/etc. and throw in the names of anything you'd be prepared to back up if anybody asks you questions about it in an interview.

Some places, particularly bigger ones, will still probably bug you about the lack of an education section. Explain to them that you are confident that being self taught and having some previous professional experience you are completely qualified to do job X. They might not agree with you, if that's the case, then trust me, you didn't want that job.

That said, everything I just wrote applies primarily to software engineer roles, the Data Science crowd is going to be more of a stickler for degrees 'cause they're all old fashioned like that.

kreeWall4• 9 years ago

"'cause they're old fashioned like that" ^ lol. Good point.

Thanks for the advice! I value experience too, but I've found that in my previous industry (actuaries/insurance), they didn't really value experience as much as exams or education. I'm glad software engineer roles are different!

richardknop• 9 years ago

5 years of professional experience is usually seen as equal to having a degree. You learn a lot in 5 years as software engineer.

You can of course get a degree in CS later in your career (you can work on a degree remotely while having a job).

There are also online courses you can take.

And you can also create some respected open source project or library in data science field which will be a solid proof of your competence in the area.

kreeWall4• 9 years ago

Thanks for the advice!

You suggested online courses - do you mean bootcamps and things like Codecademy, or actual college online courses?

canterburry2• 9 years ago

I too didn't have an undergrad in CS but was pretty comfortable as a web dev and sys admin. I ended up getting a MS in Computer Science which definitely took my career to the next level.

What I discovered was that while my day job had prepared me well for actually doing the work, my CS degree taugh me how to interview well and get the next role up.

What I mean is, interviewers tend to focus on many theoretical topics and are looking for the "correct" answer often..some key words that they want you to utter as part of the answer.

My CS degree taught me how to talk educated about technology, algorithms, software engineering, project management etc while my job actually taught me how to do it.

kreeWall4• 9 years ago

What was your undergrad in and what kind of challenges did you experience while pursuing your MS? How many years of CS experience did you have before you went for your MS? I've been thinking of this as a possible and very probable path (I'm an international student here in the US, so I might have to get a masters for my visa to continue). Thanks!

canterburry2• 9 years ago

I only had about 3 years of work experience when I decided to take up my MS, something that also helped my VISA application. There are different MS degrees out there and I chose one with lots of applied subjects rather than theoretical/academic (i.e. design patterns, project management, security, data modeling, analytics, OS fundamentals etc.)

My undergrad was in Economics and Fine Arts (sculpture/drawing) and my plan was to later apply to Architecture School but my programming hobby just seemed like a more wise pursuit.

throwme_1980• 9 years ago

Go get a degree, no shortcuts in life

Ask HN: How to legitimize your qualifications if you don't have a degree in CS?

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