> 2) Which companies (just for examples) don't require it? Forgot to mention--my local LUG was often attended by people from local software development firms, ISPs, and IT departments. If you're not a member of a LUG yet (or some other computer-related club), signing up for one and getting to know these people is a good way to get a professional network started :) They can also help guide you on your future career choices, and even help you get jobs with them.
On Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 2:49 PM, Jude Nelson <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Mitt, > > Questions: >> 1) Are there many people without degrees in the industry? >> > > Most software engineers I know have at least a minor in computer science, > but have at least a BS or BA in some engineering discipline if they don't > have a BS/BA in computer science. I have met a few really proficient > self-taught developers, but they are the exception, and they almost always > had a leg-up from someone else. Every large company I have worked for > required a degree from its software engineers. > > >> 2) Which companies (just for examples) don't require it? >> > > Anyone you can convince to hire you :) I'd go for start-ups and smaller > shops, since the hiring processes there probably won't be so impersonal as > to automatically ignore your application simply for lack of a degree. > Smaller shops will ask to see a portfolio of previous work (like the stuff > on your github), or ask you to do a small week-long project with some of > the other employees in order to judge how proficient you are when you're in > your element. > > >> 3) Are there any hobbyists around here, that earn some money from >> coding? >> >> From what I've heard, universities here teach something that is >> obsolete and is not used anymore, or simply don't teach what we do >> here (Unix, administration, hardware...). >> > > I've had experiences writing software both with and without a formal > education. I'm of the opinion that if you go to university in order to > acquire a formal background in computer science, then it's worth every > penny. This is because a formal background helps you understand both > theory and practice from first principles. Once you can understand it from > first principles, it becomes a lot easier to pick up new skills, and makes > it possible to design long-lasting low-maintenance software that won't need > to be rewritten from scratch every few years. It also gives you the > ability to look at trends in the industry and tell the difference between > what's fundamentally new, what's a passing fad, and what's snake-oil. Of > course, the mileage you get out of it depends on how thorough you were in > making sure you understand all the material. > > If you instead want to focus more on learning specific skills, you might > want to consider going to a community college and getting your associate > degree. It's a lot less expensive than university, and faculty usually > come from an industrial background and can share their real-world > experiences with you. There will almost always be more hands-on courses > available than at university, such as on things like systems > administration, Unix, mobile app development, game development, and > preparation classes for particular certifications. One nice thing about > community college is that if you decide later that you want to go on to > university, most universities will accept some/all of the credits you > earned at your community college (but double-check this first!). For > example, both of my parents and my brother got their bachelor degrees by > doing two years at community college and two years at university. > > If you do go the university route, you should go to a non-profit, > regionally-accredited one [1], and if at all possible, you should > physically attend (even if it means a long commute). Also, you'd be amazed > at how many scholarships go unclaimed each year. > > -Jude > > [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_accreditation > > >> Thanks for any kind of information, >> >> Mitt >> _______________________________________________ >> Dng mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://mailinglists.dyne.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/dng >> > >
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