
Ask HN: How to legitimize your qualifications if you don't have a degree in CS? - kreeWall
I started learning how to code in my first job, but I have no formal education in Computer Science (I was a business&#x2F;math major). How do I legitimize my qualifications so that I can get hired in the future in data science&#x2F;comp programmer roles?
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andry1
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.

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kreeWall
"'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!

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canterburry
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.

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kreeWall
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!

~~~
canterburry
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.

~~~
kreeWall
Very cool! I will look into those MS degree options - I didn't know that there
were so many options. Thanks for sharing your experience, I really appreciate
it!

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richardknop
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.

~~~
kreeWall
Thanks for the advice!

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

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throwme_1980
Go get a degree, no shortcuts in life

