I suspect more conservative (e.g. financial, government) firms may only shortlist those with a degree (especially if hiring is done by non-engineers), but I don

I suspect more conservative (e.g. financial, government) firms may only shortlist those with a degree (especially if hiring is done by non-engineers), but I don't think 'most places' is true. I applied to six places and received two offers, one from where I'm at now and the other from a startup. My Googler friend told me that as long as I can get an interview, simply having a degree or not is 'irrelevant'. Maybe it's not a question of degree, but if you've done anything that sets you above?