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I know a self-taught developer who was specifically getting a degree in physics because of the wide variety of fields that it could allow him to work in. If you
by cookiecaper 10y ago
I know a self-taught developer who was specifically getting a degree in physics because of the wide variety of fields that it could allow him to work in. If you insist on getting a degree, degrees in engineering fundamentals like math or physics are probably the best things to target.
- randlet 10y agoI disagree. In my experience (and talking with classmates) finding a job as a generalist (physics/math) is much tougher than specializing in CS, finance, engineering etc. Yes, there are more paths to take, but there are generally large hills on those paths that need to be overcome first...
- cookiecaper 10y agoI don't have first-hand experience as a candidate so I can't really contribute more to the discussion. I assume that like most positions where the job isn't a 1:1 mapping with the degree, some initiative beyond just presenting the degree will be necessary and you'll need to demonstrate an awareness and competence in the field you're pursuing. I've done a fair amount of hiring and I know that a candidate with a physics or mathematics degree who also had a programming background that was commensurate with the position would look a lot better to me than one with a compsci degree, all else being equal. That should tell you what college degrees are worth these days, though. The candidate primarily needs commensurate background. Degrees are effectively neutral -- too widespread to penalize people for taking that route, but really not worth much extra, unless in the course of your studies you accidentally did something really interesting, but then you probably could've done interesting things without the educational institution.