5 ms·

I took the 11-week Coursera course last year (and even paid for the 'verified' certificate). It was worth it, I think. I may not have a deep understanding of

by jcadam 9y ago

I took the 11-week Coursera course last year (and even paid for the 'verified' certificate). It was worth it, I think. I may not have a deep understanding of the different ML algorithms that were presented, but at least I know of their existence, and to what problems they are suited (and then I can look up the details when needed). Granted, that's not enough to actually find work doing anything ML-related, as there are now plenty of experts with years of experience out there on the job market, but hey, I like learning stuff for the sake of it. I'm thinking of taking one of the follow-up courses on NN.

kregasaurusrex 9y ago
What made you decide to take the paid certificate route? I've browsed job boards for the past few months; but have seen that employers are increasingly looking for degrees as a minimum requirement versus having a Coursera certificate. Especially with regards to anything involving the ML space, it seems like employers are more interested in it as a supplement to a degree rather than being useful on its own.
- jcadam 9y ago
  Well, I have a BS in Comp Sci as well as an MBA. Moment of weakness, I guess. Besides, since I paid for it up front, I had that much more motivation to finish the course :) In any case, it's on the resume. No idea if it looks good or not. Of course, if I were really serious about it, maybe I ought to go for a PhD in CS. But at 37 years old, I'm approaching the end of my useful life as a software engineer. I understand I have to report to something called "Caoursel" on my 40th birthday, whatever that is. EDIT: Allright, I took it because at the time I was working as a software development "SME" on a program in which AI, ML and data science terms were being bandied about by the PhDs and I wanted to be able to sit in on meetings and at least follow the conversation (And not look completely stupid. Adopting a stern look and nodding along will only get you so far, occasionally you have to speak). The course largely fulfilled its purpose on that score.
  - kregasaurusrex 9y ago
    I'm a bit younger on the age range at 23, and taking some time out of school since my grades and finances weren't quite where I wanted them to be. Would you say a person who has a handful of relevant Coursera certificates and does well on an interview would be able to compete against a degree holder who also did above average? For your case of staying current in newer tech I can see the market reason for taking it. People like Knuth who're well into their 70's still seem to find ways to remain relevant as well. What is the "Caoursel" you're referring to?
    - jcadam 9y ago
      It's a reference to the 70s sci-fi classic Logan's Run :) Also, I've worked with non-degree holders. If they were good, they managed to find employment. Though, often employers will use the lack of a degree as an excuse to pay less, which isn't right.
      - kregasaurusrex 9y ago
        Oddly enough, I was thinking about that on a bus ride today. How it's both normalized to value non-degreeholders less and for compensation to plateau at a lower rate. While I do think there's a skills gap that exists, having at least one degree seems entry-level for a lot of people nowadays. And Logan's Run looks like a neat movie, in my city we have a monthly mash-up of old films that play at an independent theater, so I'll check it out sometime.
    - fma 9y ago
      It would definitely depend where you apply. If you have no experience and no degree, you should have a GitHub to backup your claims - and apply to companies who would dig through that. There are certain companies and industries who would not touch you with a 10 foot poll w/o a degree, but hire a degree holder who sits there and looks pretty (i.e. government contractors, consulting). In reply to your Knuth comment...Tom Brady is 40 years old but you're not going to find many football players who are 40 and still playing in Super Bowls.
    - 9y ago
- harveynick 9y ago
  Hi, post author here. I paid for the certificate as well. Partly out of curiosity, partly because I thought Coursera / Ng had “earned” it. I should probably update the post to say that...

by jcadam 9y ago

kregasaurusrex 9y ago

What made you decide to take the paid certificate route? I've browsed job boards for the past few months; but have seen that employers are increasingly looking for degrees as a minimum requirement versus having a Coursera certificate. Especially with regards to anything involving the ML space, it seems like employers are more interested in it as a supplement to a degree rather than being useful on its own.

jcadam 9y ago
Well, I have a BS in Comp Sci as well as an MBA. Moment of weakness, I guess. Besides, since I paid for it up front, I had that much more motivation to finish the course :) In any case, it's on the resume. No idea if it looks good or not. Of course, if I were really serious about it, maybe I ought to go for a PhD in CS. But at 37 years old, I'm approaching the end of my useful life as a software engineer. I understand I have to report to something called "Caoursel" on my 40th birthday, whatever that is. EDIT: Allright, I took it because at the time I was working as a software development "SME" on a program in which AI, ML and data science terms were being bandied about by the PhDs and I wanted to be able to sit in on meetings and at least follow the conversation (And not look completely stupid. Adopting a stern look and nodding along will only get you so far, occasionally you have to speak). The course largely fulfilled its purpose on that score.
- kregasaurusrex 9y ago
  I'm a bit younger on the age range at 23, and taking some time out of school since my grades and finances weren't quite where I wanted them to be. Would you say a person who has a handful of relevant Coursera certificates and does well on an interview would be able to compete against a degree holder who also did above average? For your case of staying current in newer tech I can see the market reason for taking it. People like Knuth who're well into their 70's still seem to find ways to remain relevant as well. What is the "Caoursel" you're referring to?
  - jcadam 9y ago
    It's a reference to the 70s sci-fi classic Logan's Run :) Also, I've worked with non-degree holders. If they were good, they managed to find employment. Though, often employers will use the lack of a degree as an excuse to pay less, which isn't right.
    - kregasaurusrex 9y ago
      Oddly enough, I was thinking about that on a bus ride today. How it's both normalized to value non-degreeholders less and for compensation to plateau at a lower rate. While I do think there's a skills gap that exists, having at least one degree seems entry-level for a lot of people nowadays. And Logan's Run looks like a neat movie, in my city we have a monthly mash-up of old films that play at an independent theater, so I'll check it out sometime.
  - fma 9y ago
    It would definitely depend where you apply. If you have no experience and no degree, you should have a GitHub to backup your claims - and apply to companies who would dig through that. There are certain companies and industries who would not touch you with a 10 foot poll w/o a degree, but hire a degree holder who sits there and looks pretty (i.e. government contractors, consulting). In reply to your Knuth comment...Tom Brady is 40 years old but you're not going to find many football players who are 40 and still playing in Super Bowls.
  - 9y ago
harveynick 9y ago
Hi, post author here. I paid for the certificate as well. Partly out of curiosity, partly because I thought Coursera / Ng had “earned” it. I should probably update the post to say that...