When I was 27, I picked up and moved from the Midwest out to San Francisco kind of on a lark. I didn't know anyone, and despite having a CS education it was fr

When I was 27, I picked up and moved from the Midwest out to San Francisco kind of on a lark. I didn't know anyone, and despite having a CS education it was from a no-name school and I had basically zero relevant experience. I had an exceedingly difficult time "breaking in". I eventually found a job with a startup at a relative pay cut, and some time after that was able to find an actually-decent job. Every job change since then has only become easier. Looking back now I can see why it was hard for me to break in. The factors holding me back, in descending order, were: 1) No industry connections 2) No relevant experience (.NET didn't count in SF at the time) 3) Wasn't really "plugged in" to the prevailing tech culture 4) Nobody had heard of my university. 5) Frankly I wasn't very good. 5 almost doesn't count; very few people are any good when they start their career. The single most significant factor (the dominating factor, really) was simply a lack of connections. Nearly every significant job I've ever had is a result of a referral from a friend, and this is true for basically everyone that I know. I have coworkers now who not only have no CS degree, they just don't have _any_ degree, and we happily hired them on reference. I guess my point is that yes, it'll be tough for you at first. Not having those magic "CS" letters will definitely hinder you. That said, it's not an impermeable barrier. The best thing you could do for your future is make friends in the industry. The second-best thing (in my opinion, others may not agree) is to participate in a well-managed Open-Source project. Not to burnish your resume, but to learn the processes people use to collaborate - source control, issue trackers, code review practices. That stuff doesn't get taught in CS programs either, but it's essential knowledge. Having it will help get your foot in the door. Skills are important, to be sure - once you get the interview you still need to be able to successfully sell yourself - but IMO getting the interview is the hardest part when you're new.