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How many years of experience do you have? I don't have a degree but it's literally never come up, and I've been working as a software engineer for two decades.
by robbyking 4y ago
How many years of experience do you have? I don't have a degree but it's literally never come up, and I've been working as a software engineer for two decades.
- QuikAccount 4y agoStill early in my career. 3-4 years.
- a_t48 4y agoDefinitely give it some time. I didn't start feeling competent (and have a somewhat full linkedin inbox) until 5-6 years or so. Won't help with the visa situation though - I had a sweet opportunity to go work at a drone startup in Tokyo that I had to give up on because the Japanese government wouldn't let me. I could go for it (or something similar) now, but we'll see where my life is when I'm done at my current job.
- QuikAccount 4y agoThanks for the kind words. If you don't mind me asking, how did you get involved in robotics without a degree?
- a_t48 4y agoI joined games (arguably harder in some ways to join than robotics), got real good at C++, then got word from a former manager about a self driving car company needing someone who knew games engines to do their 3D simulation.
- psyc 4y agoCruise?
- a_t48 4y agoCorrect! (Unsure if you actually recognize me or just going by statistics here :) )
- psyc 4y agoDon’t worry :) I’m a game engine developer and they’ve been pinging me every so often for the past year or so. Speaking of which, what are your impressions of working there? (You may email me if you’re inclined or would rather.)
- akhmatova 4y agoI don't have a degree but it's literally never come up, and I've been working as a software engineer for two decades. How do you know it has "never come up"? Because you've never been asked about it? If people have passed on your profile completely for that reason -- then it has still "come up" on their side, even though of course never know that's the reason.
- robbyking 4y agoThat's fair, but the comment I replied to said "my peers [...] have recruiters beating down their doors while I barely get emails back," and that hasn't been my experience; my teammates and I seem to to get about the same number of recruiter calls/emails a day, very often from the same companies. Besides, the vast, vast majority of job listings say "CS degree or comparable experience."
- lordnacho 4y agoLikely he means in terms of being asked for the documentation once you get an offer. I've only been asked once, in the German speaking world. My wife was asked the same, from another German speaking with. In the Anglo world I've literally never been asked. Not by employers, not by investors doing due diligence, nobody. Of course it's still true that it might have an effect on some recruiter looking for a degree. Can't say I've ever made a decision to interview or not based on whether the person had a degree.
- kodablah 4y ago> If people have passed on your profile completely for that reason Arguably this is a good built-in filter for the candidate. In my experience for SE roles specifically, companies with such credentialism often have many other structural/corporate issues.
- scruple 4y agoI'm at 15 years of experience. I also don't have a degree. It's come up a handful of times but it's been a few years since the last occurrence.