I'm self taught first programming 36 years ago. I have some college experience in a computer engineering program but I did not graduate. My experience has been

I'm self taught first programming 36 years ago. I have some college experience in a computer engineering program but I did not graduate. My experience has been that once someone is a few years in to the industry, their degree or lack of one is largely unimportant. Schools and especially boot camps simply cannot compare with hard earned experience. I'm never dishonest about my school experience although I do not mention it unless I'm asked about it or someone assumes I have a degree. Interviews are largely about connecting with the interviewer and getting them to like you, consider you as someone they would want to work with. Focus on what you have done, how you solve problems, how you work with others. Are you up front when you don't know something? Can you consider another's viewpoint and even change your mind? What is your reaction to making a mistake? Confidence and security in one's self go a long way here. Let your curiosity be infectious. Interviews are an inexact science and there are plenty of bad or even abusive companies out there. Take your time and try not to take rejection personally. Try to keep in eye out for what your next move will be. You'll likely learn more and earn more through some job hopping every 2 to 3 years. That's okay. Practice, practice, practice! Code in your free time. Work on an open source project. Find an itch, scratch it and share the results.