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While you are in your prime "coding years", it doesn't matter. The problem with dropping out won't hit you until you hit the middle age inflection point: Go int
by jones1618 14y ago
While you are in your prime "coding years", it doesn't matter. The problem with dropping out won't hit you until you hit the middle age inflection point: Go into management or career change or jump to a start up. Your competition that started with a B.S. at the same age or even a few years later probably didn't stand still and now have Master's degrees or MBAs. That's what you'd be up against. With the slow job market, not only are many 20-somethings hanging out in graduate school but many (if not most) immigrants enter the market with offshore B.S. and U.S. Master degrees. So, my advice to drop-outs is: Build your experience and bankroll for a couple of years then settle into a job where you can finish your degree part-time. Then, when you hit the middle-age transition, you can go for the 2-year MBA to stay competitive.
- nirvana 14y agoIf they got Masters or MBAs then they are even further behind and have even more to unlearn before they can be productive. Those people are earning less and are 4-6 years behind you on the advancement curve. The slope of that curve depends on your ability and dedication, not a piece of paper.
- jones1618 14y agoThe problem is that the world isn't a perfect meritocracy. There's no objective way for someone who is in the position to give you a raise or a job can know precisely where you are on your ability and dedication curve. That's why "those people who are earning less" who happen to also have MS/MBA pieces of paper will look like a better deal. Also, those future bosses may see your extra 4-6 years as potential bad habits, entitlement and cynicism that you'd have to unlearn to be productive for them. I'm not saying it is fair or inevitable but it wouldn't hurt to arm yourself against degree-ism and agism any way that you can.