How does one be able to answer the question in an interview (if I make it to this stage) about not finishing a BA computer science degree?
I had a non-technical (non STEM) bachelor’s degree and this counts against me more than anything. Note, I did not do a bootcamp (I wasn't like a chef who never wrote in an IDE or command line). I was able to program and script already since I had been doing so since I was a kid, I opted out of computer science as a major thinking I would fail out of it since I wasn't great at math.
- Background: Later in life, I completed several certificates in my specific domain (not 4 year degrees but enough to satisfy a good year or two very deep in the subject matter, it was in AI, deep learning in 2017-2018 and have been taking classes all the way to current). I took continuing education later in life, but this was not the same as bootcamp grads I find who had entirely different careers who never were exposed to an IDE or terminal, (I still feel there is much bias against me even though I had been scripting and programming since the 90s in my childhood and tween years and in the 2000s had a different career until 2014 and have been working in the industry for about 9-10 years now).
- I find that many applying positions in FAANGMULA I am cut out of lack of a 4 year degree in computer science and while I didn’t do a bootcamp, I don’t like the word “self-taught,” as there’s a lot of stigma that comes with that.
- Question: What other terms can I use besides the word “self-taught” that proves my competency, knowledge, skills, abilities and education? I don't know that I really fall into that category, it sounds like people who never took a course at all or something...?
- ATS and other online resume services with AI just tell me that writing even 2 other courses outsides of my bachelor’s degree with a single bullet on what I studied (that is often a keyword in job descriptions) is too much information.
- Question: What can I say in an interview about my education and experience combined, without feeling like I’ll completely get dinged and passed over completely for another candidate, that for lack of their more senior/mature experience gets the job just because they are fresh out of college with a degree in CS?
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Discussion
(2 comments)- 1
3 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course HeroIf a job hard requires a Computer Science degree (there are unfortunately way too many who do), then there's not much you can do against that unfortunately. If they ask what formal education you have in Computer Science, then you can mention the certificates. If they somehow push even harder (which would be weird), then you sort of have to say "self-taught" as there's no other source.
Of course, you should also frame your prior work experience to be as technical as possible and highlight whatever coding you did. The goal is to just shift the conversation towards the present ("What did you recently build?") vs. the past ("What schooling did you get?").
As I talk about in my resume course, the only way to dig yourself out of that stigma no-degree hole is just to build stuff that's so impressive that it overrides the stigma (and even then, some employers will hold their nose and turn away a candidate with a 1 million user side project for not having a degree).
- 13 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
I agree there's a lot of stigma with "self-taught." Many companies will also have a stigma against bootcampers.
If you have significant work experience, have that be the bulk of your resume. The further along you are in your career, the less your specific major or college matters.
Even if you don't have significant work experience, talk about the various side projects or accomplishments you have that prove your technical competency.
That is also the answer to your 2nd question about how to response to questions about education in your interview. Answer the question quickly but redirect it to the think you want to focus on. Something like this:
I went to X university years ago, but what I've been focused for years on this domain. I published a bunch of side projects that are quantifiably impressive, and I have gained tons of experience that is even more valuable than academic classroom time.
