Do you need a Degree? š
Working in Tech...
Do you need a degree to work in Tech? Honestly, no.
You can stop reading now; that's it. However, you might want to consider the following three points:
Fully Remote
I work fully remotely and wouldn't change this for anything. It means I decide how my day looks, as long as my work is getting done to a high quality. I can manage life admin during the time I would otherwise spend commuting, which means come the weekend, I can use it for what it's meant for: resting not recovering. The obvious drawback of working remotely is that you don't develop those social skills. This is where University and College come in. They teach you how to collaborate, present in large groups, have an opinion and voice it, contribute, and make friends - arguably far more important than any technical skill, they give you soft skills.
This is infinitely harder when working from home and if you donāt go to College or University you might never develop these skills - especially if you want to work in ITā¦
Fundamentals
You canāt underestimate the fundamentals that a computer science degree will provide.
I'm a product of a Graduate Bootcamp, which taught me all about cloud computing and modern DevOps practices. However, it was my education that taught me about SSH, Ports/Protocols, basic networking, and Linux system administration. You see what I'm saying here? I'm not dismissing Bootcamps if they help you land a job (There are a lot of snake oil merchants out there though) but they physically don't have the time to teach you the fundamentals of computer science. Please don't enter the workforce without knowing the fundamentals. I'm a big believer in learning on the job, but try to make things as easy for yourself as possible and nail the foundations first... Trust me.
Free Time Wasted
You probably wonāt take this advice - no one does; itās just the way of things, but... Man, I miss the amount of free time I had at university, use it wisely!
Albeit I spent most of it playing video games, it was 2015, and The Witcher 3 came out the same year my dissertation was due. What kind of cruel twist of fate is that?!
If youāre lucky enough to not have a part-time job during your studies, use the time to learn, build, document, rinse, and repeat. Not to sound negative, but you'll literally never have as much free time again, until you retire. Use it in a way that your future self would be thankful for.
Having said all this, a degree can be pricey. Itās not perfectly accessible for everyone, and you can learn 99% of the hard skills online, in a more condensed and probably cheaper way.
Ultimately, everyone has their own path to follow. Just because your peers are heading off to study doesnāt mean you must as well. However, consider the benefits beyond just obtaining a diploma. Itās not merely about the piece of paper.
Thank you for reading: Keep it secure, keep it light-hearted!
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