Do I Need A Computer Science Degree To Get A Job In Tech?
Tags: beginners, motivation, discuss, webdev
Published: 2019-05-08 23:55:03

---
title: Do I Need A Computer Science Degree To Get A Job In Tech?
published: true
description: There's a short and a long answer to this one...
tags: #beginners,#motivation,#discuss,#webdev
cover_image: https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/uijzjiuwvf5j1n7r6quj.jpg
series: Mindset tips for anyone learning to code 
---

No... You don't.

We could leave it there, but let's explore this a little further.

There's a reason why Google, Apple & IBM, literally some of the largest companies in the _entire world_, are no longer requiring degrees as part of their job application process.

It's very simple: non-traditional educational routes are now just as effective, if not *more* effective than traditional routes.

We're talking Online Courses, Videos, Tutorial Articles, Bootcamps **VS** College & University. You no longer need to spend years learning abstract concepts and principles to even be considered for a job - you can learn job-ready skills just by consuming free content online.

It really is _that simple_. But if you're still not convinced, let's drive the point home.

Hiring managers, when sifting through job applications and interviewing candidates, are usually looking for 3 important attributes in the perfect candidate:

- A positive attitude. (brings energy to the team, not takes)
- A keen learner. (someone who will grow in their role)
- Real-world, practical experience. (actual projects that demonstrate your technical capabilities)

So the question is this: do you need a 4 year degree to acquire these 3 attributes?

**No, no and no.** You can absolutely gain these important attributes through self-learning using online materials, or going to an intensive bootcamp or finding a good online mentor.

And think of it this way, wouldn't it be foolish for an interviewer to _literally ignore_ 95% of the candidate pool - simply because they recognized that you could learn way more efficiently, without taking on tons of student debt?

This isn't to say being a CS student or graduate puts you at a disadvantage - of course it doesn't. As long as you work towards embodying the 3 attributes above, it doesn't matter how you got there - you're on the path to hire-ability.

So if you want to get a job in tech without a CS degree, look at the dream job you want to get, pick up the necessary skills, develop a strong portfolio and you're only one successful interview away from getting there.

## Tell us _your_ opinion on this subject
These big companies are setting a trend now in the industry by removing the arbitrary degree requirement, but it's still quite a controversial subject. We'd love to bring some more balance to the subject so, please tell us - what do you think about requiring a Computer Science degree as part of a job?

## Liked this post? You might want to check out the latest episode of The Learning Developer's Podcast
We released episode 2 this week - we talk about the very subject of this blog post, and the #1 strategy to getting any job you want. It's available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and via the [Transistor.fm web player](https://share.transistor.fm/s/02836e06).

Matt talks to full-stack developer [George Hanson](https://dev.to/georgehanson) who is currently working as an R&D developer. We go over his struggles when trying to break into the industry 8 years ago, and his thoughts on university degrees, getting a job and what he looks for when interviewing candidates.

We also write a ton of mini blog posts over [on our Instagram page ](https://www.instagram.com/skill.pathway)if you want to see snippets of content like this - including mindset tips, design tutorials etc. Thanks for your time!