Do You Need A Degree To Get A High-Paying Software Development Job?
No. No. No. No. Straight up no. You don't need a degree to get a great job as a software engineer. I'm not saying degrees are useless or they don't help. I simply mean that they are not mandatory. This is from someone with a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering. None of the good-paying jobs I have held was because I have a degree
If you are a newbie especially and you are figuring out how to break into the industry, my advice is to spend time building a portfolio of strong personal projects. I won't put a limit on the number but I'll say a minimum of 3 is pretty good.
The job market is firstly about how you look to even get the chance to interview in the first place. When an recruiter, the number one thing they are scanning for is dedication and ability. Can this person actually do what they say they can do?
You could have the shiniest of degrees, but without some solid projects to back it up, you are as good as tea without bread.
I know you are thinking:
Yes, that's recruitment crap..lol. I know people with degrees in Economics and Business Administration who are making a shit ton of money as software engineers. These recruiters mostly don't even have time to check that requirement.
Hear me out once again, a degree by no means is useless in itself as a means of education and learning. For example, I got my aha moment in understanding database fundamentals during a database course lecture in my second year in the Uni. My lecturer explained it so well and the fundamentals have stuck with me ever since. Also the structured curriculum I believe gave me some initial guidance on what I needed to learn. Those things are usually priceless.
Now bear in mind that, even with this, people still pursue a degree and come out knowing nothing. So then, it all comes back to your effort.
When it comes to education, Recruiters put more weight on certifications and online courses. For example, a software engineer with an AWS Cloud Architect certificate is more likely to be considered than a software engineer with just a degree. Do you catch the drift?
If you have been following carefully, you will realise that I have given you two better alternatives to degrees already:
- Have a personal portfolio of strong projects
- Focus on acquiring speciality international certifications
Lastly, try not to be a ghost online. It doesn't serve you in any way with your job search. At a bare minimum, maintain a quality LinkedIn profile.
Put your projects there, link them to your GitHub, add a nice profile picture, and be human. If you are up for the challenge, launch your own website or social media page and talk about software. These are the kind of things recruiters are actively inspecting.
In ending
It's the normal right of passage to go to the university after high school. If you have the means and the support, please enroll. You can never go wrong with education and learning.
On the other hand, if you cannot enroll in the university to earn a degree in computer science due to any reason at all, please don't worry your head. That degree is not your judge and executioner of determining if you can get a high-paying job in software development.
I'm super eager to hear your thoughts on this or if you have any additional questions. Let's get talking 😉
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