It was once widely assumed that working in technology required extensive formal education. However, demand for technical positions is only increasing. It increases the amount of tech workers with non-traditional backgrounds. This is excellent news for anyone asking how to become a software developer without a degree.
Many would argue that coding bootcamps and online credentials provide an advantage. This is because they provide you with more job-ready skills than a university degree. While college education has its benefits, it is not the ideal option for everyone. The return on investment is frequently larger for individuals who go the informal way.
In this essay, we will answer the question, “Can I be a software engineer without a degree?” and how to become a software engineer without a degree and the skills to have. So, if you don’t have a degree but want to get into technology, this is the post for you!
Can I Be a Software Engineer Without a Degree? Answering The Question
In brief, a degree is not required to become a software engineer or web developer. Although having a computer science degree is still a traditional way to enter the sector, self-taught engineers and bootcamp graduates are also becoming more common.
Meanwhile, obtaining a degree remains an obvious approach to demonstrate that you have the necessary background and theory for the position. It is unnecessary as long as you can demonstrate your skills during the interview process.
How To Become A Software Engineer
But how exactly do you do that? What does it take to succeed as a software developer without a degree? To provide direction, here are seven ideas for ambitious developers who do not have a CS degree and do not want to earn one.
1. Learn a Popular Programming Language.
Learning to program in commonly used languages is a clear approach to prepare for a software engineering job without a degree. However, avoiding Python (or not focusing on it) may increase your chances of success.
Python is often the language that everyone recommends you learn as a beginner programmer because it is so extensively used and easy to grasp. However, Python is not widely employed in complicated software development projects.
Because Python must be used in conjunction with other technologies, most professions requiring Python programming skills will also demand other sorts of talents, such as data science experience or cloud management. If all you want to do is program, master another popular language like Java or C.
2. Obtain software engineering certifications
A computer science degree is not required to work as a software engineer, but having some form of paper demonstrating your programming ability is vital for landing job interviews. That’s why it’s worthwhile to invest time (and money, if applicable) in obtaining at least one or two programming-related certificates.
3. Contribute Code to Open Source
Contributing code to open-source projects is another approach to demonstrate that you are prepared to work as a software developer. Most open source initiatives do not care—or even know—if their participants have CS degrees. They are just concerned about the quality of their code.
So, find a project that interests you and learn how to contribute code. In many circumstances, doing so is as simple as submitting pull requests to GitHub.
Placing your own code in publicly accessible repositories under an open-source license is another approach to demonstrating your coding abilities.
4. Write Technical Documentation
Writing strong technical documentation is an excellent method to demonstrate your understanding of all elements of software engineering, including not only how to create code but also how to develop, test, and deploy systems, as documentation frequently covers all of these topics.
Documentation is also something that the average developer dislikes doing, so positioning yourself as someone who enjoys and excels at documenting software may help you stand out to companies.
So, when you write code to create a portfolio, make sure to include excellent documentation to support it.
5. Seek Out Degree-Blind Employers
Degree-blind employers do not regard educational history when evaluating job applicants. If you want to be a software engineer without a degree, applying to degree-blind organizations is an apparent method to enhance your chances of getting hired.
There is no official list of degree-blind employers, and some companies may accept degrees for certain job postings but not others. In general, your best hope for obtaining a degree-blind position is to look at startups, which are less likely than businesses to seek formal school credentials when hiring.
6. Work as a Freelance Developer
Another option to get a job as a software engineer without a degree is to do freelance work. Freelancing in software development may not provide the same salary stability as a full-time career, but employers are more prepared to take a chance on a programmer without a CS degree for project-based freelance work than on a full-time employee. Plus, once you’ve done some freelance development work, you’ll be in a better position to get a full-time development job.
7. Attend a Coding Bootcamp
Enrolling in a coding bootcamp, which is an accelerated school that promises to teach students how to code in as short as a few months, has become a popular option for people who want to work in software engineering but do not have a college degree.
There are numerous possible drawbacks to coding bootcamps. They frequently demand you to attend class full-time, which means you cannot work while at the bootcamp, and there is no assurance that you will complete successfully. There is also no guarantee that companies will see completion of a coding bootcamp as proof that you are actually qualified for a software engineering career.
Still, if you can afford the time investment, a coding bootcamp might be a gateway to a successful career in software engineering.
How to Become a Software Engineer with No Experience
There are several steps you can take to become a software engineer without prior experience. Here’s where to start.
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Invest in Education and Learning
First things first, you must invest in your education. This does not require a large monetary investment, such as a Bachelor’s Degree or related certification. You also do not need to quit your day job. Most companies prefer skills to a piece of paper any day.
Start by looking into bootcamps or online classes that can teach you the fundamentals. There are numerous online courses and bootcamps that will teach you the fundamentals of software engineering. Popular options include Coursera, edX, and Udemy.
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Master a Programming Language
Working as a software engineer requires knowledge of at least one programming language. There are numerous online resources available to assist you in understanding the fundamentals of Java, Python, HTML, and other programming languages. Make sure you cover the fundamentals of programming, such as variables, data types, operators, and control flow.
The most effective technique to learn how to code is to practice often. Look for online coding challenges and activities to help with this. Once you’re more confident in your talents, begin contributing to open-source projects. This is an excellent approach to obtaining field experience while simultaneously learning from other developers and becoming a member of the software engineering community.
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Grow Your Technical Skills
Before you can begin working as a software engineer, you must first become acquainted with the fundamental concepts. Data structures and algorithms are the cornerstones of software engineering. Make sure you understand the many types of data structures and algorithms, as well as how to apply them to solve problems.
Next, review the fundamentals of software design. Software design is the process of developing and implementing software applications; hence, you must understand software design patterns and principles.
Finally, you will need to improve your testing and debugging skills. Testing and debugging are critical abilities for every software engineer, and every software engineer must understand how to develop tests for their code and fix problems.
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Build Practical Expertise
Entering the field without any experience is difficult, but not impossible. If you don’t have a strong résumé of previous work experience, examine your portfolio. Your software engineering portfolio should include sample code, personal projects, freelancing work, and anything else you’ve worked on to hone your software engineering talents.
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Create sample projects
Look for open-source projects to join, or create your own. You can develop a portfolio of work and upload it to networks like GitHub for potential employers to assess. Share your efforts on social media to increase visibility, and accept any feedback from the community. It’s the best approach to stand out if you don’t have any prior experience.
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Practice Coding
It is difficult to enhance your skills if you want to self-study and work alone, which is why you should take advantage of the tools available on the Internet. You can practice coding on a variety of online venues, like Codewars and HackerRank. These platforms offer coding challenges that you may do to enhance your skills. Set aside time each day for practice, gradually progressing to increasingly complicated challenges. Every difficulty serves as real confirmation that you possess the necessary skills to succeed as a software developer.
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Participate in hackathons.
Hackathons are events where developers collaborate to create software applications in a short period of time. You can gain a lot of experience in just a few hours or days, acquire new skills, and even socialize with other developers. Many organizations conduct hackathons to tackle real-world problems, so these events could also be a terrific way to get your first software engineering job.
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Seek Volunteer Opportunities.
If none of these ideas appeal to you, consider volunteering for a cause you care about. There are numerous great organizations that require software development support. You’ll not only receive excellent practical experience, but you’ll also be helping your community and a cause that is important to you.
Conclusion
There is no “one dumb trick” or set of procedures to take if you want to work in software engineering without a formal degree. However, there are several viable ways that might lead to a successful software development profession for those who did not attend university for programming.