> In retrospect, I should have taken the intro classes, but I didn’t, which left me with huge holes in my knowledge that I didn’t really fill in for nearly a decade
After joining industry immediately after high school, I dismissed the value of formal education and selected a major with little consideration (I was unaware that CS even existed). I've recently joined a team where all my colleagues, many who received their degrees from prestigious institutions, majored in C.S. and imposter syndrome haunts me. Many though, are surprised,
Although I have my B.S. in information systems, I'm debating whether to return to academia -- obtain a second B.S. in CS or a stretch for a masters in CS (self study the fundamentals, which I'm currently doing, prior to starting the program) -- or continue the self study route to fill the missing gaps in my knowledge.
You’ll get over it. However, you will forever be cursed with having to keep your wiz-kid credentials up to date as you will never have that degree to help wedge the door open for your next opportunity. Ultimately, if programming is what you do (yes, I know CS is not just about coding) it doesn’t really matter, because the rubber meets the road at some point, and either you can code, or you can’t.
Absolutely, but when you enter that room for an interview, there may be a bias already built up against you. Somehow you made it through the door, but now you have to overcome the skeptics, maybe a team member who refuses to believe anyone without a formal degree could possibly have the proper foundation for “real work”. You can’t be just good, you have to be outstanding. Even if you shine in the interview, you may still have to make it through an upper manager who did not bother to interview you. Twice I’ve been rejected because the upper management didn’t want anything to do with me, even though the technical team was excited. I was never told exactly why, but I suspected the lack of formal education (what else?). In one case I was offered the position about a month later but already had another job.
After joining industry immediately after high school, I dismissed the value of formal education and selected a major with little consideration (I was unaware that CS even existed). I've recently joined a team where all my colleagues, many who received their degrees from prestigious institutions, majored in C.S. and imposter syndrome haunts me. Many though, are surprised,
Although I have my B.S. in information systems, I'm debating whether to return to academia -- obtain a second B.S. in CS or a stretch for a masters in CS (self study the fundamentals, which I'm currently doing, prior to starting the program) -- or continue the self study route to fill the missing gaps in my knowledge.