Would a CS Degree Be Good for Someone Over 30? 166
mbuckingham asks: "I'm 39 and have been programming for 20 years. By 'programming', I'm talking about the usual business applications type of stuff. Easy stuff really. I went to college for a while, but never got my degree. It bugs me that I've never completed my degree, but since I've always had decent jobs, it hasn't really mattered too much. I'm really bored with what I do every day, and I'm thinking about going back and getting the degree, because I think it will make it possible to move towards doing some more advanced, system-level type stuff. I know I don't want a MIS degree, because that would be rehashing everything I'm already bored with. Does this make sense? Would a CS degree or a Computer Engineering degree be better?"
Um, yes... (Score:1, Informative)
I never realized how goofy it sounds to say it, but I have two ASs but now I want a BS in CS.
LK
Not sure what ... (Score:5, Informative)
System administration, or embedded programming? Or just challenging programming in C, or C++?
If your close to finishing your degree, I'd go for it. Typically, our company hires more on experience and skills than education, but that said, we have a tough time finding people in general.
You might want to do some functional interviews - find companies that do what you are interested in, and go in and talk to them. Find out if it's really what you are interested.
Once you find what you are interested in, tailor your courses to make you a good candidate for the position. IE if you are interested in embedded, real-time development, avoid "Ethics in Computer Science" and take the real-time programming courses. If your school is any good, they'll be very challenging.
A degree also gives you management potential; as you get older, you might want to get out of the grind, get an MBA. I keep reading that business+technology is very in-demand.
One final benefit of a degree - if you want to travel and work (ie move to Australia and work there for a year), a degree is almost mandatory for getting the visa.
Re:Worth while? For you, or your employer? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I'm in a similar position to you. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:I'm in a similar position to you. (Score:5, Informative)
But for R&D of new products, there is definitely no pay cut. I have been working on high end networking gear and there is definitely not that kind of pay gap here.
Most people forget that there is way more to computer science than just coding. I have been working as a tester of complex networking and telcom products, and I am on the same pay scale as the programmers. We deal with the same complexity, it is just at different levels. Then there is the technical support (not the stupid help desk kind), sales engineers, training, marketing, and documentation. All of this is necessary for a good product, they can all be technically challenging, and none of it involves coding. I've worked with brilliant people in each of those positions.
But the really important thing is doing what is fun. I'm about to take a break from working and get a masters degree because it is something I really want to do. Will it help my career? I don't care. There are a lot of topics I want to study in depth that I just don't have time to do while I am working. It definitely won't hurt my career, but since I have a lot of good experience it might not open any doors that aren't already open to me.
Having said all that, I do think there is overwhelming evidence out there that getting a bachelor's degree helps your career. When almost everyone else in the industry has a degree, it really sticks out when you don't. It may not be fair, but it is reality.
You might enjoy it (Score:2, Informative)
I really enjoyed the classes involved, and it did a good job of exposing me to new (to me!) topics, such as AI. I recommend it if you can afford the pay cut. If you can't, well, it might not be worthwhile.
Re:I am in a similar situation (Score:3, Informative)
Yeah, clueless. It's been a long time since either a phone number or an IP address was like a street address.
The distinction is how "locative" an ID is. Seat numbers in a stadium are locative. But few other IDs are completely locative any more.
At one time, phone numbers really were locative; the first three digits specified the central office, or for larger offices, the switch within the CO, and the last four digits were the line number within the switch. That dates from the era when phone numbers were read like "PLaza 5-1000". But that was a long time ago. Now there's a lookup in the middle; the number goes into a database and a location comes out. That allows for number portability, and also means all the numbers can be used.
The same thing happened to IP addresses. At one time, you could route by tearing apart IP addresses. In the beginning, network 10 was the ARPANET, and the last byte was the IMP number. Now, it's lookup-based, and routers have huge tables.
This is a continuing struggle with numbering plans, from zip codes to Ethernet addresses to UPC codes. They tend to start out locative, but eventually become a flat, arbitrary space as the demands on the number space increase and things change over time.
Re:Worth while? For you, or your employer? (Score:3, Informative)
How long has said team lead been with the company? Usually, when a company is young, they'll hire anyone who's competent, regardless of their formal education. The real question is: If this team lead were to get fired tomorrow, how easily would he find another position similar to the one he currently has?
If you already have a stable job, getting a degree doesn't do you much good unless your employer has some kind of education incentive. The "piece of paper" really proves its worth when you try to change jobs. Many employers have degree requirements, regardless of the fact that a veteran without a degree may be more competent than a fresh graduate with one.