You don't Need a Degree... It's still Useful

Do you need a CS degree to work in tech? Short answer: No, you do not.

Despite this, a degree has a lot of upsides.

I’m a self-taught engineer who has spent quite some time in university in other degrees. So I believe my perspective can be helpful for those who think about going to university for computer science or something else.

The Degree is a Trust Signal

The most obvious advantage of university is the diploma (duh!).

It’s true, that there is no hard gatekeeping in tech on academic achievements as there is in fields like medicine or law.

However, companies want to de-risk their hiring decisions. To that end, having a reputable institution vouch for your ability to solve complex problems within a deadline is worth a lot.

That is also why, the prestige of your degree and the institution matter. It’s not the only thing, but more prestige helps open doors and get past gatekeepers. A degree considered “hard”, like CS, EE, or Physics, will impress. The same is true for joining a selective institution.

In any case, your self-assessment that you learned, let’s say software engineering or product management as an autodidact will have a lot more weight if you have other laureates to show for. You can circumvent this by creating impressive things. But still, a reputable degree and institution buy you a lot more leeway.

University is Time to Figure Out Yourself

People often differentiate between the university and the “real world”. I don’t think this distinction is too sensible. But what’s true, is that a university provides you with a rigid structure that sets clear expectations, while providing you with a lot of freedom in its confines. In essence, a degree gives you time to figure out what you like and don’t like. You can explore, join a programming club, or a band, do art, go abroad, or try a bunch of different industries in internships, all while pursuing a piece of paper that employers like and that keeps your parents happy.

Finding your Tribe

The friends you make in university are perhaps the most underrated benefit. You will find close friends that may as well last you a lifetime. Many people with similar drive and interests flock together in a specific place and time. From the start, you have a lot of common ground such that great things can grow.

It’s not only your new close friends. It’s also your extended network. People you like and loosely stay in touch with. The friends of friends.

Because there are many people with similar drive and interests, they will end up in a similar field. Opportunities will come their way and they will think of you the same way you will come across opportunities and pass them on to others. It’s hard to see the power of this network while studying as you all essentially do the same things. But once your paths diverge and your peers get carried by their ambition the same way you are taken by yours, your network becomes more and more valuable.

The Student Advantage

The student status opens doors. People are generally more willing to help and mentor students. Others see students for their potential rather than as finished products. You will get opportunities because people believe you can do what is necessary, rather than expect you to demonstrate that you already have done it.

Additionally, your university will likely have a career service, hold job fairs, and will try to orchestrate your becoming successful. Recent graduates or more senior students who just got a job offer or internships similar to what you are after. They can provide you with insider information that is hard to come by (or at least verify) on the internet.

Lastly, your status as a student is something that sticks with others. You are something who is learning, preparing, and seeking opportunity. There will be many conversations where you will be asked what you do. If you have enough of these conversations, there will be someone who likes and thinks of you when an opportunity comes their way and they might pass it on to you.

The Long Game

Your grades, internships, and extracurriculars are most important to get your first job. But the reach of your education extends far beyond that. The education section likely stays on your CV and can frame your career and contextualize your future achievements.

Guidance

So far we have talked little about the content of a degree itself. I think it’s not as important as the cultural connotation of the degree itself. Nonetheless, it guides you. Before you enroll, you can look up what graduates of certain degrees become. For your studies, you follow a curriculum curated by experts in the field. While not everything you learn will be of use in your future, some of it will be useful enough to kick off a great career.

During university, your education and learning are your main responsibility. It’s easier to study during that time than to carve hours out of your day after work to self-study something with an uncertain payoff. Even when you study the “wrong thing”, because of the freedom of the university, allocating time to your interests is a lot easier, too.

Of course, if you’re sure you want to become a software or ML engineer, studying CS is an obvious choice. Yet, the specific degree you study narrows your choices less than you might think. Every job requires a lot of special knowledge that is probably only as much as a single semester. Those things can be self-studied on the side. Because your degree vouches for your general capability, you have less burden of proof for the specifics. During your studies, you have learned how to learn, how to identify useful resources, and how to recognize mastery.

Summary

Being a student and going to university has tangible advantages.

By the end of your degree, you will get a diploma that is worth something to employers. During your studies, you have time to figure yourself out and build a competitive profile with extracurriculars and internships. You can go deeper into whatever you identified as your passion and develop yourself into a great candidate without external pressures. You will forge friendships that may last a lifetime and you will build a network of dedicated and motivated peers that is becoming more valuable with time. Lastly, a degree provides you with guidance through a curriculum, you will learn how to learn and that will last a lifetime.

Now you have to decide for yourself if this upside is worth the price tag in money and time, or if you can replicate some of these things in another way.