Deciding whether to continue your education and go on to college can be a difficult decision. It used to be that going on to further education was the only way to get a well-paid job, and a career that would sustain you during your entire working life. But with the rise of Internet based courses, we are seeing an increasing number of young people side stepping the considerable cost of college in favor of heading straight into the workplace.
The sector that has seen the most substantial rise in this new route into employment is computer programming. The industry has been growing exponentially in recent years, and as such it is struggling to find employees to fill countless new positions. The lack of applicants is becoming such a trend that it is estimated that over 1 million jobs will go unfilled in 2020 (The Wall Street Journal
).
This being the case, it is clear that there are not enough computer science graduates to fill all of these new positions, meaning, surely, that completing a computer degree is a sure fire way of walking straight into a job after college. This can clearly be seen by the steep increase of those majoring in computer science in recent years. But, with so many jobs available, is it really worth spending so much time and money going to college? Surely that time could be better spent – and a lot of money saved – taking a short course in programming and further learning the trade from within a company while getting paid.
It is still the case that throughout their lifetime graduates will earn more money (USA Today), but the discussion about whether their pay will offset accumulated student loans is still hotly debated. Considering this, which is more valuable – a computer degree or relevant experience?
Benefits of a Degree
Competition to ge
t into the best colleges to study computer science is fierce, and for good reason. Degree qualifications engender extremely good employment prospects. The demand for such skills are so high that companies, unable to secure native graduates, report having to look offshore for other individuals holding the required qualifications.
Although it is clear that there is a lot of opportunity for those interested in computer technology, it is important to remember that in order to get these positions students will have to have some degree of industry experience. Such experience is usually obtained by work placements during or after studying. But, as the need for computing professionals grows, it is likely that the 2 to 3 years’ experience that employers often insist upon will become less important.
Joining a business at an entry level position is where degree holders will find their search becomes difficult. College courses will always favor teaching theory over practical programming. Although some companies like Facebook send their new engineers on a six-week intensive course, many more prefer their candidates to come equipped with all the necessary skills. As a result, graduates will often find they lack some of the basic skills needed for these entry-level positions. This disadvantage for graduates is a strong advantage for those without a degree.
Experience Advantages
As more positions are opening within the computer technology sector an increasing number of school leavers and workers unhappy in their current careers are choosing to take short online courses in programming. After acquiring their new skill, these individuals then obtain entry-level jobs with the view to work their way to higher positions.
Those workers who are unsatisfied with their current careers can often use their experience to gain computing positions. The employment of those who have decided upon a midlife career change is especially prevalent within small businesses. Companies must either embrace technological advances, integrating them into their business workings, or ultimately become out-dated.
Often, smaller businesses struggle to stretch their budgets in order to employ computing experts. Instead they favor hiring those with knowledge of business and computer science. In cases such as these, it is far more likely that someone with knowledge and experience within sectors such as advertising and business management will be tasked to step up to the fold.
Even the larger companies – that can arguably have their pick of the best graduates – still hire individuals who don’t have college degrees. As one of the world’s most valuable companies you may be surprised to find that 14% of employees within Google’s various teams have no formal college degrees (Mercury News).
Decisions, Decisions
Ultimately the route you take will depend entirely on which company you aspire to work for. Some prefer academic knowledge and enthusiasm over experience, others avoid taking on graduates for fear they will swiftly move on to better jobs at other companies after receiving expensive training.
Whatever route you choose to take there are some important things to remember:
?If you continue on to college to study computer science be sure to take every class in coding you can find and create a small portfolio. You will almost certainly be chosen above a candidate without such skills.
?In order to work in the more creative positions, such as app development, it may be worth considering completing a degree in computer science. They are undoubtedly the best way to be taught about the most current technology by those who are most knowledgeable.
Technology moves fast. Whether you studied a degree, took a course, or are self taught, unless you keep up with moving trends and programming methods you will soon get left behind.
Kerry Butters
Kerry is a published author and writer on all things tech, corporate tech, data centres, SEO, webdesign & more for some of the world’s leading sites.