Further Education

[Easy-X]

A lot of job adverts I'm looking at specify "degree level" education. I've been tapping away at the keyboard and churning out code on and off for over 25 years commercially and TBH rarely needed to submit a CV let alone reel off some list of educational achievements supposedly still relevant today...

So am I going to miss out on a plum role or is experience > degree?

I have been thinking I should do something like a degree anyway while I still have all my faculties and enough life left in me to make use of it! Thing is I could foresee doing something like a Computer Studies degree as mind numbingly boring and technically useless to me (beyond the piece of paper.)

Something different then. Psychology and/or philosophy has an appeal - I went on a short psychology course a few years ago and I found it both interesting and personally helpful. However, is it a case of "you have a degree" or "you need a BSc, no BA shit here pls" ? For the latter there are "Computer Science and Psychology" courses.

Finally, it'd would have to be part time, work from home stuff. Open University?
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[A100man]

'Degree level' seems open to interpretation. I'm sure 25 years relevant experience outstrips any paper qualification that could also be 20+ years old and out of date.

I would be inclined to lie. Its not like you're going to be impersonating a medical professional or anything like.

Is there not some kind of professional body you can join so you can put some letters after your name? If I could be bothered I could probably join the IET and become MIET...

Bon chance!
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[stinkwheel]

Apply anyway. List your experience and what you can do. Maybe include an example of your work if it's the kind of thing you could do that with.

The people recruiting have a list of skills they need, if you have those, they'll want to take a look. I've got a mate who is a team leader with some sort of coding jiggery-pokery and he really struggles to find people who can do all the things he needs. I know for a fact he wouldn't care where they learned them providing they can do them.

One thing for sure, you're not caught in the experience trap. In actualy real world work, experience trumps qualification. It's only government agencies who operate the opposite principal.
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[chickenstrip]

[Easy-X]

[steve the grease]

I know what you mean, after failing all my O levels I did an engineering apprenticeship and after discovering that I liked daylight over working in a factory I left. Ive been self employed ever since.

Now my health has precluded me working in what is effectively an unheated shed all winter , I was casting around for something to do.
Someone pointed out that you could lay the academic year over when I didn't want to work with an overlap at either end .
To cut a long story short, I ended up doing Philosophy which included an optional block , I chose Psychology. I absolutely loved all of it. I did my studies full time for a year and now pursuing my studies with the OU. So is philosophy a load of bollocks ?........ well yes, however it is also the most fundamental of studies, the search for truth. Something we need all the more at the present time. send me a PM if you want

[Polarbear]

[chickenstrip]

[chickenstrip]

[MarJay]

I don't have a degree, and only one place I've applied in the last 15 years asked about it, and they were French. They gave me the job, but I think they might have wanted to wind up the Rosbif.
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[Lord Percy]

I get the impression that the programming trade in particular doesn't really care about degree certification, unless you're looking to work on a several petabyte, million user database or something similar, for which computer science knowledge will likely be preferred.

I think if you undertake degree level study, you need to understand that you're only doing it for the joy of learning. This is especially so if you do psychology. A computer science degree will almost definitely create more job options, but it may not weigh up against the time and cost of the degree itself (depending on what stage you are currently at in your life/career/earnings).

You make an interesting point about the difference between BSc and BA. I think some recruiters may pick up on it but, as others have said, real-life work experience and skills will probably still count for a lot more.

Regarding OU: My brother is about to start an engineering course with OU (starting with a HND/Foundation then moving to full degree level). I've seen a lot about OU lately and I get the impression it's reasonably well valued as a legit institution now. It's probably down to opinion though. Some people probably still think the only good uni is a redbrick, whereas others will value the quality of the degree regardless of where it came from.

[Sister Sledge]

Not sure about now but my bro back in the day - 30 years ago - became an analyst programmer for the ministry (DSS) in pensions. He'd a simple O level in computing. His ticket in was because of a willingness to learn and advance himself and shape his own career path. They liked that it seems.

What surprised me was having a recent look into the DSS jobs portal they don't necessarily list solid qualifications as a free ride in. Their requirements for jobs (not all jobs!) are very much steered towards different skills you have as a person in day to day life. Problem solving methodology etc.
I have a friend who now works in the pensions service and she left school with absolutely no qualifications (how do people manage that?). Her career in early life was being a baby machine. 7 kids later she applied for a job there and was taken on. She's excelling.

I suppose it's going to depend on where you're looking to go work. It depends on companies and requirements.
You also need to factor in costs of getting the degree. It might well land you more money with work but given that you're a erm.. mature person will you have enough time to pay the costs of the degree back?
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[A100man]

[duhawkz]

I started doing a computer science degree about 2013 with the OU, for similar reason to yourself.

It's a fairly big commitment i think they said about 16 hours a week. Which I was trying to fit in around a full time job and a homelife.

The courses i did were mixed some were great, others were exceptionally poor. Tbe course fees were pretty reasonable when i first started. But then the government removed the subsidies and the cap on tuition fees and they put their prices up inline with the top bricks and mortar uni.

That stopped me continuing with it as i didn't feel i was getting value for money.

As for jobs requiring a degree, not having a degree hasn't held me back at all, 3-5 years experience is considered equivalent to all of places
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[Easy-X]

Very interesting, yet again BCF provides, thanx

My kids both have their own homes now so I have a bit more free time; 16 hours though! 1 or 2 each day + extra at the weekend... for 6 years (For a full degree from what I'm reading on the OU site.)

I'm not much for life plans but if I can either get a better job or squeeze a pay rise out of my existing job I could put the extra money towards the course.

The other thing is IT is something you have to sprint to keep up with. At some point I'll hit my limit and I won't be able to outpace the kids. I'm not saying psychology doesn't progress but it's not like the pace of IT (anyone remember Silverlight?)

[duhawkz]

[duhawkz]

[A100man]

16 hrs a week for 6 years!! That implies full time students are putting in 32 hour a week over the three years or closer to 50 if you discount the extensive holidays .
Things must have moved on since my day

@ Easy-X - not sure BCF has an active 'Dinner Party' circuit btw
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[Lord Percy]

[wr6133]

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So you're well into your mid 40's? A bit late now to go full time work dodging isn't it? If 25 years experience doesn't trump a degree in "Media Studies", there's something seriously wrong with the interview process.

As many unemployed students find, having a degree does not guarantee you're employable and likely to walk into a 6 figure salary. It can take years before they accept that the roles they could get are really not beneath them or their real life ability.
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[Lord Percy]

[Easy-X]

Well I think the conclusion was that while a computing degree would be helpful it wouldn't really be worth the time, effort and money at his point.

Potentially an exercise in self improvement... and I did mention part time studies and OU several times.
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[Sister Sledge]

If you fancy learning new skills why not consider evening classes? You might well find something you're either missing as a skill or just fancy doing anyway.
Often those evening classes come with discounts and subsidies depending on your personal circumstances.
Might not even be computing - could be basic welding or anything.
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