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General Discussion

Posted by Victor Montemayor
Victor Montemayor
9,363 Points

Newb to the coding and programming world

I am on the path of learning Ruby on Rails here on Treehouse. I come from an associates degree in computer aided drafting and design and have been doing 3D modeling and machine drawings for oil and gas companies for about 10 years now. I am really interested in making a living through RoR.

Do I need a BS degree to get a job doing this?

When can I apply for an entry level position doing RoR?

Thank you for reading this :)

2 Answers

Brian Wassel
Brian Wassel
22,171 Points
Brian Wassel
Brian Wassel
22,171 Points

i would assume that most companies would prefer a degree. however if you plan to do a little freelance work... i think that competence and reliability would be a little more useful. TREEHOUSE IS A GREAT SITE. dont get me wrong here... but i think you should use treehouse as an introduction, then once you feel capable, look for work.

Victor Montemayor
Victor Montemayor
9,363 Points

Thanks Brian for the info! I will def keep that in mind

Dan Garrison
Dan Garrison
22,457 Points
Dan Garrison
Dan Garrison
22,457 Points

The general consensus around here is that you don't necessarily need a degree to get a programming/web development job. The tech industry is nice in that they usually value demonstrated skill and knowledge over an advanced degree.

That being said, not having a degree could make it difficult to get past the initial screening process at companies. Particularly if HR is doing the screening instead of a developer. So you will want to make sure you find ways to network with those currently in the industry.

When you have learned some programming you will also want to start building your portfolio and also contribute to sites like git hub and stack overflow. This can give you something to show potential employers and might even get you noticed.

Treehouse also has a pretty good career resource section with other tips on finding a job. You can find it here: https://teamtreehouse.com/career-resources

Victor Montemayor
Victor Montemayor
9,363 Points

Thanks Dan for the answer, I will check that link you for sure.