Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

General Discussion

Michael Liebegott
Michael Liebegott
2,852 Points
Posted by Michael Liebegott
Michael Liebegott
2,852 Points

Regarding Employment Without a Bachelor's Degree

I find coding to be incredibly fun. I also enjoy the prospect of being able to create something that I can share with others or that can be used to fulfill some sort of need, be it an individual's need or a business's. I'm currently working on the C# library and have some experience with Java, so I may move on to the Android Dev track afterward.

I'm also interested in the Front-End Development track, but the reason I'm writing on the forum is to ask what job prospects without a Bachelor's degree look like? I'm a native New Yorker, but I'd be willing to relocate if it made a difference.

Would anyone be able to give me a rundown on how employment without a degree in this field works specifically, and if you're able, could you also explain to me (and anyone else reading!) what the highest-need sector is, be it web development, software engineering, or anything else?

Thank you in advance.

1 Answer

Steven Parker
Steven Parker
229,732 Points
Steven Parker
Steven Parker
229,732 Points

While some companies have strict hiring policies and degree requirements, many others are discovering that a degree is not always the best or even always a valid way to determine skill level in software development. The places with the strict requirements are an ever-shrinking minority, and probably not the nicest environments or best-paying jobs anyway.

Elsewhere the employer may have a candidate perform an in-house or third-party skill assessment as part of the evaluation process, or conduct a technical interview, or both.

I'm not in touch with the highest-need sector at the moment, perhaps someone else would comment on that.

Michael Liebegott
Michael Liebegott
2,852 Points
Michael Liebegott
Michael Liebegott
2,852 Points

I appreciate the response, Steven.

Would you happen to know where the larger markets are for web devs and software engineers? I know Silicon Valley is the one that's continuously peddled but are there others which aren't as well-known?