Programming job with this degree?

Quake

So I'm currently in 2nd year arts in Maynooth and doing computer science major and business minor. I'd love to get a job as a programmer, I'm not to fond of the idea of working in management or whatever and would rather just do something computer related.

I feel like I may have trouble getting a programming/software engineer job as my degree will be a BA, have no work experience and will have less computer related subjects and no math subjects like an ACTUAL software engineering course i.e DCU CA.

Seth Brundle

Can you program? Can you prove it with some kind of examples to show your experience?
The degree will show that you're intelligent but the experience will help you get the job IMO

Talisman

A degree is only going to check a box on a check list when you apply for a job.

Set yourself up with an account on Github or Bitbucket. Learn to use Git and develop some projects of your own.

Quake

kbannon wrote: »

Can you program? Can you prove it with some kind of examples to show your experience?
The degree will show that you're intelligent but the experience will help you get the job IMO

Well I could make a portfolio when I'm done the degree (I'm only in 2nd year).

Quake

Talisman wrote: »

A degree is only going to check a box on a check list when you apply for a job.

Set yourself up with an account on Github or Bitbucket. Learn to use Git and develop some projects of your own.

Yeah I was thinking about doing that. Will that + my degree be good enough? They don't care about the lack of maths?

Talisman

Quake wrote: »

Yeah I was thinking about doing that. Will that + my degree be good enough? They don't care about the lack of maths?

If you want a job in a field where Maths is a requirement then it may be an issue, but for most development roles it's not a big deal.

Problem solving skills are of vital importance to developers. You need to have confidence in your ability to assess a problem accurately, be able to evaluate alternative solutions and also anticipate the likely risks of a solution. Scientific methods and logical reasoning are the foundations of critical thinking - You don't need a degree with a heavy Maths element to develop such skills but a solid grounding in Maths does help.

If you can produce a portfolio of projects in which you encountered problems and were able to solve them then you are well on your way. Your portfolio will show your progression as a developer and the technical interview process should be easier as you're more likely to find yourself being asked about code you have written.

After that it becomes a question of whether or not you are a good fit for the team.

Quake

Talisman wrote: »

If you want a job in a field where Maths is a requirement then it may be an issue, but for most development roles it's not a big deal.

Problem solving skills are of vital importance to developers. You need to have confidence in your ability to assess a problem accurately, be able to evaluate alternative solutions and also anticipate the likely risks of a solution. Scientific methods and logical reasoning are the foundations of critical thinking - You don't need a degree with a heavy Maths element to develop such skills but a solid grounding in Maths does help.

If you can produce a portfolio of projects in which you encountered problems and were able to solve them then you are well on your way. Your portfolio will show your progression as a developer and the technical interview process should be easier as you're more likely to find yourself being asked about code you have written.

After that it becomes a question of whether or not you are a good fit for the team.

Thanks so much this is great advice . I feel less worried.

I'll try to do this.

mightyreds

Could also try a masters in software development either, be an extra year mind, what are the chances of getting in with just the portfolio a lot of company's I see ask for Bsc in a development related field

Quake

mightyreds wrote: »

Could also try a masters in software development either, be an extra year mind, what are the chances of getting in with just the portfolio a lot of company's I see ask for Bsc in a development related field

Yeah I had that idea too. Nothing stopping me (besides cost of a masters) from doing both though.

Thanks for your suggestion

average_runner

We hired grads from maynooth in last two years, one is programming and one is Qa.

Quake

average_runner wrote: »

We hired grads from maynooth in last two years, one is programming and one is Qa.

Would you know if your company minds of its a BA instead of a BSc?

SQLDBA

Hi Quake,

I have a BA in Interactive Multimedia and got a job straight out of college as a SQL DBA.

I made a website portfolio and put a link to it on my CV when looking for jobs out of college which is what sealed the job for me.

Luckily their is a shortage in the IT industry so once you show an aptitude for programming you should be fine.

lawred2

Quake wrote: »

So I'm currently in 2nd year arts in Maynooth and doing computer science major and business minor. I'd love to get a job as a programmer, I'm not to fond of the idea of working in management or whatever and would rather just do something computer related.

I feel like I may have trouble getting a programming/software engineer job as my degree will be a BA, have no work experience and will have less computer related subjects and no math subjects like an ACTUAL software engineering course i.e DCU CA.

Loads of developers have no formal software undergrad... Some of the best software guys I've worked with were self taught. So don't stress too much about the title awarded to you.

Quake

SQLDBA wrote: »

Hi Quake,

I have a BA in Interactive Multimedia and got a job straight out of college as a SQL DBA.

I made a website portfolio and put a link to it on my CV when looking for jobs out of college which is what sealed the job for me.

Luckily their is a shortage in the IT industry so once you show an aptitude for programming you should be fine.

This is great cheers!

14ned

Quake wrote: »

Well I could make a portfolio when I'm done the degree (I'm only in 2nd year).

I started my portfolio before my degree and built it up throughout. That led to summer jobs as a intern programmer, plus I went back to uni with a surplus of cash in hand each September. I graduated completely debt free which is far too rare unfortunately.

You need the degree, sure, but portfolios are best started as soon as possible.

Niall

BrokenArrows

Quake wrote: »

Well I could make a portfolio when I'm done the degree (I'm only in 2nd year).

Better to start portfolio on Github now. Better for an employer to see a few years of projects and checkins and advancement from the first code you checked in to the most recent.

A history of work will indicate a passion for being a developer and consistency, rather than just something you decided to do once you graduated. And as one of the other posters mentioned its also possible to get some summer work out of it.
Getting some real world experience before you graduate will be invaluable.

PrzemoF

OP, get involved in an open source project. You'll learn, build portfolio and get unbiased feedback about the quality of your code.

Quake

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Better to start portfolio on Github now. Better for an employer to see a few years of projects and checkins and advancement from the first code you checked in to the most recent.

A history of work will indicate a passion for being a developer and consistency, rather than just something you decided to do once you graduated. And as one of the other posters mentioned its also possible to get some summer work out of it.
Getting some real world experience before you graduate will be invaluable.

Yeah absolutely, I've already made a Github account. Thanks a ton for the advice

14ned

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Better to start portfolio on Github now. Better for an employer to see a few years of projects and checkins and advancement from the first code you checked in to the most recent.

A history of work will indicate a passion for being a developer and consistency, rather than just something you decided to do once you graduated. And as one of the other posters mentioned its also possible to get some summer work out of it.
Getting some real world experience before you graduate will be invaluable.

FYI most employers far prefer candidates who have actively helped out with the bug trackers of well known open source projects over a period of years than those who designed and wrote their own programs. The reason is that as a graduate programmer, you will almost certainly be helping out with some internal bug tracker for some years.

Niall

ED E

Remember Trinitys Computer Science degree is a BA (Mod) Computer Science due to legacy reasons. Letters in your degree don't mean too much.

Summer of 3rd year is when interns are most often taken in, a good internship can set you up for graduate positions big time. Be ready to get in early for anything that is posted.