I'm a University drop out, 20 years of it. It has always been in my mind that I don't have a degree. It has closed doors to me, made me feel inferior in conversation and with the job market getting harder has shut off the job supply and I've got 20 years professional programming experience. The ad says Graduate Degree, that's that, no interesting job for you.
I tried to go back to Uni but it was: you dropped out, so no loan for you, you have to pay for the first year yourself (we didn't even have loans the first time round).
I have finally done it, this September I start at University once more.
> I've got 20 years professional programming experience.
According to many, 20 years of professional programming experience is a death knell to even those with the best degrees money can buy. It is assumed you should have moved on to bigger and better things by that point (not an opinion I hold, but a sentiment that seems pervasive).
Did you find that it became more difficult to find work as you got older?
A bit. I always worked at startups / business development. I love programming and I'm very good at it. I can smell hype.
One of the things that turns me off, though, is the framework de jour scene but the converse is dull plodding.
My degree is a BSc in Supply Chain Management after doing an HNC (part time) in Manufacturing Engineering financing it all working as a Cad draughtsperson for 3 years.
The BSc is about 20% IT based and there's plenty of scope for modeling and statistical analysis so hopefully a perfect blend of skills.
Thanks. It will be totally life changing, I can feel it already and it's still 5 months away. The downside is I currently live in a three bedroomed house and I'm moving into a 13 Sq m room. So a physical and mental declutter.
I tried to go back to Uni but it was: you dropped out, so no loan for you, you have to pay for the first year yourself (we didn't even have loans the first time round).
I have finally done it, this September I start at University once more.