Job Question - How would you advertise a skill without degree backing it up

[momeNt]

I figure this place as a tech forum would probably have some pretty good responses.

Say you went to school for something non computer science related, but your hobby was programming and like web development. You now are looking to turn your hobby into a career. How would you go about marketing yourself?

Just pretend that this person is actually very proficient, above and beyond bachelors/masters in computer programming.

 

[rudeguy]

You have found the dilemma a lot of us have. Most HR morons only look at degrees and job titles. Too much effort for them to actually read your experience or give you some type of test to determine your level of experience.

I was lucky to find a small business that gave me a shot because they cared more about what I could do than what my resume said.

Good luck!

 

[lxskllr]

Link to work you've done.

 

[Muse]

watch the movie "Catch Me if You Can" for ideas on how to promote yourself without bona fide credentials. He parlayed those skills into a multi million dollar career, starting with writing bad checks. The movie was based on a true story.

 

[momeNt]

My background is actually in finance but I've been working in construction project management for the past few years.

There is a lot of stuff you learn that without a civil engineering degree I don't think anybody would value.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I figure this place as a tech forum would probably have some pretty good responses.

Say you went to school for something non computer science related, but your hobby was programming and like web development. You now are looking to turn your hobby into a career. How would you go about marketing yourself?

Just pretend that this person is actually very proficient, above and beyond bachelors/masters in computer programming.

Advertising as pretentious (bold), will get you nowhere unless you can show work to back it up

 

[momeNt]

Advertising as pretentious (bold), will get you nowhere unless you can show work to back it up

This is actually something I'm just curious about. Whatever I do know about actual construction and stuff to do with civil engineering pales in comparison to probably even a sophomore in college. This is more a hypothetical than anything.

 

[SandEagle]

My background is actually in finance but I've been working in construction project management for the past few years.

There is a lot of stuff you learn that without a civil engineering degree I don't think anybody would value.

fiance background. works in construction. wants to work in IT.

sounds like you are unsure and not good at making decisions. you're just a straight shooter with upper management written all over you.

 

[seepy83]

Look for openings at tech startups. They will probably be more interested in how well you interview and what you can show them from your github (or other code repository) than anything else.

 

[momeNt]

fiance degree. works in construction. wants to work in IT.

sounds like you are unsure and not good at making decisions. you're just a straight shooter with upper management written all over you.

It's a hypothetical!

Full backstory is I was looking at teaching myself my way around linux in order to mess around with programming and web development. I was simply wondering if it could ever be more than a hobby.

I described my background just to explain that my question was a hypothetical but I think the topic is interesting and figured this forum would probably have a lot of good feedback. I'm pretty sure a lot of people with computer science knowledge have had no formal training, it was just an interest developed in their late childhood. I doubt any other field is comparable in that regard.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I figure this place as a tech forum would probably have some pretty good responses.

Say you went to school for something non computer science related, but your hobby was programming and like web development. You now are looking to turn your hobby into a career. How would you go about marketing yourself?

Just pretend that this person is actually very proficient, above and beyond bachelors/masters in computer programming.

Your best bet IMO would be to use whatever your current job is from your degree, and try to warp it. Real companies don't mind (and encourage) you to move to different departments in order to acquire well-rounded skill-sets.

Other than that, if you magically want to get a programming job your only way is with certs.

 

[SandEagle]

It's a hypothetical!

Full backstory is I was looking at teaching myself my way around linux in order to mess around with programming and web development. I was simply wondering if it could ever be more than a hobby.

I described my background just to explain that my question was a hypothetical but I think the topic is interesting and figured this forum would probably have a lot of good feedback. I'm pretty sure a lot of people with computer science knowledge have had no formal training, it was just an interest developed in their late childhood. I doubt any other field is comparable in that regard.

nothing wrong with that. IT pay is much better anyway. Polish the resume and highlight you tech skills first. put education at the bottom. i've worked with a lot of sharp IT folks who had no degrees. one of my old co-workers was a pretty good developer. she had a PhD in microbiology.

 

[rudeguy]

nothing wrong with that. IT pay is much better anyway. Polish the resume and highlight you tech skills first. put education at the bottom. i've worked with a lot of sharp IT folks who had no degrees. one of my old co-workers was a pretty good developer. she had a PhD in microbiology.

how do you make your resume Polish? Does it have to go spend a summer in Poland or something?