New Development Job, No Degree. Any Advice?

[KentState]

It's funny, after 15 years of working in technology, mostly doing some type of development, not having a degree has not really impacted me. I'm sure there are VP positions that are not available to me. On the flip side, I get paid plenty and still have a life outside of work.

 

[Obsoleet]

Tell him to finish his degree. Unless he's got some sort of life situation where it's impossible to do so there's no excuse. You don't have to go to a top school, you just need to prove you can start and finish something that you don't want to do.

 

[Tweak155]

Just structure the resume which highlights major impacts of his experience. Experience is always worth more than a degree, but a degree is still important.

If he wrote some software that saved a company $1mil a year, I'm sure they'd skip the degree

 

[Tweak155]

It's funny, after 15 years of working in technology, mostly doing some type of development, not having a degree has not really impacted me. I'm sure there are VP positions that are not available to me. On the flip side, I get paid plenty and still have a life outside of work.

This (although I have a degree). But the really good positions want a masters anyway. Degrees are really flooded, need that step up at this point anyway for the multiple six figure positions.

 

[Obsoleet]

Just structure the resume which highlights major impacts of his experience. Experience is always worth more than a degree, but a degree is still important.

If he wrote some software that saved a company $1mil a year, I'm sure they'd skip the degree

Besides the fact not having it gives the employer eternal leverage against the employee if they need another excuse to suppress his wages. It's just not worth it.

 

[Tweak155]

Besides the fact not having it gives the employer eternal leverage against the employee if they need another excuse to suppress his wages. It's just not worth it.

That's why you don't accept a wage you won't work for. If the company hired you in then used that as an excuse for not giving you a raise, you're working for the wrong company.

 

[Obsoleet]

Sounds idealist. All companies will use anything they can to refuse a raise. There's no good guy companies that are your friends.. unless you do have actual friends or the buddy system working for you.
If that's the case, then yeah, you don't need anything to get a job or do well.

No degree will block you from a lot of job opportunities tho in reality, and limit your ability to move to another location where you have far less or no connections.
People can do what they want, but I'm just giving honest advice. No skin off my back.

I prefer more talented people did NOT have degrees. So in all actuality, I'd be lucky if he didn't get one.
If some of the people I work with didn't have a degree, but were just as talented, they wouldn't be competing against me in all the different jobs/companies we're competing against each other today in. Many companies throw you out if you don't have the buddy system on your side or are VERY special.
I preferred to not hedge my bets on those things, especially when school is fun- I enjoyed learning there.