Degree or Skillset: What it takes to be a good coder?

Can you be a successful coder without having a degree?

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You might have very clearly understood what this blog will talk about! Most of the kids (including me) were raised with the mentality that good marks lead to a good college, good college leads to a good degree, good degree leads to a good job, good job leads to good money and good money leads to a good life. Seriously?? It is true to some extent but not completely.
Let us dive into it deeper.

This is a topic where debate can go for hours and we won’t find a definitive answer. There are numerous viewpoints, perceptions, studies, and much more related to this topic. So, what do we do? Let’s try to debate more and come an inch closer to the solution. Maybe !!

Disclaimer: This blog intentionally or unintentionally does not encourage anyone to not to pursue a degree. Also, there are no intentions to bash renowned institutes in India or across the world.

Let us begin!

What do you think one should possess for becoming a coder?

1. First and foremost is a laptop/computer with internet access to it.
2. Curiosity to explore and solve problems.
3. Basic understanding of coding concepts.
4. Access to learning portals. Google Baba Ki Jai!
5. An attitude of not seeking help until you have tried enough times.
6. Ability to learn, relearn and unlearn.
7. And a degree! To fulfil the criteria while applying for jobs(60% and above)

Among the things I mentioned above, the last one is given the utmost importance. If you do not have a degree, you can not apply for jobs. That’s not all, having an engineering degree and non-engineering degree also matters. To add more to it, a degree with a specified amount of percentage is what most of the companies look for.

Are we really in the 21st century, I wonder!

Let me ask you all two simple questions-

1. If a candidate has a required degree but does not possess the skillset needed for the job. Will you hire him/her?
   Yes- Congratulations to you and the candidate hired.
   No- You think for your company. Hence, skills > degree.
2. If a candidate has all the skills needed for a job and does not possess the required degree. Will you hire him/her?
   Yes- You are living in the 21st century and value the skills more.
   No- You are following some invaluable legacy policies.

I remember a line from the book I recently read. The book is “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. What does the Rich dad of the writer have to say about education, good grades and degree?
He says,

“Most people recommend that, and it’s a good path for most people. But people make that recommendation primarily out of fear.”

It implies that we should do what we feel is right rather than doing what others define for us.

Also, my recent experience with one of the giant group of companies was disappointing. While discussing my CTC, when I asked for the higher compensation, I was told that “You don’t have a BE degree, so we can’t provide the compensation you are asking for.” Not my experience, not my skillset but my degree decides how much I should get paid. This was a real disappointment for me. Such policies discriminate against candidates based on degree. Amazing, isn’t it?

I strongly feel that this mentality should change and hence I decided to write this blog. If only a degree is all it takes, then there should be a whole lot of successful people. How many people graduate every year? How many of them do you know today? We don’t know!
But we surely know- Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra, Ambanis, Mittals, Birlas, Godrej and the list goes on!

Some of them are dropouts and some are degree holders. But what is making them successful? Their degree or is there something else?
Spend a minute!

In the coming years, formal education will not remain as important as it is today. In any field of work, the mantra for success would be the 70–20–10 rule. What’s that?
✅ 70% is your skill.
✅ 20% is your networking i.e. communication.
✅ 10% is your formal education.

Free Advice: One should start following it as soon as possible.

I do agree that formal education is a safer path to achieve success, but it is surely not a judging criterion over skillset. Have a degree, but don’t be dependent on it. In the end, what matters is your skillset, your attitude and on the top of it, if you possess a degree, then it’s cherry on the cake.

But it does not mean that the cake does not taste good without a cherry!

Last but not the least, there are some good biggies, who hire people irrespective of the degree they possess, or even if they do not possess one. Don’t believe me? Have a look!

1. Google- In 2018, the world’s tech giant decided to get rid of its degree requirement for all the positions across the board. Though it’s not easy to get a job in Google, nevertheless now you know that you don’t need a degree to get a job in google. Check this article out if you want to prepare for an interview at Google.
2. Apple- According to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, “Many colleges do not teach the skills business/tech leaders need most in their workforce.”
3. IBM- They have designed a program called “New Collar” where they consider job candidates based on their skills and don’t consider their education background.
4. LinkedIn- They have designed an outreach program called “REACH”. According to LinkedIn, top talent can come from anywhere.
5. Facebook- Facebook’s VP of HR Janelle Gale says, “You don’t need a bachelor’s degree to apply for a job at Facebook. If they have a passion for what they are doing, and an interest in building a community for billions of people, and they have the technical skills and the interest to do that, we want them, no matter what their background.”
6. Airbnb- You don’t need a computer science degree or any degree for that matter to get a job at Airbnb. “Airbnb Connect” is their program focused on hiring programmers without degrees.

Truly Appreciated!

What do you think it takes to be a good coder? What do you think is important? Degree or Skillset. Should a degree be preferred over your skillset?

It is okay to have differences in views. Do share your views with us in the comments below. Stay tuned for the upcoming blog on next Saturday, till then keep improving your skills! Cheers! Happy Weekend!