[cjhanks]

I guess my experience has been the opposite. On every software R&D team I have been on, there has been about an even mix of computer science, physics, and mathematics with a few sprinkles of data science from the biology fields. Especially by year 5 or so - who can tell the difference between a computer scientist that knows physics and a physicist who knows computer science?

The only skills a person needs to learn coding is the desire to learn coding and the persistence to do it.

[throwaway2019Z]

This has been my experience within teams as well, but it was clear to me that we were hired in spite of our degrees rather than because of them.

I do not regret my physics education, and I would encourage young people who are passionate about the subject to pursue it. However, I think that they should go in knowing that unless they intend to stay in academia/research/defense, a physics degree is, at best, a signal of intelligence, and, at worst, a signal of overspecialization in a disparate field.

[maxxxxx]

I have worked with physicists. The ones that had respect for software engineering and learned it were excellent. I loved their math skills and they often provided interesting insights. there were others that kept writing crappy research code and didn't want to learn SW engineering practices. That didn't work too well.

[kirRoyale]

One might even say - "The only skills a person needs to learn is the desire to learn."

[otras]

I would say GP's claim applies best for the first job, where that question of the gap is most visible.

I studied physics and later entered tech. The first proper development job was the hardest to get, because it was an uphill battle to prove competency.