[pcmoney]

Imagine choosing between someone with a CS degree vs someone without a CS degree and think which you would prefer to do SWE work for you all else equal.

CS degree every time right?

Now imagine both candidates had the exact same career trajectory. Say 6 YOE, couple years at a FAANG recently, but the non-CS candidate was promoted there etc. which do you prefer now?

Probably the non-CS degree holder. They have proven they can do the work and advance by their self-starter mindset, skill and hustle alone without “appeals to authority”/certification.

Once people have proven they can do the job for real, certification matters less. While some industries make it a box you have to check, tech mostly doesn’t.

Dont wast your time unless you can’t get a foot in the door without a cert.

[Larrikin]

I've never heard of a CS degree being a negative in any situation outside of someone with a chip on their shoulder about college degrees in general. The person in your example with the degree would still win out in most situations.

The person with experience versus a new graduate degree holder is the actual head to head where the non degree holder has a much better chance.

[pcmoney]

So the person who has proven they can do the work and get promoted in the same career path is less valuable than the CS degree holder (who in this example, did not achieve as much over the same time period) just because they have a degree?

This has never been the case in any org promo committee or hiring committee I have been a part of (100s of candidates).

I would say in most orgs after 3 years of proven track record the degree benefit has fully depreciated. Unless the degree is an advanced degree and related directly to a niche subfield that is the job.

Not saying the degree is a negative just that its signaling factor is dwarfed by experience. n^2 vs cn

[poofsoda]

Oh interesting I misunderstood your comment. I thought “exact same career trajectory” meant the only difference was the degree. I’m not the user you replied to but I can see how 1) two people with exact same career trajectory but one has a CS degree results in the degree holder being preferred, and 2) two people, one of which has a CS degree with a less accomplished career and the other of which has been promoted/demonstrated greater accomplishments results in the non-degree holder being preferred.

[xeromal]

Your example actually made me think of the opposite situation lol.