[barrkel]

For certification, I don't think it's important for FAANG - a referral or other way of getting a recruiter to get you to an interview, and passing the interview, is all that really matters.

The only part of a degree course that really matters in an interview context is algorithm analysis. You need to understand how the cost, in space and time, of code you write scales with the size of inputs.

Degrees and certificates from reputable organizations may be important for getting a H-1B visa though, should you want to emigrate in the future.

[jdjdjdjdjdjd]

I have a degree from a good university, it's just not in CS. So hopefully that won't be a problem down the line. Referrals seem to be important. I lack the connections at the moment. Need to try and find ways to network with people in the industry.

[hnfong]

Networking will help. Referrals gives you higher chance of getting an interview. As long as the interview goes well, the degree (or lack thereof) doesn't matter.

You probably want to go to play with a couple problems from leetcode though. I'm not for the grind, but there's a high likelihood at some point you'll be asked questions like those. The last thing you want is to be surprised by a "standard" interview question like those.

There are other resources (books, etc.) that supposedly help you prepare for the interview. Make sure you spend some time preparing for the interview if you get one.

Also, I don't think past industry experience makes much of a difference unless it's in a firm of a similar "tier". Staying in a public sector org as a software engineer doesn't really do you much good if your aim is to enter a big tech firm. It might even be considered an anti-signal by some. FWIW, if I'm involved in the hiring process and see a candidate who's worked in the public sector for years, I'd be slightly concerned with them picking up "bad" habits that don't meld well with tech companies (and will adjust my interview questions to try to tease out details on that front). I can't stress this enough -- don't expect that more years in your current job will increase your chances, it's equally likely that it will count against you.