[elmerfud]

You say you're from India but don't say where you're at now. Since you used term CV instead of resume, maybe still in India or maybe a European country? If the job market where you're at is largely expecting a University degree regardless of experience level then I would say at 27 go back and get your University degree. It is not a step backwards to get the University degree it will teach you valuable things that you will never learn from experience alone. The theory about why things are done the way they are is an important thing to develop future skills in future problem solving.

Your other option would be to change job markets to where they don't prioritize the University degree after you've had some job experience. That being said 3 years of job experience is not a replacement for a 4 University degree. Even in the United States where it is still possible to work your way into positions without the University degree that is simply not enough experience to be considered. At dropping out of college and 3 years of experience you would still be looking at a non-software engineer entry level position. You would be doing support or systems administration and from there you could demonstrate the skills to move into a software engineering position.

Some other red flags are you say this is your first job you've had and you got it 3 years after you dropped out of University. Health, family, life situations do come up that cause you to take this kind of break in these kind of gaps but employers don't care. As people they may understand these things happen but as an employer looking for an employee they don't care. That's why I really think overall your best option return to University complete the degree and then with the degree your prior experience will matter and that Gap will go away.

[pythonb3sss]

Still in India. And I will not learn a single new thing if I go back to university, unless it's a good one, and I'll have to compete with more than 1 million students to get into one of those and there are maybe 15-30k vacancies per year. In the rest of them, the lecturers just dictate what you need to cram into your brain and vomit it out on the answer sheet and that's it. Lecture done.

[elmerfud]

All that being true, your own post says that's the thing blocking you from getting another job, a better job. So even if you learn nothing (which I doubt) it's still what's holding you back. Check out this HN post, I think it's relevant.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38317087

You have to look at things from a practical perspective and leave ego aside. Getting a job is selling yourself. Look at all the things sales people do to sell a product. Your the product, the buyers want to see a degree, even if it's from a mediocre university. So, you can remain where you're at and keep looking for the 1 in a million job while those people who did the University thing get there CV's moved higher up the stack.

Otherwise you're looking to move to a place where they don't care, but again you're looking at an entry level non programing job. You will have to prove yourself for at least 7-10 years with no degree, or become well known in the industry for your area. Doing that requires a lot of networking. Attend every users group and conference. Become a presenter, etc...

[Flammy]

> And I will not learn a single new thing if I go back to university, unless it's a good one

While I understand the Indian University sentiment here, there are many other opportunities for learning AND promoting yourself at the same time. For example, contributing to open-source software (especially software that is used by corporations) is a classic route for a reason.

[meiraleal]

What kind of magic advice you want then? You gotta at least put more effort than the rest getting the job you want.

[hef19898]

I never hired for software devs, so take the following with a grain of salt.

Agree in the return to university part. 27, three years of experience and no bachelors degree don't stack up well against someone with a bachelors and more experience, who can easily be younger. Life and health issues happen, living through them can nake you tougher and more resilient. That isba story to sell in an interview. Getting one is the problem now.

Hence, go back to university, get your degree (I'd say with ypur experience it would be easier than without), work as much as possibel during your studies, internships, working student jobs. But do not worl full time (I did during my masters, it worked, but took 4.5 years and instead of 18 months, I had a diploma begore, so time didn't matter for me, it does for you so).

Those interships and student jobs, in industry and not academia, shoupd be easier to get with relevant work experience. And they give you contacts and a foot in the door for a full time job after graduation.

[stemlord]

Not only will going back to get the degree help OP be considered for jobs but there are also a few other benefits I can think of:

- Networking. Much easier to meet people when you belong to the school's institution and get feet in doors. At least in the US, the university to industry pipeline is strong. Businesses have a sense of trust of quality for students coming from certain schools and will prioritize you.

- Now that you're older and have experience in the real world, you will get MUCH more bang for your buck at school. You know what you want and will be able to steer your future career much more effectively.

[coolThingsFirst]

Are you saying employers care deeply about the 3 year gap or don’t?