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I don't know if there's a good answer for this. Or rather, there are many good answers, but they depend on your personality, field of interest, motivation, etc. Personally I'm not a big fan of school because I'm really motivated to learn on my own, and in school I have to redo a lot of stuff I've done several years ago. A lot of people I've met in school don't learn anything that isn't presented to them in class, so it's a valuable resource for them. Ideally, that divide would answer the question for you (shouldn't it be enough to just show you know what you need to know?), but the world isn't ideal. I live in the US already, so this might not be as easy for you, but my impression is that as a programmer with good jobs and a portfolio (GitHub), I could probably get a job in silicon valley pretty easily. I might be able to get a higher paying job with a degree, but if I find something and work for a couple years, I'd probably be fine. If you're looking to move here, my impression is you have to have a company sponsor you, and that is probably harder without a degree, but not impossible. Since you're in a college program, you might want to intern at a company here, and prove you're someone they want to bring back. But finally, there's this: as a programmer, are you going to be homeless if you don't have a degree? I really doubt it. So I may have lied a little when I said I wasn't a big fan of school. I hate it. I wish I didn't, but I do. I thought I could go back to school for a year to finish up, and just deal with the unhappiness. Maybe I could if I really wanted to, but I don't. So maybe I'm making more obstacles for myself in the future, but the trade off is that I'm a lot happier right now. So I guess I haven't really answered your question for you, but hopefully my thought process helps you come to a conclusion for yourself. Also, why not find out right now? Look up some bay area companies you'd like to work for, and apply. If you get in, then no, you don't need a degree. And if you don't, then maybe you do, but you can always keep trying. |
I was approached by Facebook a while ago but nothing came of it as I didn't have a degree, it would be too hard for them to get me a visa.
I'm not too concerned with increased earning potential, or ability to actually get jobs. I earn towards the upper end of the pay spectrum for my field in New Zealand, and I've never had trouble getting interviews. I'm more concerned that I'm going to have issues moving into leadership positions and the like. Perhaps I'd have more trouble overseas though.