How to get a software developer job without a computer science degree
The computer science degree bubble may be bursting, but a degree level qualification is still helpful if you want to become an engineer or developer. However, there are alternative entry routes, which bring varying degrees of success.
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An academic paper* published by Ivey Business School late last year found that jobseekers without computer science degrees, across a range of ages and seniorities, faced more difficulty finding software development work on average the longer they spent working on their portfolios.
The paper is based on interviews with 74 candidates applying to software developer jobs after completing a coding bootcamp or similarly affordable educational course in technology. The academics found that their interviewees were pursuing three broad types of job application strategy, only one of which was successful.
Specifically, non-degree level technologists who looked for jobs early on did well. The academics found that interviewees who began searching for jobs before finishing their course or completing any personal projects ('early' applicants), had a 76% employment rate within three years. The interviewees who finished their course before applying, and who completed a simple portfolio ('standard' applicants) had an employment rate of 37% while candidates who spent even more time on their portfolios ('late' applicants) had even worse employment rates.
Psychology is partly to blame. Candidates who waited longer to apply had higher merit thresholds and "tended to only apply for coding positions that required coding skills that mostly matched [their] skills." Early applicants cast a wider net, hoping someone would take a chance on them. Many of the applicants who took this strategy were career transitioners experienced from previous jobs.
The study found that pursuing certifications in technology may not help your employability. One interviewee said he hated certifications after he obtained one in cybersecurity that led to no job and "didn't help me in the way I wanted it to." Another finished three smaller certificates instead of a larger educational program, and subsequently struggled to find full-time work. A candidate had been working on a Linux certification "for months" before applying to any jobs, but altered his strategy when he spoke to another candidate who had got a job through her network.
The study wasn't finance specific. If it was, it might have placed more emphasis on open source contributions. Jose Pedro Magalhaes, head of core strats at Standard Chartered, told us back in 2023 that open-source contributions are "equally useful [as a degree] when assessing a candidate," and that he'd hired candidates with no degree based on their open-source contributions. Donal McCarthy, a data lead at hedge fund Millennium, said last year that committing to the Linux kernel or a major Apache project is "a way to make a name for yourself."
*When Interpretations of Merit Thresholds Vary and Reproduce Inequality: Entering the Tech Industry Without Computer Science Credentials - Dilan Eren
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