Why Not Having a CS Degree is Awesome

The text argues that not having a CS degree can be an advantage rather than a setback. It points to career changes, bootcamps, and earlier non-technical work as ways people build useful skills for software jobs without following a traditional degree path.

It also says employers benefit from teams with varied backgrounds, because people from different fields bring different strengths and viewpoints. A bootcamp graduate may know current tools, communicate well, and help a team adapt to new frameworks.

Reading notes

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• The author says many people do not know what career they want at 18, and that this should not be treated as a failure.
• She describes getting a Psychology degree, then working in beer, and later realizing she did not want to stay on that path.
• Going back for a second degree felt too costly, too slow, and too disruptive to her life goals.
• Bootcamps are presented as a faster route for both employers who need engineers and people changing careers.
• A person without a CS degree may still bring strong interpersonal skills and experience from other fields.
• The text gives examples such as architecture and preschool teaching as backgrounds that can help with software work and cross-team communication.
• The author says strong teams are diverse and need different perspectives to catch weaknesses and work with other teams.
• Bootcamps may teach current languages and frameworks, which can make graduates useful when companies adopt tools like React.
• New developers should not let imposter syndrome keep them from applying to jobs that prefer CS degrees.
• The closing message is to explain the skills gained from a different background instead of feeling bad about a nontraditional path.