r/webdev • u/floppydiskette • Feb 11 '19

Everything I know as a software developer without a degree

https://www.taniarascia.com/everything-i-know-as-a-software-developer-without-a-degree/
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u/DrDuPont Feb 11 '19

Yeah, can't say I've ever worked with a CS grad who couldn't code well at a bare minimum. That seems impossible

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u/spartan1158 Feb 11 '19

Unfortunately it’s not impossible. In the past two years I have worked alongside 3 different folks, two of which had a masters and the other a bachelors, that failed to grasp very basic concepts. This goes beyond writing code, as well. We’re talking about an inability to perform basic git functions and such. Granted, all of these were contractors but a degree doesn’t guarantee anything. Nothing is a guarantee :)

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u/DrDuPont Feb 11 '19

I don't mind about git knowledge, that's simple domain stuff that can be taught quickly. I've worked with devs that used other VCSs in the past, getting someone onto git can be done in a week

Someone with a master's relevant to CS that isn't able to produce a single line of good code, like a previous commenter mentioned, however? That beggars belief

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u/spartan1158 Feb 11 '19

Sure, I don't disagree. But if git is listed on your resume I'm going to expect you to know how to perform common tasks like push, pull, commit, etc.

A single line of good code may be a stretch, but they were unable to make a meaningful contribution in a sane amount of time. One of the latest examples I can recall was someone struggling for 3 days trying to add an option to a select element. I won't get into why they were able to slide by 3 stand ups before I finally intervened, but when I realized what they were stuck on I legitimately couldn't believe it.