No formal CS education. Should I fill the gap on the CV?

[mickey]

Hi, got no formal CS training/education, but do get interviews from time to time

What's the best way of filling the gap in the CV - online certifications, formal taught university courses, full-time/pert-time?

Edited: Got a maths degree.

PS And what's the longer-term value added from investing into a particular course?

[BlasterBates]

If you have a science or engineering degree that is perfectly adequate. If you haven´t got one no harm in a part-time degree. You can try the Open University. You can still get contracts/jobs without, you´ll just be at a disadvantage in a poorer market or where there is intense competition.

Computing and IT | Undergraduate Courses, Degrees, Diplomas, Certificates and Qualifications - Open University

[SimonMac]

Hi, got no formal CS training/education, but do get interviews from time to time

What's the best way of filling the gap in the CV - online certifications, formal taught university courses, full-time/pert-time?

PS And what's the longer-term value added from investing into a particular course?

I have no formal CS education either, everything has been learnt on the job, if you are getting interviews, and in turn jobs without the degree why bother getting one, granted you may start low but we all started somewhere.

[bobspud]

Hi, got no formal CS training/education, but do get interviews from time to time

What's the best way of filling the gap in the CV - online certifications, formal taught university courses, full-time/pert-time?

PS And what's the longer-term value added from investing into a particular course?

Hi,
take education off your CV all together. My CV is four sides of A4. Page one is a summary of what I am and what I can do for the reader. Then a bullet list of key business/architecture skills followed by an exhaustive list of technical skills. Second side is the last two engagements (hint this is the bit where you talk about what you did in order to make it past the CV sift), third side is the previous 3 or four then the the last side is anything else to the ten year mark. Thats it. nothing about wife kids dogs GCSEs that I sat in christ-knows-when. Just the facts that will get past an agents word search and infront of the client...

As for formal learning... I prefer to buy books or read articles most of the guys that could stand infront of me to teach have not done it themselves for years if at all. I am considering TOGAF or PEAF exams though.

Good luck

[VectraMan]

Hi, got no formal CS training/education, but do get interviews from time to time

Edited: Got a maths degree.

I'd be far better off for jobs if I had a maths degree rather than a worthless CS degree.

[mickey]

I'd be far better off for jobs if I had a maths degree rather than a worthless CS degree.

What kind of jobs?

[MyUserName]

I have a maths degree rather than a CS one and, to the best of my knowledge, it has not harmed my applications once in 15 years.

[Old Hack]

A lot of employers I have spoken to, just want to see a degree on the CV, as long as it's not one of Blairs kind i.e. media studies, etc. If you have a Maths, or physics degree you'll be fine. I was abroad travelling for years and when I come back, did the CS degree, as I felt I'd been out of that area of business for a while, but if you've been working in these fields, just mention the Maths degree, and I am sure you'll be fine.

[VectraMan]

What kind of jobs?

An increasing number of C++ development jobs want maths and/or physics these days, as well as saying things like "at least a 2.1 from a top university". Anyone with the coding skills and a strong maths background is going to be in demand right now. Sadly I can only really claim the former.

Of course if your technical skills are plugging in network cables and knowing how to reset the printer when Margie from accounts accidentally sends a 10,000 page job, it may be different.

[TheFaQQer]

My degree is in management.

Hasn't hurt me so far.