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Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

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Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#51

Post by georgeburdell »

stared wrote: post #47
Alex3917 wrote: post #11

No one is going to hire you because you have a degree, whether from a university or from Udacity. They'll hire you because: A) your overall resume is impressive B) you either have a portfolio of things you've built, or else you agree to do a take home assignment and successfully complete it C) you can pass both technical and non-technical interviews To get hired you need A && B && C. Doing Udacity will probably help…

15 years ago I went to MIT for a 1.5-month internship, while still in my high school. Companies still ask about that. As much as I would like it to be otherwise, signaling (namedropping of famous universities, companies, and people) works a lot. I guess mostly because people prefer to delegate decision making. The backside of that is that unless you finished (or dropped out) from a well-respected univ., you have an u…

RSI? Well that’s a bit of an exception. I personally interpret it as a more enduring meritocratic signal than attending any specific college.

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#52

Post by simmanian »

syntaxing wrote: post #6

I did the SDC nanodegree and I'm currently doing the deep learning nanodegree. Not sure if it helped me to get the interview but it helped me during the interview. But I mainly rely on my college degree (MSc in MechE) when I'm applying. However, I had no luck getting an interview for any SWE roles.

Why do you go for regular SWE roles when you've taken the SDC nanodegree program and are currently going through the deep learning one?

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#53

Post by anitil »

stared wrote: post #47
Alex3917 wrote: post #11

No one is going to hire you because you have a degree, whether from a university or from Udacity. They'll hire you because: A) your overall resume is impressive B) you either have a portfolio of things you've built, or else you agree to do a take home assignment and successfully complete it C) you can pass both technical and non-technical interviews To get hired you need A && B && C. Doing Udacity will probably help…

15 years ago I went to MIT for a 1.5-month internship, while still in my high school. Companies still ask about that. As much as I would like it to be otherwise, signaling (namedropping of famous universities, companies, and people) works a lot. I guess mostly because people prefer to delegate decision making. The backside of that is that unless you finished (or dropped out) from a well-respected univ., you have an u…

Worked at MIT('s cafe)

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#54

Post by mowingscooter »

enraged_camel wrote: post #20
mowingscooter wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve done online courses myself and found them immensely useful. Unfortunately, I think that to some extent, it signals that “I’m interested, but not committed enough to get a full degree.” Your nanodegree realistically will never come close to competing with a formal CS degree. So don’t bother with listing it. List your github projects and apps you’ve released. Get the interview. “Oh and by the way, in my spare time…

>>Unfortunately, I think that to some extent, it signals that “I’m interested, but not committed to getting a full degree.” This seems quite short-sighted, because the underlying assumption is that not getting a full degree is a signal for unwillingness to commit, as opposed to _inability_ to commit. Not many people can up and quit their "real life" to pursue a degree. With your mindset, you are definitely discrimina…

I’m extremely sympathetic to that situation since I was an unemployed college grad looking to get a developer job when I took my first Udacity course (“How to build your own search engine” - 2012).

The problem is that it’s a competitive field out there and to give people false hope that a nanodegree will get them a job is disingenuous.

I’ve also listed the alternatives for self-taught developers to help them stand out. I think ultimately, if you weren’t going to get the interview, a nanodegree won’t help you. If you were maybe going to get the interview (by showing impressive original work in the form of projects and apps), a nanodegree might help you the slightest bit.

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#55

Post by jammygit »

kirpekar wrote: post #40

I did a nanodegree, it was a complete waste of time for me. It was impossible for me to get a job with those (basic) skills. A lot more is needed. I have been on the other side also as a hiring manager. I would never screen (let alone hire) anyone just on the basis of the nanodegree

I do wish there were more advanced courses available. Tons of great intro material, but its harder to go deep

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#56

Post by srb24 »

I think there is a big difference between an academic course that anyone can take (assuming you can pay or it's free!) and a university course that you need to compete with other students to get a place - employers may like that as indirectly the course has done some pre-screening of candidates for them

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#57

Post by muzani »

syntaxing wrote: post #8
mowingscooter wrote: post #4

When I come across an applicant with a nanodegree, it almost sends a negative signal. If anything, do the course, leave it off your resume, and if you get an interview, you might impress your interviewer with all this unexpected technical knowledge.

I'm surprised that it sends an negative signal. Is there a reasoning for it? Does completing an online course signify unwanted behavior/personality? I feel like if you leave it off your resume, you probably wouldn't be able to land the interview to begin with.

It's sort of like having MS Word or Git on your resume. It's a signal that you've run out of impressive things.

I do believe you can learn more from nanodegrees than a generic full degree. But nanodegrees are also quite easy to get through. Nobody checks your stuff, and there's much less protection against plagiarism. As a learning tool, it's great. As a certification, it's very poor.

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#58

Post by muzani »

Alex3917 wrote: post #11

No one is going to hire you because you have a degree, whether from a university or from Udacity. They'll hire you because: A) your overall resume is impressive B) you either have a portfolio of things you've built, or else you agree to do a take home assignment and successfully complete it C) you can pass both technical and non-technical interviews To get hired you need A && B && C. Doing Udacity will probably help…

It's really about how much you can convince the employer. I got my first job only because my late father (who was the boss's business partner) recommended me. The degree was enough to convince him I was technically capable, even though I flunked the technical interview (which was all PHP). No resume was needed.

I'd say to get hired, you just need to convince the employer of your personality, current skill, and potential.

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#59

Post by mowingscooter »

internet_user wrote: post #50
mowingscooter wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve done online courses myself and found them immensely useful. Unfortunately, I think that to some extent, it signals that “I’m interested, but not committed enough to get a full degree.” Your nanodegree realistically will never come close to competing with a formal CS degree. So don’t bother with listing it. List your github projects and apps you’ve released. Get the interview. “Oh and by the way, in my spare time…

I'd go as far as saying that most formal CS degrees are often useless. FOUR years, and new grads often still can't code. I've met some 3-4 year students in "Cybersecurity" programs that couldn't cogently explain the difference between private/public keys. Think about that.

Think about this: those same students could do a nanodegree since there are for requirements to signing up for one.

Re: Ask HN: Do Udacity nanodegrees get anyone a job without academic background?

#60

Post by stared »

georgeburdell wrote: post #51
stared wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

15 years ago I went to MIT for a 1.5-month internship, while still in my high school. Companies still ask about that. As much as I would like it to be otherwise, signaling (namedropping of famous universities, companies, and people) works a lot. I guess mostly because people prefer to delegate decision making. The backside of that is that unless you finished (or dropped out) from a well-respected univ., you have an u…

RSI? Well that’s a bit of an exception. I personally interpret it as a more enduring meritocratic signal than attending any specific college.

Yes, RSI! :)

Though the ones who set "oh, you were at MIT" didn't know about this program.

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