I was thinking of going for the B.A. degree, but I would like to know if that would put me at a disadvantage later on when I'm applying for jobs. Thanks.
Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
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Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#2Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#3The first big thing is to get your associates and get to the university.
Good luck.
Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#4Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#5We're hiring at our startup, Sococo. Check it out, now or when you graduate.
Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#6Long answer: They do not.
Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#7Find something interesting to work on while you're in school. You'll gain experience and have something to talk about in job interviews.
Re: Ask HN: Do employers care whether my Computer Science degree is a B.A. or B.S?
#8I remember when I applied for my first full-time, non-freelancing job. I do not have a degree (I had been in the field for long enough to feel that I had significant experience), so I would not bother looking at postings that requested one. Therefore, I did not bother submitting my resume to my that employer.
Instead, a headhunter found my resume, the company interviewed me and they ended up hiring me. I was fairly close with the person responsible for hiring me, and he stated that the degree never crossed his mind. Instead, they looked at the source code for one of my free software projects at the time and thought that I would be fit for the position.
I was later actively involved in the interviewing process for new candidates, and a degree was the last thing on any of most our minds. In fact, when asking for code samples, we found that many with degrees had only elementary knowledge because they only completed what was necessary for the course, but did not apply themselves any further.
That said, these were the opinions of my employer; others may not feel the same way. If you are able to provide extensive examples of your work to your employer (e.g. source code if you are applying for a programming position), that is likely to be more representative of your ability than a degree that only says "Yeah, (s)he completed this course."