No... You don't.

We could leave it there, but let's explore this a little further.

There's a reason why Google, Apple & IBM, literally some of the largest companies in the entire world, are no longer requiring degrees as part of their job application process.

It's very simple: non-traditional educational routes are now just as effective, if not more effective than traditional routes.

We're talking Online Courses, Videos, Tutorial Articles, Bootcamps VS College & University. You no longer need to spend years learning abstract concepts and principles to even be considered for a job - you can learn job-ready skills just by consuming free content online.

It really is that simple. But if you're still not convinced, let's drive the point home.

Hiring managers, when sifting through job applications and interviewing candidates, are usually looking for 3 important attributes in the perfect candidate:

• A positive attitude. (brings energy to the team, not takes)
• A keen learner. (someone who will grow in their role)
• Real-world, practical experience. (actual projects that demonstrate your technical capabilities)

So the question is this: do you need a 4 year degree to acquire these 3 attributes?

No, no and no. You can absolutely gain these important attributes through self-learning using online materials, or going to an intensive bootcamp or finding a good online mentor.

And think of it this way, wouldn't it be foolish for an interviewer to literally ignore 95% of the candidate pool - simply because they recognized that you could learn way more efficiently, without taking on tons of student debt?

This isn't to say being a CS student or graduate puts you at a disadvantage - of course it doesn't. As long as you work towards embodying the 3 attributes above, it doesn't matter how you got there - you're on the path to hire-ability.

So if you want to get a job in tech without a CS degree, look at the dream job you want to get, pick up the necessary skills, develop a strong portfolio and you're only one successful interview away from getting there.

Tell us your opinion on this subject

These big companies are setting a trend now in the industry by removing the arbitrary degree requirement, but it's still quite a controversial subject. We'd love to bring some more balance to the subject so, please tell us - what do you think about requiring a Computer Science degree as part of a job?

Liked this post? You might want to check out the latest episode of The Learning Developer's Podcast

We released episode 2 this week - we talk about the very subject of this blog post, and the #1 strategy to getting any job you want. It's available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and via the Transistor.fm web player.

Matt talks to full-stack developer George Hanson who is currently working as an R&D developer. We go over his struggles when trying to break into the industry 8 years ago, and his thoughts on university degrees, getting a job and what he looks for when interviewing candidates.

We also write a ton of mini blog posts over on our Instagram page if you want to see snippets of content like this - including mindset tips, design tutorials etc. Thanks for your time!