4 answers
Dariehl
Student
7
Questions
Asked
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How to become a computer engineer without going to college?
#advice on how to become a computer engineer and what i need to do to succeed in this field
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4 answers
Rodney Gauna
Group Product Manager
1
Answer
San Diego, California
Updated
Rodney’s Answer
I’ve hired and work with develops that completed coding bootcamps, completed a programming certification for a community college or other organization, and self-taught coders as well.
It’s all about mastering the concepts and demonstrating your understanding of the languages you learn.
https://www.freecodecamp.org/ is another great free resource. I’d highly recommend starting here as well.
YouTube has great content creators to get started as well.
It’s all about mastering the concepts and demonstrating your understanding of the languages you learn.
https://www.freecodecamp.org/ is another great free resource. I’d highly recommend starting here as well.
YouTube has great content creators to get started as well.
Betty Yip, PMP, CSM
Senior Director, Technical Program Manager
72
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Betty’s Answer
Hi Dariehl,
There are several options you can pursue if you want to skip the standard 4 year college degree. Here are some off the top of my head. 1) Look into coding bootcamps that offer a way to connect with employers after the bootcamp is over. 2) Enroll in a trade school that only specializes in computer science or programming like a trade or specialty school. Computer learning center comes to mind and I'm sure there is an abundance of options. 3) Learn on your own with coding projects, crack open a computer book and get certified. Salesforce is the company I work for and we have fun learning and education modules referred to as Trailhead, https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/home. By taking these modules, you can gain skills and possibly find a job with your experience. The best thing to do is to take action, do some research online and do some Google keyword searches. Having said all that, I am a strong advocate of college and highly recommend that you reconsider. College is one of those things that will be an experience beyond just the academics and is a great place to network, make friends and give you a strong and well rounded foundation beyond computer science. Hope this helps!
There are several options you can pursue if you want to skip the standard 4 year college degree. Here are some off the top of my head. 1) Look into coding bootcamps that offer a way to connect with employers after the bootcamp is over. 2) Enroll in a trade school that only specializes in computer science or programming like a trade or specialty school. Computer learning center comes to mind and I'm sure there is an abundance of options. 3) Learn on your own with coding projects, crack open a computer book and get certified. Salesforce is the company I work for and we have fun learning and education modules referred to as Trailhead, https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/home. By taking these modules, you can gain skills and possibly find a job with your experience. The best thing to do is to take action, do some research online and do some Google keyword searches. Having said all that, I am a strong advocate of college and highly recommend that you reconsider. College is one of those things that will be an experience beyond just the academics and is a great place to network, make friends and give you a strong and well rounded foundation beyond computer science. Hope this helps!
Brayden Reiland
119
Answers
Corvallis, Oregon
Updated
Brayden’s Answer
Hello!
There are a few thats that you can become a computer engineer without the traditional college route. As people suggested above there are many online certification courses that you can attend that allow you gain experience in computer engineering. This is most likely going to be the best way to reach the profession if you are adamant about not attending college. Although these certifications are valuable they dont care the same weight when comparing you to someone who has a degree so its definitely something you want to consider before going this route. Another disadvantage of going the certification route is there is an expectation that you are coming into the course with some skillset that allows smoother transition to the newer material. This is unlike college where typically they will do some type of review in order to refresh students of past topics before introducing new ones so this is also something to consider.
There is also the connection aspect. Like another person suggested, many of the certification courses can be taken online so the connections you are able to make while attending a university isn't there. One of the advantages of making these connections is for long term work. In many cases companies will visit a university because they have found good applicants from that said university so the chances of finding a job are much higher. In my experience the individuals with the best resume have a degree and additional certification courses that they took outside of school. This allows people to have a larger knowledge base when applying for jobs and they will stand out against other candidates.
Now this isn't to say that certifications aren't useful. They allow people to learn the knowledge about a specific topic at a sometimes faster pace and typically are less expensive than a university but unfortunately companies look for the degree when hiring.
Hopefully this helps!
There are a few thats that you can become a computer engineer without the traditional college route. As people suggested above there are many online certification courses that you can attend that allow you gain experience in computer engineering. This is most likely going to be the best way to reach the profession if you are adamant about not attending college. Although these certifications are valuable they dont care the same weight when comparing you to someone who has a degree so its definitely something you want to consider before going this route. Another disadvantage of going the certification route is there is an expectation that you are coming into the course with some skillset that allows smoother transition to the newer material. This is unlike college where typically they will do some type of review in order to refresh students of past topics before introducing new ones so this is also something to consider.
There is also the connection aspect. Like another person suggested, many of the certification courses can be taken online so the connections you are able to make while attending a university isn't there. One of the advantages of making these connections is for long term work. In many cases companies will visit a university because they have found good applicants from that said university so the chances of finding a job are much higher. In my experience the individuals with the best resume have a degree and additional certification courses that they took outside of school. This allows people to have a larger knowledge base when applying for jobs and they will stand out against other candidates.
Now this isn't to say that certifications aren't useful. They allow people to learn the knowledge about a specific topic at a sometimes faster pace and typically are less expensive than a university but unfortunately companies look for the degree when hiring.
Hopefully this helps!
Rebecca Tang
Banking
1860
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
There are plenty of resources online. You can learn the resources yourself. Also, other than online resources, there are courses offered by education centre, community college, etc. You can consider to attend the course as well.
However, the colleges offer the Computer Engineering courses in more organized and systematic way. You can learn the computer engineering relevant knowledge and skills from introductory level to advanced level throughout the 3 - 4 years undergraduate courses. At the same time, you can have a lot of valuable exchanges and connection with the professors and classmates. These are precious network you establish that is very useful for your future career.
I have noticed that there are many prestiged college on Computer Engineering in India. I strong suggest you to re-consider to study the subject in a college.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
However, the colleges offer the Computer Engineering courses in more organized and systematic way. You can learn the computer engineering relevant knowledge and skills from introductory level to advanced level throughout the 3 - 4 years undergraduate courses. At the same time, you can have a lot of valuable exchanges and connection with the professors and classmates. These are precious network you establish that is very useful for your future career.
I have noticed that there are many prestiged college on Computer Engineering in India. I strong suggest you to re-consider to study the subject in a college.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!