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Non degree specific graduate scheme chances?

Hi everyone,
I am entering my third year at uni in a degree in Education. I wanted to know if anyone had any advice/shared experiences on getting into software development/programming without having a subject specific degree? A bit of background as I am a girl and my girls school was never fond of IT and maths, the department was horiffically understaffed and underfunded. So my natural talents in IT, web development and coding- all of which are self taught- have never been recognised, and so i have only ever studied GCSE IT I wasn't encouraged to take it further. Years later suddenly i find myself at a crossroads with a degree which isn't relevant to my desired choice of career.
I am fluent in HTML, CSS and Javascript and would say proficient in Python. Will any grad jobs take me for my talents not my somewhat irrelevant qualifications? (Not sure if this matters but my A levels are in French, Politics and English Lit.)
Is there any hope for me? I know people in high up places in software companies so there could be potential to get shadowing/work experience opps in the summer, is this a good idea?

TL;DR: non STEM degree graduate attempting to break into software programming grad jobs, do i have any chance?
Original post by maria-isabella
Hi everyone,
I am entering my third year at uni in a degree in Education. I wanted to know if anyone had any advice/shared experiences on getting into software development/programming without having a subject specific degree? A bit of background as I am a girl and my girls school was never fond of IT and maths, the department was horiffically understaffed and underfunded. So my natural talents in IT, web development and coding- all of which are self taught- have never been recognised, and so i have only ever studied GCSE IT I wasn't encouraged to take it further. Years later suddenly i find myself at a crossroads with a degree which isn't relevant to my desired choice of career.
I am fluent in HTML, CSS and Javascript and would say proficient in Python. Will any grad jobs take me for my talents not my somewhat irrelevant qualifications? (Not sure if this matters but my A levels are in French, Politics and English Lit.)
Is there any hope for me? I know people in high up places in software companies so there could be potential to get shadowing/work experience opps in the summer, is this a good idea?

TL;DR: non STEM degree graduate attempting to break into software programming grad jobs, do i have any chance?


Overall, you do have a shot if you have some example of project work or like hackathon work, where you can point to something and say 'I did this'. Most software companies (even the big ones) just want people who are skilled at what they do - degrees don't necessarily indicate that.

So get some project work on your CV and grab any form of work experience you can.

Posted from TSR Mobile
The software industry is crying out for women. It isn't easy but it can be done. If I were you, I would work on a portfolio of work and then put it together into an awesome website. Forget about the graduate schemes and search for graduate developer jobs (there are lots) around web development. Then pitch your website to help your CV. Bear in mind you may end up going though agents. There is advice on how to deal with them here:

http://byeeek.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/how-to-get-job-through-agent.html

Good luck!

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