Breaking into tech? Consider an advanced CS Degree
How getting an advanced computer science degree can help build a credible skillset and make meaningful connections to get a job in tech
Four years ago I was a PhD student in Computational Biology. I was proficient in Python and had taken courses in all the Computer Science fundamentals. But when I decided to drop out and pursue a career in tech, I was surprised by the stream of rejections for entry level positions. I had qualified to be getting my doctorate after all!
After months of applying, I wound up getting a position in data science. Despite securing a full-time job, I was determined to put my PhD graduate credits to good use and embarked on getting my Master of Science in Computer Science part-time at NYU. Since then, I’ve been surprised by how many doors my (almost finished) degree has opened in the tech world.
Reasons to consider an advanced degree in Computer Science
1. Increase the credibility of your technical skills
Everywhere we turn there are new bootcamps, YouTube tutorials, and MOOCs (massive-open-online-courses) in engineering — so why go to graduate school? The truth: none of these options offer the same credibility to employers as a physical, accredited degree. Even in a job where I write code daily, having a Computer Science degree has uncovered new opportunities that were not there when I first started my tech career.
Additionally, most Computer Science courses include projects that you can publish in Github, creating a valuable repository of code to use in applications. This recently came in handy when I applied to transfer job ladders inside Google and needed to supply artifacts demonstrating my competence across different technologies, many of which I don’t use often in my day job.
2. Fill knowledge gaps
Most Computer Science Masters degrees offer some flexibility in their course requirements. This is a great opportunity to fill in some of those skill or knowledge gaps so that you become a well-rounded developer. For me, this meant taking courses in Computer Networking, Technical Communications and UX Design. While these are topics that I probably could have studied on my own, having the structure and accountability of a graded course forced me to prioritize it.
3. Leverage school resources
Computer Science Masters Programs are dedicated to providing resources outside of the classroom, which can include clubs, fellowships, grants, as well as teaching and research positions. This is something I had not truly considered when I first entered the NYU program, but has helped me tremendously.
In my first two years of graduate school, I participated in the InSite fellowship program. InSite is a competitive leadership development program where fellows work on semester long consulting projects with various emerging companies. I was able to meet with founders from different startups (hello networking!) and help them solve real business problems.
More recently, I worked as a teaching assistant for introductory computer science courses. Not only did this force me to freshen up on core topics (great practice for coding interviews), but it opened up the possibility of becoming a part-time instructor at a university post-graduation.
4. Expand your network
Many of my courses have included group projects, allowing me to connect with and learn from different classmates. I realized how impactful this was when I posted on LinkedIn about an available position on my team a few weeks back . Several former classmates immediately expressed their interest and I was able to refer them for the position (read here on why referrals are beneficial on both sides).
For me, simply being able to tap into NYU’s huge alumni network (>600,000 alumni, nearly 5x of that of my undergraduate university) has proven itself valuable. Not to mention student discounts on professional memberships and conferences!
With all this being said, there are definitely drawbacks to graduate school — cost being at the top of the list. I’m lucky enough to work at a company that covers part of the cost for my degree, but if you’re paying out-of-pocket I would invest time into looking through scholarship resources.
Interested in looking deeper at masters programs? Check out this list of programs that don’t require an undergraduate degree in CS to apply.
About the Author
Leigha is Cloud Solutions Engineer at Google and is graduating with her Masters in Computer Science from NYU next semester. Aside from being a complete data nerd, she spends her time obsessing over her puppy, Bailey. You can connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
