Hello everyone!

More and more people come into this industry without any kind of degree. Considering how easy it is to gather informations today, and how easier it has become to get a computer and start creating things, it is really no surprise.

I am one of those people, I've been a freelancer for almost 3 years now, and didn't get any degree after the high school diploma. Learning by myself, by reading books, watching videos and fucking up thousands of lines of code on the computer, I managed to do alright for myself.

But, even if I am proud of what I was able to accomplish by myself, there is no denying that some companies might not look at it very kindly. While companies/clients with that sort of attitude are not really appealing to work for, I might miss out on some cool opportunities.

Another thing that I have been thinking about concerns the learning of fundamentals. I've never been too concerned about it, picking them up when I felt it was necessary, and unavoidable. There are many flaws in my knowledge, things that some would consider essential. While this is sometimes a matter of perspective, it might be true some other times.

So, I was thinking, to fight the imposter syndrome, to learn some other stuff and to prove to myself and others my knowledge, I thought about getting an actual degree.

Now, in France, there is a way to validate a degree by proving that you indeed work in that domain, and pass a test in front of a jury to confirm that you do know what you are talking about. I have no idea how it works in other countries, but I have that possibility to work towards a degree without having to quit everything. It will add to my workload, but nothing unbearable. May I note that the cost of the procedure is not a problem in my case.

Taking this kind of challenge might also give me some structure about what I learn, because I would have a clear goal in mind (and boy do I struggle with that...). I could also imagine that it could be useful to have some kind of degree as a stepping stone, if I ever want to move in a slightly different direction in my career in the future.

So, I don't know, I'm looking forward to hear some of your stories, experiences, thoughts... I don't think getting a degree is ever a bad thing, but this has been in my head for a few days now.
Love ❤️