> practically speaking, it seems to me like everyone cares about a CS > *degree*, even if they then summarily ignore what was ostensibly > taught for the degree.
Don't underestimate the power of a network of friends and colleagues. When I've worked in small startup-ish companies, I've seen a number of well-appreciated dropouts in important positions like head sys admin. And it's not just MIT dropouts...on two separate occasions, I've had old high school buddies join me for lunch in the big city to meet my big city friends. By the end of the day, they were accidentally hired, much to my surprise back then. Despite having no degree or an irrelevant degree, they had the skills and were nice folks. They totally became equal employees handling as much of a coding load as anyone. Consider startups, small companies, (sub)contracting work and hitting up your friends/teammates/whomever to get your foot in the door. Or make something awesome and show it off. If your missing the official credentials, it'll be easier to prove yourself first in person with a techie than to convince the HR folks on paper. -Paul _________________________________________________ For list-related administrative tasks: http://lists.racket-lang.org/listinfo/users
