Should I go back to school?
June 2023 will be 1 year being unemployed. I am considering going back to school for Master Degree in CS or getting second Bachelor's in the same program. I was going to look into AI mix with Cyber Security while in my degree program. I have been trying to get into DevOps, Cloud Engineer or Security Engineer roles for some time. Also, I have been accumulating loans for bootcamps and online Udacity programs which has not helped me in the job market. I have not been getting interviews for some time now. With the layoffs going on, I thought my chances landing entry level roles in DevOps, Security Engineer or System Engineer with be slim because people who are being layoff will target those same entry level to mid level roles. Should I go back to school? #tech #layoffs #engineer #jobhunt
Where did you go to college? What major?
I went to school at University of Southern Maine. I got my first degree in Technology Management.
In that case, getting a masters of computer science (2 year program) would be helpful to you if you wanna work as a software engineer. I‘ve never heard of techology management before. A solid cs degree in a decent school would help.
Dm for Ford, I think we do have depOps position.
Not a bad idea if you want to get more technical/switch your career
I thought the same. Most of the interview I been through all the hiring managers said "we are impress with the projects you have done but I do not have experience". Also, I have obtain degree in Computer Science as a Master or Bachelor degree could help me in the long run.
No
Do it if you can afford it and get into like a Stanford, Berkley, or any top 10 CS/Ms program. It's worth it purely if you want to make the connections and want a path to do research. If you don't get into Stanford and get into a top 10 (or 15 at best) then you can use the MS if you get a solid GPA and publication, so you can be competitive enough to do a PhD program at Stanford.
Go back, but to med school..
Are you in Washington state? If so, then yes you should because the state will cover 100% of your tuition. Especially if you’re unemployed. You’d need to file for unemployment and apply for Medicare and food stamps. There are other programs you can apply to but you only need to qualify for one of these. The program also give you grant money to help with school and living expenses. I did the program in 2019, was able to attend a 4-year college for free and received roughly $900 for the one class I registered for at the time. More funds are made available for additional class registration. If you’re not a Washington state resident, consider doing an apprenticeship program. You can typically receive college credit for these program. In the Microsoft Leap program, participants qualify for 15 college credits according to ACE. You should also lean on your local American Job center for free and professional certification training. Lastly, get a library card. Local libraries offer a ton of free access to educational resources, especially for professional development. My local library gave me vouchers to take different IT and Microsoft certifications exams, as well as free access to training.
I live in Arizona State. I know Arizona give out grants towards your degree program. It's funny you mention Teal program because I was looking into last night. My plan was go back into school and try to land internship while in school program. Also, I thought getting Master or Bachelor degree in Computer Science would help in the job market
Definitely try an apprenticeship first before going the internship route. Check your state and local government website for any. Beware of pre-apprenticeship scams that ask you to pay money, don’t. For internships, network and ask for a referral to an internship program. Some will accept you without requiring your transcript. Also consider startups or smaller companies, many will start their employees out as paid interns before giving a full time offer. A last resort would be pursuing unpaid internships. Also consider taking advantage of the 8 free professional certifications Microsoft is giving to students right now. Each exam you pass qualifies you for 1-5 academic credit and can be applied towards a degree. I was able to pass two exams for Azure Fundamentals and Security+Identity, helping me to land my current job with the US Government. You don’t need to be currently enrolled, you just need an active student email address. It just comes down to what’s most important to you. Having experience or advancing your education, both can be done simultaneously. And with experience, you can earn an accelerated degree through prior learning, especially at ASU. Wishing you the best of luck.
If they’re telling you that you have no experience, the answer would be to get some experience, going back to school won’t get you experience.
I thought going back to school would allow me to get into internship.
Get a job at UPS or other and work your way up. Degrees are great, but it will still put you at the same place you are couple years from now.
No
You think I still have a chance in the job market?
No but school will make you more poor