Become a Computer Programmer Without a Degree

Today will discuss how to become a computer programmer without a degree in 2023?

Getting a bachelor’s degree in computer science is a clear way to become a computer programmer but it is not a quick and only way to become a top-level programmer.

There are many programmers who started with an online certification and learn some basic programming languages such as Python, Javascript, and Ruby. Can you become a programmer after getting a bachelor’s degree?

Yes, even it can make this process quite easier for you.

It has been said you spend a great amount of time in school or college to learn topics which are not relevant to programming or computers.

• Understand Core Computer Science Fundamentals

• Earn an Online Certification to Become a Programmer

• Join Online Courses

• Teach yourself a programming language

• Finding a Job as an Entry-Level Programmer

• Practicing Your Programming Skills

• Use tools that real developers use

• Read and Learn from other People’s Code

• Stay Up to Date

• Keep Working on your Portfolio

• Look for Coding Meetups in your Area

• Join Coding Bootcamps

• Doing Internship

 

Become a Computer Programmer Without a Degree in 2023

Through self-learning and online certifications you can only learn the things related to programming and computers which are necessary to become a programmer.

Moreover, you have to pay a good amount of money as a tuition fee to get a computer science degree.

It cost around 36,880$ for private institutes, for in-state residents it cost 10,440$ and around 26,820$ for out-of-state residents in public universities.

According to these stats the minimum estimated cost is around 41,760$ for a four-year degree program in computer science.

Now skip this cost and formal schooling time and see how to become a computer programmer without a degree.

 

Understand Core Computer Science Fundamentals

You need to have a solid grasp of computer science fundamentals for a programming career.

As compared to web designers or web developers programmers need to understand the data structures and algorithms to solve complex programming or coding problems.

The programmers who pursue a CS degree from a college or university have good knowledge about these topics.

But the self-learners programmers don’t know about these topics completely.

Making an effort to learn them you can get a real and competitive advantage.

You definitely need this knowledge to pass through the tech interviews.

 

 

Earn an Online Certification to Become a Programmer

There is no doubt that a college degree in computer science looks great on your resume but for a programmer, it does not require having a college or university degree in computer science.

Instead, you should focus on the advantages of online certification in programming.

You will find a number of different online organizations which offer certifications in programming like Udemy, Udacity, Linkedin Learning, and Codecademy.

For programming beginners, a great number of options and opportunities are available for online certification.

Furthermore, there are not any kind of timing concerns as they allow you to take your online course modules at any time and complete your certification at your suitable time.

Join Online Courses

You can join online programming or coding courses.

 

1. MIT OpenCourseWare

From this platform, you can get a comprehensive selection of entry-level courses in programming. This course starts with an intro to computer science and programming.

You can learn the programming basics with python which is considered one of the most common programming languages.

 

2. EdX

This platform is headed by Harvard University and MIT which offers online programming courses like Java, Python, Intro to programming, and many other courses.

 

3. CodeAcademy

For beginners, Codeacademy is one of the best online courses to start a career in programming. You can learn all the basic programming languages from codeacademy.

 

4. FreeCodeCamp

You can get different online certifications from FreeCodeCamp.

As a beginner in programming, you will be able to get a certification in responsive web design or you can select among data structure and JavaScript algorithms.

 

 

Teach Yourself a Programming Language

You must need to learn a programming language whether you want to get an online certification or not.

As most of the certifications also include it in their coursework you can also learn by reading books, YouTube videos, and working on some personal projects.

One of the biggest advantages of YOuTube that there are many professional programming-centric channels available where you can learn for free.

You must continue self-learning to polish your programming skills even if you feel comfortable with a particular programming language.

 

Popular Programming Languages:

• For programming beginners, Java is a great language to learn. This programming language is not only a well-known and popular language but also a versatile language.
• This programming language is mostly used by web developers. Most of the sites available on the internet are developed with Javascript language. 
• Javascript is a way to go if you want to start a career as a web developer.
• In software development, Python is the most widely used programming language.  It means if you want to have a career in software development then you must learn this language.
• On the other hand, Swift language is used to develop iOS, macOS tvOS, and watchOS applications. You must learn the Swift programming language if you are interested in developing apps or software for Apple products.

Practicing Your Programming Skills

By reading the theory you cannot achieve your goal to be a programmer because programming is all about practical work.

You need to invest a specific amount of time to practice your programming skills and experiment with the new languages and exploring new ways of working.

One of the best ways to is getting experience and confidence by contributing to the open-source projects on platforms such as GitHub.

It will help you to work in a supportive environment and get more knowledge from other coders.

After that, you have to create a project and share it with your community.

Either you can use GitHub for this purp[ose or choose from a range of GitHub alternatives.

 

 

Use tools that real developers use

To become successful as a programmer you need hands-on experience.

This means that you need to get the practical working experience of the tools used by experienced developers.

Here are some of the most important programming tools with GitHub and Git used by the developers.

 

Linux: A lot of time is spent by the programmers on Linux.

By learning and understanding the Linux commands you will be able to troubleshoot any kind of issues through applications run on the operating system.

 

Code Editor: You can use this tool from standard NotePad or advanced options such as Sublime or NotePad++.

You can also use a free and open-source code editor of Github which is called Atom.

This editor is loved by most of the programmers as you can see an online preview and write notes in markdown and it is quite helpful to work on Readme files and other documents.

 

SQL: Standard Query Language or SQL is one of the important tools which enable programmers to update, read and delete any kind of data from the tables.

 

Bootstrap: The developers who want to create mobile-first and responsive websites Bootstrap is a good option for them.

Bootstrap is an open-source and free tool.

It also helps for a consistent approach among developers.

 

Read and Learn from other People’s Code

If you want to enhance your programming and coding skills then you need to learn from the code of other people.

First, you need to know what you feel about the code and which function it’s trying to perform.

For this, you can look and observe a number of classes or functions more closely.

If you are not able to understand the code details you can also try to extract this code into a different program.

Similarly, you can also do this with the code you understand, segmenting these codes into your self-contained functions.

By practicing these exercises you will be able to make the code more manageable naturally and if you will continue practicing the time comes when it will be quite simple for you to create a program.

So, you should not hesitate to ask for help from others or gather with other students to work on a particular issue collectively.

Code War is an amazing platform for programmers who want to gain experience in new languages.

By using this platform you can take part in different challenges regarding programming in different languages.

You will also find some high-rated solutions for different issues and you can also set a benchmark for yourself in this way.

 

Stay Up to Date

Programming changes like the weather like other tech-related disciplines which means you need to keep informed yourself.

To keep updating yourself regarding programming updates and news Reddit programming and Developer Tech news are the best platforms.

Moreover, you can also visit the ILX blog.

 

 

Keep Working on your Portfolio

Creating a strong portfolio is necessary whether you are going to start your career in programming or want to impress your co-workers.

You must include a complex project in your portfolios such as a stimulator, video game, or algorithm and then you can add it with other small projects to show versatility in your work.

So, as you can see it is possible to be a programmer without a degree.

You can do this through focus, patience, and hard work.

Look for Coding Meetups in your Area

Everyone has to start from scratch at some stage of life.

It’s always quite easier for you to start something new when you have some kind of support or encouragement.

To connect with your local coding community the coding meetups are one of the perfect platforms.

Like monthly coding, meetups are held in the UK at the CodeUpUK platform. 

These events are mostly hello by the volunteers who like to help others to grow their programming and coding skills.

So, if you are not even sure about starting a career in programming or coding then you can visit such meetups and ask tech experts for advice.

You will get an honest opinion from them about industry reality.

You can visit websites such as Meetup or Eventbrite to find coding meetups in your area and with a little bit of searching, you will find a good number of meetup groups.

There are only a few chances that you would not find any group of programmers which can help you for your programming career.

 

 

Join Coding Bootcamps

As compared to the online courses and self-study where you have to learn on your own, coding boot camps provide a more enticing and intensive educational experience.

Where you are taught some important programming skills which you need to start your career in programming.

 

Doing Internship

Doing an internship is also one of the best ways to build your programming portfolio and practice on some real projects.

In this way, you can also earn some amount of money while learning instead of waiting until you become a programming expert.

Even some p[rogrammers earned about 5,000$ in their first year of programming internship.

While doing an internship you can implement your skills in a different way.

In this way, you can learn more quickly instead of watching a video or tutorial.

Moreover, you will be more dedicated to solving the problems as the client is expecting some work from you.

It is better than a course where you only have a few factors to motivate you to get your work done.

Finding a Job as an Entry-Level Programmer

After learning a programming language on your own or getting a certification then you need to find an entry-level job in programming.

There are many ways through which you can find an entry-level programming job.

If you have some previous experience of applying for a job then you may have experience using a job board. There is a similar process to find a programming job.

There are many online job portals like Indeed Geekwork where you will definitely find an entry-level programming job.

Getting an entry-level programming job is not the only way to get into programming.

Like you can ask anyone who is already doing a programming job how they get their first job as a programmer and most of them will say that they got their first job due to networking with programmers.

By networking with already employed programmers you will get an opportunity to learn about how to become a computer programmer without a degree and get your first job as a programmer.

 

 

Tips to get your First Programming Job

Update your resume before applying for a programming job.

It should be well written and reflect that you have enough skills and learning.

If you are not aware of how to structure your resume professionally you can also take help from a person who is already doing a job as a programmer or consult with a career coach.

For job seekers, Linkedin is also one of the great sources. Your profile should highlight your programming skills and it should be error-free.

By using Linkedin you can connect with hiring managers, apply for different programming jobs, and research the software programming companies in your area.

To break into programming professional associations and groups is also a great way. 

By joining a professional association you can get some job opportunities, professional networking events, and programming courses.

Put your programming career in your hands

It can be intimidating for a new user to move on a new career path but don’t allow yourself to get down while pursuing an online certification or learning a specific programming language.

The skills you learn will help you during your career path and you will definitely find the path to success.

You should consider yourself as a lifelong learner because taking more advanced online courses can sharpen your skills. 

 

Your Path to a Career as a Programmer Without a Degree

There are a great number of programming jobs available in the market as there is no job shortage for programmers.

You can check it by visiting any job online portal website and searching “programming jobs”.

You will observe a great multitude of entry-level programming jobs at different software companies.

But it can be competitive as well as a large number of people also looking for the same position. In this way, you can find a specific programmer niche for yourself.

But before you start applying for a programming job first you have to decide which type of programmer you want to become and how you can get maximum knowledge and experience to polish your programming skills.

It is quite simple to enter into a programming career.

Computer programmers are the people who edit and write code for different software programs behind the scenes.

You need to be more focused on details to become a computer programmer without a degree.

You can become a troubleshooting expert that is responsible to make sure to run software programs without any kind of errors.

If you are interested in creating and designing different types of websites then becoming a web developer is also a good option for you.

The future of web developers is also quite good as it has been expected the web development projects will grow about 13% by 2028, for new programmers selecting web development as a career is a good choice. 

Definitely, these are not the only two options which you can choose as a programmer.

You can also pursue a career as a mobile app developer, computer system engineer, and programmer analyst with the right certification and hands-on experience.

Once you have decided which type of programmer you want to be it will be quite easy for you to take the next steps for your desired path.

FAQs

 

Can you become a computer programmer without a degree?

Yes, of course, you can get a computer programmer job without a degree if you are interested in starting your career more quickly.

You don’t necessarily need a computer science or software engineering degree to start programming.

From coding boot camps you can learn the essential skills which you need in a quick time and it is one of the best and affordable ways to start your career as a programmer.

How can you become a computer programmer?

• First, you have to choose which programming language is right for you or you find it interesting to learn.
• According to your career goals, select the best degree.
• Make an internship in programming or coding.
• Get online certification.
• Build your portfolio to get a programming job.

How much does a programmer make without a College degree?

The salary estimates of BLS are based on the levels of education without any particular citation for developers without degrees.

An entry-level programming job could pay around 30,000$ to 40,000$ per year.

This salary can also be increased on the basis of an advanced degree or specialized certification.

Do self-taught programmers get hired by companies?

May it seems a little surprising to you but most professional programmers are self-taught.

Some of them also reach higher positions in their programming career.

You can get a good job as a programmer as long as you are able to show your programming and coding skills.

Will Google hire you without a degree?

Like other career certificates, Google asserts that you don’t need prior experience or a degree to get a job at Google.

The interesting fact is almost 61% of the learners enrolled without having a four-year degree.

In the tech field, such certifications and skills can play an important role.

 

Warping:

If you don’t have a four-year degree in CS or software engineering it does not mean you don’t become a programmer.

Because it does not require a degree to be a programmer, instead you need to have some programming or coding.

Even you can get a programming job as well without a degree with programming skills.

So, if you also want to become a computer programmer without a degree and where to start then we have explained all these things in detail in the above lines.