Degree for career change or just save.

[richardwalter]

Hi All. First post, and looking forward to reading more here. I have an education question this morning. I'm currently a captain for a regional airline. The job is easy and pay increases with time and movement to better jobs. Unfortunately, I also find it boring and easy, and the time away from home can be stressful (though the days off/down time is great). I'm single, no kids, never married.

Over the past couple years, I've found an interest in programming, which is far more intellectually challenging, and am considering a career change. I've been learning on my own for about two years, and am almost at the point where I could get a job as an iOS developer, though I'm not quite ready to change jobs.

Recently, I enrolled in an online computer science degree program, and am taking the first class now. It's great, the cost, however, is giving me pause. Over two years (or longer if I extend it) I'd pay about $28,000 for the program. This is out of pocket, no loans. I'll make around $65-$70k this year, with slight increases each year. I love education, and even if I don't change careers, the degree would probably be quite fulfilling. The cost would make saving difficult, though, and that's a big hangup for me.

Should I just just worry less about what I'm doing to make money, save aggressively and live life? Is education ever worth it when you're already gainfully employed? The tech career path could end up paying slightly less if things go well with flying, but aviation is a volatile industry that could also fail to take me to retirement.

Here are some details in

[feh]

How old are you? I ask because entry into software development may be more difficult the older you are; most companies, when hiring an entry level person, will prefer a youngster.

Regarding your education - look into a community college program. There's no reason an associate degree should cost $14K per year. Additionally, you'll get more out of it if you interact with other students and instructors, as opposed to doing everything online, in isolation.

[bigdaddybus]

I'll just throw out good luck, and remember the grass isn't always greener.....

I work in the systems department for top fortune 500 company. 20 years ago programming skills and providing value to the company with strong technical skills was where it was at, today I coordinate H1B workers and other vendor companies to do technical work for us. (as technical work is just considered a commodity, and coordinating and being that link between leadership and the programmers is where the money is at in my company)

With this work comes office politics, technical people doing coordination work that they find boring as heck, etc. If I could make 125k a year to retool as a pilot right now I would JUMP on it! lol

There are always exceptions, like big data analytics and IT security are still in strong demand within my corporation.

[feh]

I work in the systems department for top fortune 500 company. 20 years ago programming skills and providing value to the company with strong technical skills was where it was at, today I coordinate H1B workers and other vendor companies to do technical work for us. (as technical work is just considered a commodity, and coordinating and being that link between leadership and the programmers is where the money is at in my company)

Just adding another perspective...I've heard similar comments as above from other people on message boards. I've been in software for almost 30 years, but always working for smaller, local companies. I have not witnessed nor experienced the kind of outsourcing mentioned above.

I'm sure it depends on the corporate environment, as well as the type of product being created.

[phantom]

I'm a software engineer who jumps back and forth between iOS and web development work. If you love learning, iOS development is a good place to be as there's always something new to learn. There are even more new things in front end web development, but Apple does keep iOS developers on their toes. It's not always as mentally stimulating as you might think though. Doing a good job is often more about finding and applying a good existing solution to a problem than it is about creating novel solutions.

I wish I could say whether or not you will actually get any value from your degree. Most job listings I come across want a BS in Computer Science. But, a lot of good employers are willing to look past the degree, and those that aren't are unlikely to be okay with a 2 year degree (unless it's a master's that you're pursuing). I have a bachelors in computer science, and while it was a pretty good foundation, I've learned a lot more through experience and online tutorials than I did in the classroom. Part of that is due to the fact that I've been in the field longer than I was in the classroom, but a lot of that is that the sort of problems I was taught to solve in the classroom have little resemblance to the problems I've seen in the real world.

Since you say you're already close to being able to get hired as a junior iOS dev, I would suggest trying to get an app or two in the store rather than pursuing a degree. I can't speak for the employers you're likely to encounter, but I'd be more likely to hire someone with experience than a degree.

Whatever path you choose, you should be prepared for the possibility that a career change will mean a pay cut, at least at first. I hear lots of stories online of Bay Area entry level developers making six figures straight out of college. But, your current salary is more in line with what mid-level app developers make where I live (Pittsburgh).

[Sagalamora]

Being a developer can be boring too, specially if you end up doing maintenance stuff: be aware that not every single developer in the world is working on top-notch technology...

[feh]

Being a developer can be boring too, specially if you end up doing maintenance stuff: be aware that not every single developer in the world is working on top-notch technology...

Yes, very true.

I often use home construction as an analogy for software development. You could be an architect, who gets to dream and design from scratch. You could be a general contractor, responsible for turning blueprints into reality. But you could also be hanging drywall, which probably isn't all that challenging/interesting.

[thestrongprofessional]

Software Development switch

Hey richardwalter,

First off, congratulations on your interest in software! As a developer myself, I can tell you that it's quite a rewarding profession and I'm definitely glad I chose it. What program were you looking into doing? The $28,000 price tag seems pricey and you may be able to find other accredited programs that will teach you the skills you need for much less. There are also other certifications that will help you expand your skill set and capitalize on existing job opportunities. Some of these certifications include:

Oracle DBA certification-

http://education.oracle.com/pls/web_prod-plq-dad/ou_product_category.getAllProductsPage?p_mode=Certification

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)-

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/default.aspx

These certificates would cost a fraction of the $28,000 you were mentioning and could be completed on your own time. For other such certifications check out the link below:

http://www.cio.com/article/2392856/careers-staffing/12-it-certifications-that-deliver-career-advancement.html

Hope this helps and good luck with everything!

Raphael