Survey: Did you go to Uni? If yes, are you using that education in your line of work today?

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sonyxperiageek

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# 214205 1-May-2017 23:10

Just a quick survey as I thought it would be interesting to know if all you IT geeks went to Uni, what type of degree you got, and if you are using any of those Uni skills in your line of work today.

I'll get the ball rolling by starting off myself. I'm doing an Engineering degree and the first year is a general year, and so there are calculus papers, bio and chem papers, physics papers and very few papers related to computers at the moment. The two specialisations that appeal to me in engineering is software or computer systems. I'm finding it a bit of a drag at the moment considering I have no interest in bio and chem and don't think I'd need to know the structure of the water molecule when designing a computer system!

Edit: Added my own experience.

Sony

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# 1773947 1-May-2017 23:27

Great topic. I went to uni and did a BE and ME, majoring in communication systems for the most part. During my ME I got bored and taught myself how to code in C, and have been a software developer (untrained!) ever since. Never worked in any of the fields I studied (aside from a half term paper on software in the first year of my BE) but I like to think my time at uni wasn't wasted!

PhantomNVD

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# 1773951 1-May-2017 23:43

Got a degree in Psychology MCSE and A+ in computing and after that a postgrad in Education... now in Teaching (so using degrees) and am now the defacto IT guy in our small (250 kids) school - so using IT training too.

University teaches thinking and research as well as 'knowledge' so worth the weight and time given to it... no quibbles.

Geektastic

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# 1773959 2-May-2017 00:36

Yes I did. (Not IT related though) and no I am not, because my one profession in the UK is split into about 6 here (a country that can split simple plastering into two jobs, ffs), for one, and I am doing something else totally different for the other.

Although of course I learned many more general things doing the course and in the 17 years I did use it before moving that I still use today.

alasta

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# 1773975 2-May-2017 07:04

I have a B.Com majoring in corporate finance and currently have a great job in data analytics and commercial strategy. My degree doesn't really relate directly to what I'm doing and I could easily do the job without it, however gaining my first couple of professional jobs relied on my degree to prove that I could work in that environment so I probably wouldn't be where I am today without the degree.

dickytim

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# 1773983 2-May-2017 07:37

I left school at 16 for a Mechanic apprenticeship, that lasted 3 months then everything from cleaning, Burger King, warehousing, logistics, purchasing finally to IT.

It took me until 37 years old to get there but it happened!

timmmay

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# 1773985 2-May-2017 07:44

Yes. I did computer systems engineering, started as a developer, moved up to being a solutions architect.

MikeB4

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# 1773987 2-May-2017 07:48

Yes and no. Yes to university and no to using it now. I took very early medical retirement.

Mike
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wasabi2k

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# 1773988 2-May-2017 07:50

Did A+ and MCSE, then got a job (Desktop Tech) at a small company.

Worked for a year or 3, then started Uni extramurally (correspondence).

Did Uni for 6 years, while working and graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Mgmt).

Do I use it now? Yep. The business skills and knowledge (Acc, Finance, Project Mgmt, Mgmt, Economics etc), along with experience with academic writing/sourcing are hugely valuable when combined with technical skills I gained from working, training and reading outside Uni.

Also having a degree is a must have for some industries and professions outside of the pure technical. If you want to get into Consulting (with a big 4 or other large firm) or Senior Management not having a degree can be a show stopper (dependent on how amazing you are, the employer, state of the industry etc).

Rikkitic

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# 1773990 2-May-2017 07:50

Self-educated, self-employed, now retired. I once spent a semester filling in as a teacher for Syracuse University, but other than that have never darkened the doorways of one. Technical things have always been pretty much in the hobby sphere, though I did produce some early anti-virus software and also worked for a time as a software reviewer for a Dutch computer magazine. I mainly earned my living as a (non-technical) writer, author and translator.

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jim.cox

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# 1773991 2-May-2017 07:52

Degree qualified in both Surveying and Computing

Bounced between and around both over the years - mostly Engineering, GIS and Software

Currently doing more Surveying and only a little IT

UHD

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# 1773996 2-May-2017 08:02

I studied software engineering (BE) and worked for a very short time in a local firm before lucking (it turns out it is almost 100% who you know...) into a nice piece of contract work for a multinational which I could do from home. My wife and I decided to buy a motel instead of an overpriced liability to live in and as she wanted to keep working we're now balancing two careers with a business and some days I am not sure which one is the side hustle but I enjoy both so I can't complain.

Sometimes I wish I had a minor in commerce/accounting as I have to teach myself a lot but it is certainly interesting.

kobiak

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# 1774006 2-May-2017 08:29

I completed NZ diploma in business (accounting) + bachelor degree double major in Business and eBusiness (eCommerce) both at AUT. while at Uni, I started working part-time as front-end coder. Working as front-end dev ever since.

Yes, first 1-2 years after Uni, skills learned in class were helpful (as part of the course in eBus, we build websites, DBs, industry training, so I was happy kiddo to apply my skills).

Finding first contract was easy, but first full-time permanent job took me 2 years to find.

helping others at evgenyk.nz

trig42

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# 1774007 2-May-2017 08:29

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Degree - BCom in Accounting and Finance.

Never used it. Currently work in IT.

If I had my time again (or I didn't have to work to pay the bills), I'd go back to Uni, or Tech, and do some programming papers.

I've often always said that if I could start again, I'd do a trade - I'd like to be an electrician, and I think I'd have been pretty good at it.

gkjb

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# 1774012 2-May-2017 08:44

Did a BCA in Accounting, Commercial Law and eCommerce and a BA in Information Systems at Vic. Currently a Systems Analyst so fits inline with half of my course of study

BlueShift

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# 1774017 2-May-2017 08:52

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I took English Lit at uni, have never had an English Lit related job, (records mgmt to contract admin to helpdesk to support and on from there) but I do use the skills and knowledge I picked up at uni pretty much daily (although mostly though grinding my teeth while reading doco 'written' by others). in addition to EngLit, I did several science courses, film studies, a couple of Comp Sci papers, and intro to management, all of which I use regularly (except the comp sci, oddly enough - it was pretty basic and I already knew most of it from school and home).

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