Should you find a job or continue the tech studies?

Start by evaluating if you are a good student or not, and if you have experience with coding in the technology the job market is asking for. These are the two main factors in deciding what to do next.

What if I’m a bad student?

Bad students will hate two more years of the same shit and need to realize that they could have spent that time learning how to code, rather than writing a thesis.

Luckily for you, the IT industry is somewhat unique. Many IT candidates are typical self-thought geniuses that lack the interest or ability to succeed through theoretical studies and exams. It is possible to be great in your field without a formal background. That’s actually one of the reasons why we want to create a CV, the WA, and better mirror a candidate’s actual competence level and context, without just flaunting their degrees.

What if I lack relevant job experience?

If studying hard (and probs “socializing” equally hard) is all you have been doing for the last three years, we recommend you to enter the real world even if you have good grades.

IT educations are too theoretical to compete with actual work experience. Some subjects are still basing grades on pen n’ paper programming, and most practical assignments are missing the context and legacy you deal with in big projects.

The only exceptions to this advice is if you get amazing grades. Let’s be honest, a consultancy agency will snap you up even if you’re competing with more talented programmers.

And if I have relevant job experience?

Great! Students with relevant part time jobs, summer jobs or internships are more in a position to choose what to do next. Consider what’s your best learning method and goals in life.

Programmers with experience will get a full time job in this market and there is no point in starting a master’s degree you are incapable of finishing. But if you are a good programmer and have decent grades, we recommend going for the Master’s.

Degree level is often used as a filter to make the CV pile manageable. A master’s degree stands out in the recruiting process, especially in bigger companies with many applicants.

To sum it up, a master’s will generally get you through the door, but getting further will be hard if your grades are bad and/or you actually suck at the tasks they want to hire you to do.

The disclaimer

This is of course just a general observation, and deciding on education is always a very subjective and individual choice. Motivation is for example a very important factor that have not been discussed in this blog post.

Our guidelines are based on nearly ten years in the IT recruiting industry from local, national and international agencies. If you’re having troubles deciding what to do, feel free to get in touch. We are happy to answer questions and give advice.