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Trent Adams
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 960 PointsIS Techdegree Worth IT?
I am an audio/visual learner so I tend to do better with videos etc. I just signed up for the Full Stack JavaScript and was wondering is it worth it? Will these courses truly help me to learn front and back-end development?Also, what's the best way to get the most of the training?
Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
Rob Allessi
8,600 PointsHey Trent,
Would love to address your question on if the Techdegree is worth it. Now, bear in mind as a staff member, my opinion is one of bias— the short of it is, yes, I do personally believe that it's worth it. I'm not stating that just because we're seeing numbers grow each day, but because we're hearing from our students who are going out getting jobs, who are putting out apps and building websites. There's been a tremendous amount of success among our students who have jumped into Techdegree. Have you checked out any of student's success stories yet? If not, I'd encourage you take a few minutes and take a look. https://teamtreehouse.com/stories
In regards to getting the most out of it, I'd highly encourage you to join the Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Slack channel. There you'll find other students who are currently participating in the same Techdegree as you, as well as staff and mentors who are able to help address questions and concerns if and when you come across them.
I hope this answers your questions. If you have any more, please don't hesitate to ping me directly at help@teamtreehouse.com or reach out to me on Slack!
Thomas Beaudry
29,084 PointsA Tech Degree or not, personally I think it is all in the individual's portfolio, when applying for a position with most companies they will want to see your capabilities (Git etc.) it's not so much the money you've spent, but what you can actually DO at that interview.
matthewshear
9,229 PointsYes. This man knows what he's talking about.
I've learned so many important little pieces of information while obtaining my Techdegree. I can't tell you how many times I've been watching a video and the teacher explains something to me and suddenly I flash back to an interview where I was asked a question on this topic and I think, "Of course! Now I know how to answer this question from now on. How stupid I was having done this for 20+ years and not knowing that answer!"
I've been a web development contractor for 20+ years. I know how employers think. Honestly, an unaccredited degree like a Techdegree is about as valuable as no degree at all. You aren't really doing this for the degree, you're doing it so you sound intelligent on interviews, have at least a basic portfolio and possess all the skills & best practices needed for the role you're interviewing for.
No employer is going to see that you have a TechDegree and think, "Oh, that's good. I'll hire him." They're very dismissiveive of unaccredited degrees. Like I said, beyond doing well on the interview, it's all about years of experience and what skills you possess.
Trust me, I've been doing thins successfully since I was 18 and I'm 38.
Trent Adams
Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree Student 960 PointsThank you for your response. I will be looking into this. So far, everything seems to be going okay. It would really be nice to ask questions etc. so looking at the Slack channel would be great.
matthewshear
9,229 Pointsmatthewshear
9,229 PointsThat's hard to say. It depends why you want it. A Techdegree is not a recognized certification. So having it will not necessarily help you get a job. But the skills you learn while getting the Techdegree obviously will. I chose to do a Techdegree over just a monthly thing because of the Slack channel and primarily because of the assistance building a portfolio. If you've been a web developer for 20 years like me, you know that a portfolio is CRITICAL. It's nearly impossible to find work without one these days.
So the answer is, it depends. In your case, I would probably start with a monthly subscription and see how I liked it. In our field, employers seem to care very little about schooling and accreditation. It's all about years of experience and what skills you possess.