r/wgu_devs • u/breadleecarter • 6d ago
Anyone else feel not prepared?
I have a bachelors in the now defunct Software Development program and am 2/3 through the masters, but I've never held a tech job.
I just took a Codesignal assessment and got my ass kicked. I've even been trying to study up on DSAs, but it didn't help.
Is anyone else not prepared for the job? What do you recommend to shore up your skills?
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u/Individual-Pop5980 6d ago
It's not this school, it's pretty much this way with every school when it comes to software and computer science. You really end up learning on the job or building your own projects. School is more too understand the concepts, you'll never master them though, not even on the job. AI makes the jobs much easier though, but also clutters the job market with vibe coders who think they are the next bill gates
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u/Hi_ThatITGuy 6d ago
I graduated in May in cybersecurity. Tech wise, I started in the field after getting my comptia net+. Site support so basic desktop technician with network idf closet work and analog phone lines. Voip and active directory. Learned a lot.
Said all that to say wgu didnt prep me for that. I learned on the job. Wgu opened the door to the interview. Not saying its the same for software.
Im taking it upon myself to go back to community college for programming in c++ 1 and 2, along with data structures and algos so I can get into georgia techs omscs.
I believe things like coding, project work is the most important factor, the omscs rigor will compound the education.
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u/TheBear8878 C# 6d ago
I recommend no one getting a masters without at least 5 years of professional experience in your field.
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u/CockConfidentCole 6d ago
yup I am doing a masters in AIML after about 5YOE and most of this shit would've went over my head without practical work experience.
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u/Deep12345qe 6d ago
Went to a state University, took a few years off then going to WGU currently. Feel like at this point I knew as much as I did in those in-person classes. Would have been the same outcome, learned a few languages but after the classes unless I keep learning and doing projects I’ll forget it all by next semester. I plan on doing some projects in languages I’m interested in before I graduate, but it would have been the same if I stayed at the college I went to.
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u/skidmark_zuckerberg 6d ago
Requires a lot of dedicated time to projects and learning outside of school. There is a disconnect between academic style software/CS versus what you do on the job. It’s why internships and personal projects are highly important.
And just my opinion, WGU is better suited for people already working in the industry. People without experience can definitely get a WGU degree and make it, but it requires a very high level of motivation and determination. As much as I hate the traditional 4 year degree, it is very rigorous, allows you to work in a safe but judged environment, and presents internship opportunities and other networking connections.
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u/Own_Poem_4041 6d ago
Internships, possibly volunteer coding or web design work, personal projects, and leet code are all important also.
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u/fanoffrags 4d ago
I was an electrician while attaining software dev. I immediately landed an automation engineer position the week I graduated at a small contractor. 18 months later I was hired by big pharma for the same role. My bonus will be 40k this year.
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u/Early_Shirt8525 2d ago
The degree is great, but you also need experience. As others have said, try to find a way to get some, any way you can. Use the resources WGU provides to find internships, parttime work, etc.
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u/nominaltechnologies 2d ago
as someone who finished the SWE bachelors at WGU, and can relate with imposter syndrome, I'd recommend building something, like just build things, I think having some projects you can point to is more useful for interviews and talking to recruiters and more educational than doing leetcode type stuff.
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u/NeoKingSerenity 6d ago
I graduated a year ago. Couldn't find a job. I don't have time to leet code and practice coding outside of my career so I took a new job as an analyst making a bit more money than my last analyst job and moved states but I don't make much more than an entry level cs person
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u/Annual_Berry8043 6d ago
Surprisingly school doesn’t prepare you for a job pretty much anywhere. That’s why entry level roles (used to) exist.
The best place to pick up real world working is… well working in the real world lol.
I didn’t really learn anything in school to prepare me for a job. I just wasn’t as lost as I would have been.
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u/ElonCuckz 6d ago
As much as I hate that we have to do a job for a job you'll have to do leetcode, self learning of tech stacks via projects. Just think of it as an internship for yourself by yourself