Channel 9 Forums - Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/Dev/App_Themes/C9/images/feedimage.png Channel 9 Forums - Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums Channel 9 keeps you up to date with the latest news and behind the scenes info from Microsoft that developers love to keep up with. From LINQ to SilverLight – Watch videos and hear about all the cool technologies coming and the people behind them. http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums en Sun, 26 May 2013 03:05:27 GMT Sun, 26 May 2013 03:05:27 GMT Rev9 9 -9 -1 Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft

I've experienced a bunch of different attitudes towards college degrees so far.  Some companies won’t even look at you unless you have one, and others don’t care at all – most however sit somewhere in the middle.

 

I’m curious how many people at MSFT, and the channel 9 community in general, hold degrees in a technical field (comp sci, engineering, math, etc.)  What about advanced degrees?

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/3973#3973 Wed, 21 Apr 2004 16:03:52 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/3973#3973 themaffeo 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/themaffeo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft I have a PhD in biophysics. My first boss at Microsoft dropped out of college after a couple of semesters. It really doesn't matter. It may help you get noticed by recruiters, but once you are into the interview process and certainly once you are a Microsoft employee, the degree itself doesn't matter.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/2b81f251a60d404d8b8c9dea01170378#2b81f251a60d404d8b8c9dea01170378 Wed, 21 Apr 2004 16:22:41 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/2b81f251a60d404d8b8c9dea01170378#2b81f251a60d404d8b8c9dea01170378 DanCrevier 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/DanCrevier/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft I'm not a MSFT employee and I don't have a degree. I've never really come across any problems getting work because I don't have a degree. Employers are more interested in what I know and how I apply it.

Then again, I'm unemployed right now Perplexed

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/7d6f42cce14f43c2861b9dea011703ad#7d6f42cce14f43c2861b9dea011703ad Wed, 21 Apr 2004 16:32:56 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/7d6f42cce14f43c2861b9dea011703ad#7d6f42cce14f43c2861b9dea011703ad NeilCo 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/NeilCo/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft I dont have any degree but got lots of work.. I am freelancer and got my own company.. and as well, I am getting work from quite good companies.. so dont think so degrees really count.. if you know enough... Bill Gates - college dropper... and many are there.. Steve Jobs - I think he is also college dropper.. but not sure.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/01417250d33d4c7ca6039dea011703d9#01417250d33d4c7ca6039dea011703d9 Wed, 21 Apr 2004 17:18:36 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/01417250d33d4c7ca6039dea011703d9#01417250d33d4c7ca6039dea011703d9 dhavalhirdhav 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/dhavalhirdhav/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft I do not have a degree. It all depends on the person. Some need school and some don't. I grew up with an entire family of techies in the 70's and 80's, so I lucked out.

If I went to school, I would take something to fall back on... like Acting. Smiley Honestly I won't sit in a room knowing more than my professor and at this stage I have nothing to gain by going to college (as I have been told by University of Pheonix).

I am the Director of Development for a medical company.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/3a73d61ef2d8427f8f339dea01170407#3a73d61ef2d8427f8f339dea01170407 Wed, 21 Apr 2004 18:39:56 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/3a73d61ef2d8427f8f339dea01170407#3a73d61ef2d8427f8f339dea01170407 FluffyDevilBunny 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/FluffyDevilBunny/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft Good question. I'm a junior in high school now, and have had two internships (no official jobs yet). Both places really said that a degree didn't matter too much. It's nice to have, but they're not gonna hire or not hire just based on a college degree.

Either way, I'll definitely end up getting a degree, most likely in Business/CIS. Something like 85% or more of graduates of my school go to college, so it's practically required...plus I know I can use the experience. I'm currently looking at either OSU (Ohio State Univ.) or Cincinnati. Still have around a year to decide though.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/0240269e53b14c1b871e9dea0117044d#0240269e53b14c1b871e9dea0117044d Wed, 21 Apr 2004 19:51:51 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/0240269e53b14c1b871e9dea0117044d#0240269e53b14c1b871e9dea0117044d OSUKid7 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/OSUKid7/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft I have a degree but it's in Political Science, not a technical field. I got into using PC's in the early 80's when I was doing statistical analysis at a state government agency and moved into the computer field soon afterward. Not having a technical degree has hurt me at some companies, most notably ones where a technical degree from a particular local university were considered the price of admission to work there.

Other companies I've worked for have required a college degree to get past the HR gatekeepers but sly people got around this several ways, usually by knowing somebody.  

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/87b91d8eb8dd4827b5269dea0117047b#87b91d8eb8dd4827b5269dea0117047b Thu, 22 Apr 2004 00:37:53 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/87b91d8eb8dd4827b5269dea0117047b#87b91d8eb8dd4827b5269dea0117047b FrankCarr 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/FrankCarr/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft No degree and I have a job doing what I like.  FOr me its been all about persoanl drive and the ability to learn from reading and doing.  Although it may be hard to get that initial job/experience without a degree.  I feel pretty lucky with how things have worked out for me.

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/6207a849fbbb43e7900d9dea011704a8#6207a849fbbb43e7900d9dea011704a8 Fri, 23 Apr 2004 05:45:25 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/6207a849fbbb43e7900d9dea011704a8#6207a849fbbb43e7900d9dea011704a8 Adam Kinney 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/AdamKinney/Discussions/RSS Coffeehouse - College and Microsoft
themaffeo wrote:
I’m curious how many people at MSFT, and the channel 9 community in general, hold degrees in a technical field (comp sci, engineering, math, etc.)  What about advanced degrees?


I have a B.S. degree in Systems Engineering (SW Option) from the University of Arizona (Go Cats!). With only a few exceptions I've used very little of what I learned in my classes in college during the last 14 years at MS. Many of the people I work with at MS, whom I respect greatly for both their technical and personal leadership didn't go to or didn't finish college.

That said, I'd never recommend to anyone that they skip college. I was far better prepared to deal with people because of my college experience (even being part of the SAE frat was helpful in this regard). Go to college, do well enough that you can feel you got your money's worth, party, play, and interact with a lot of people. Then use that experience (not knowlege) to move on to the next phase of your life.

-cek

]]> http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/4a30d886f1ac478d8dd49dea011704d7#4a30d886f1ac478d8dd49dea011704d7 Sat, 24 Apr 2004 06:27:35 GMT http://channel9.msdn.com/Forums/Coffeehouse/3973-College-and-Microsoft/4a30d886f1ac478d8dd49dea011704d7#4a30d886f1ac478d8dd49dea011704d7 Charlie Kindel 9 http://channel9.msdn.com/Niners/ckindel/Discussions/RSS