Ask HN: Can I become a programmer with a Computer Programmer Analyst course?

Hi, I'm a developer working at a startup and I graduated from a Computer Programming course at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. I hear from recruiters constantly.

So ultimately it depends where you're applying. When I started out, I mostly did freelance work on sites like Guru.com. This let me set up a portfolio of work I could point to, and got me to the point where my lack of a BS could be overcome by "equivalent experience". If you can find enough gigs, you'll get to that point pretty quickly, after which you'll find that most employers won't care that you don't have a BS. Smaller companies will care less as long as you can show that you will be able to do the work. Bigger companies will probably care more / might filter you out (although I will say that I have been contacted by internal recruiters from "big four" software companies, but only more recently, with experience). You additionally might get filtered out later in your career when you try to move into management, but I suspect this doesn't happen as much as you might think.

Also, what does your course cover? If it doesn't teach C++, Java, or Python (and possibly others but mostly at least one mainstream programming language), you might want to consider a different course. There should ideally also be a database architecture segment.

Edit: I looked into your program, looks good, similar to the one I took. I would look at the articulation agreements they have to upgrade to a BS after program completion (one bonus being that you'll still save a lot of money vs. entering into the BS right away). If you can, see if you can get into Waterloo in particular since they have a local Google office. And for the love of God, take the co-op! It's the single greatest way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the students in the program.

You can become a programmer without anything at all. I went to Uni for Music and Math... what matters is you want to be a programmer. Pick up a few programming languages relevant to a project you can write as a demo of currently relevant technologies. Do a couple of paid or unpaid internships to figure out what business really requires because lord knows they don't teach much of that at college or university. Get references from your tutors and relevant people (example: Team Lead, Managers and Directors) at your internships and start applying for programming jobs. Congratulations, you are now a programmer. Despite what people will tell you, you don't need a degree certificate to get a job. What you can demonstrate you've done and who will vouch for you goes a lot further than a bit of paper. Learn everything you can from your course, the education will surely be useful at some point but don't get hung up on what the degree is or where the bit of paper is from. The most relevant thing you have by taking the course is open access to material, tutors and staff that you can pepper with questions to your hearts content.