[Note To Self]

Nothing drives me crazier than when a job posting requires a degree for the type of experience THAT I SWEAR I HAVE.

I had loose plans to return to school and earn an associate’s degree. I never once thought that the program that I did at the Iron Yard was going to be it. I never once thought that the certificate of completion was enough for me. It was going to be a stepping stone. A stepping stone to what… I wasn’t quite sure. As I mentioned before, I was a music education major. I had been told for years that my strengths lied with the more “right-brain” pursuits. Math and science weren’t my strong suits… or so I was told.

I didn’t take physics in high school. My first experience with physics was at the college level. The only reason I took physics AND the physics lab, was because they fit into my schedule. Let me tell you… that was the hardest class that I have ever taken. My professor was really peculiar about how he wanted the homework done (All on one page, he should be able to just flip through it to read.). It took me DAYS to finish my homework. I passed the class with a B, but man, that was a hard-fought B.

That physics class changed my outlook on math and science classes. Things that I believed I was not good at… turns out they were just things that required more effort than I was used to. Unlocking that was… incredible.

So it seems like getting a degree in computer science is the logical step right? Like I said, I had a loose plan. School costs money. Being unemployed means I’m not earning money. School has been shelved for the time being.

But it doesn’t mean that I don’t think about it. Especially now. Sometimes I will come across a job posting that I KNOW I am perfect for. But it will require a degree, and I know that I can’t get a look or get my foot in the door without one… even if I have all the required and relevant experience.

Yes. Yes, I did try submitting my application anyway. Yes, I did get rejected almost immediately. A lot of my time is spent reading through applications to make sure that the location requirement is properly listed. By the way… if you are requiring the person to be located near an office? That’s not remote, it’s hybrid. HYBRID.

Anyway… I no longer apply if I don’t check all of the boxes. Especially that education requirement. But man… I still want to be able to check off that box so bad. So… more loose plans. Get a job, go back to school. How? Don’t know the details yet.

Stay tuned.