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My old boss said I needed a degree to leave retail, but I just landed a tech job without one
For two years, my store manager kept telling me I was stuck without a four year degree. He said my path out of retail was community college first, then maybe an office job. I listened for a while, feeling pretty down. Then last fall, I saw a free online course for data analysis basics and just started it at night. I built a small portfolio with three projects using public data from my city. I applied to maybe 15 entry level jobs, got one interview, and they hired me based on the work I showed them. I start next Monday as a support analyst. Has anyone else been told they needed a formal credential they didn't end up needing? How did you prove your skills instead?
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laurar384h ago
That whole "you need the paper to prove it" thing is so outdated. Your story really shows how much hiring has changed, especially in tech. It's not about the degree on the wall anymore, it's about the work you can actually do and show. A lot of managers from older generations just don't get that a portfolio of real projects is way stronger than a generic transcript. They're stuck in the old system. You basically built your own proof, which is smarter than just going into debt for a class you might not need. That manager was giving advice for a world that doesn't really exist now.
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