Next Steps in Tech Without Formal CompSci Education? /u/Ok_Technician1872 CSCQ protests reddit

I’m at a point in my career where I’ve got my foot in the door, and I’m thinking about my medium- to long-term trajectory—how to best set myself up for success in the tech field.

Background Info:

• Mid-to-late 20s, male, STEM undergrad. My degree was in a comp-sci-adjacent field, more focused on data modeling and statistical analysis. Most of my software engineering skills are self-taught through side projects or learned on the job.

• Started my career in business informatics/data analysis, gradually upskilled, and took on more responsibilities. After 3 years, I was laid off during a headcount reduction.

• Quickly transitioned into a data scientist role at a medium-large non-tech company.

• After 3 months there, I landed a data engineering position at an AI startup, originally being considered for a more BI-heavy role.

I’ve been in my current job for about a year. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve gained a lot of software engineering experience and work alongside some very talented engineers. The transition into data engineering was challenging, but I kept grinding and managed to build some of our most valuable integrations and pipelines. Leadership has complimented me repeatedly for my grit, determination, and consistent effort in improving our infrastructure.

I wouldn’t call myself irreplaceable, but replacing me would probably be costly. My day-to-day involves Python and JavaScript, though I’m moderately comfortable with C++ and Rust from side projects. I frequently work with distributed computing in a microservices architecture, using AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and gRPC.

My Current Situation: Due to some personal factors (relocating to help care for a sick parent and moving from an HCOL to an MCOL area), I’m considering looking for a role without a strict RTO policy or one that offers hybrid flexibility closer to where I’ll live.

I’m also making below market rate for a data engineer (~$125k TC) and would ideally like to earn more (or at least the same).

What I’m Asking: Given my lack of formal computer science education, what should I prioritize when searching for my next role or upskilling?

Are there key certifications, skills, or projects I should focus on to improve my marketability? What kind of roles might be a good next step for someone with my background? Thanks for taking the time to read and share your thoughts!

I’m at a point in my career where I’ve got my foot in the door, and I’m thinking about my medium- to long-term trajectory—how to best set myself up for success in the tech field.

Background Info:

• Mid-to-late 20s, male, STEM undergrad. My degree was in a comp-sci-adjacent field, more focused on data modeling and statistical analysis. Most of my software engineering skills are self-taught through side projects or learned on the job.

• Started my career in business informatics/data analysis, gradually upskilled, and took on more responsibilities. After 3 years, I was laid off during a headcount reduction.

• Quickly transitioned into a data scientist role at a medium-large non-tech company.

• After 3 months there, I landed a data engineering position at an AI startup, originally being considered for a more BI-heavy role.

I’ve been in my current job for about a year. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve gained a lot of software engineering experience and work alongside some very talented engineers. The transition into data engineering was challenging, but I kept grinding and managed to build some of our most valuable integrations and pipelines. Leadership has complimented me repeatedly for my grit, determination, and consistent effort in improving our infrastructure.

I wouldn’t call myself irreplaceable, but replacing me would probably be costly. My day-to-day involves Python and JavaScript, though I’m moderately comfortable with C++ and Rust from side projects. I frequently work with distributed computing in a microservices architecture, using AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, and gRPC.

My Current Situation: Due to some personal factors (relocating to help care for a sick parent and moving from an HCOL to an MCOL area), I’m considering looking for a role without a strict RTO policy or one that offers hybrid flexibility closer to where I’ll live.

I’m also making below market rate for a data engineer (~$125k TC) and would ideally like to earn more (or at least the same).

What I’m Asking: Given my lack of formal computer science education, what should I prioritize when searching for my next role or upskilling?

Are there key certifications, skills, or projects I should focus on to improve my marketability? What kind of roles might be a good next step for someone with my background? Thanks for taking the time to read and share your thoughts!