Do It Yourself
If you have the dedication, you can teach yourself to become anything in your own time.
Game development. Utilities. Whatever it is you need or want. The world is not so complicated that with a little time or effort you won’t be able to lean into something and build it yourself. If you’re into cars there are plenty of hobbyists who can build one from scratch. If you’re into artificial intelligence there are plenty of hobbyists who can properly train and deploy a model. Nothing is out of reach in 2020 and beyond.
Forget About Needing an Education
I’ve struggled with this to be honest, and I’ve missed out on a lot of opportunities because my degree says, “Biochemistry,” instead of “Computer Sciences.” In the end though, am I really less qualified? I learned everything I know in my own time and at my own pace, I am able to compete against others who may have trodden down the path to a degree, why then do I find myself at a disadvantage in the job market?
In my career, I’ve wound my way to computer science seemingly by proxy. There was a need, I volunteered to fill it. Rinse and repeat. I taught myself how to get here, and I’ve never really worked in “Biochemistry” anyways, my degree is literally a “he’s smart enough to have attended – some – of his classes and earn this,” piece of a paper. That’s it.
My true skills. My skills that sell my resume, are all computer science based. I could probably still pipette 2.5 mL of HCl into 50 cuvette, but my time is better suited to deploying analysis solutions for varying data sets. In my spare time, where there really isn’t much chemistry besides cooking – I love cooking – my hobbies tended to gravitate towards computers as well, and over time, well science has taken an extreme back burner.
The science in my life now, comes from experiments that I plan or buy to do with my sons. They love it, from volcanos to astronomy, they can’t get enough, but I really can’t market that very well. My education has become something I’m passing along, but not something that I’ve used in my career.
What Can You Do Then
Build something. Do tutorials. Explore what you love. Want to build drones? Do it! Want to learn carpentry? Do it! YouTube, Udemy, Google, all of these tools can literally teach you anything at all! There are even thousands of resources online explaining and delving into CRSPR, the foundations and cutting edge of the frontiers of modifying life itself. Sure you won’t have the degree to snag the job, but if that wasn’t your goal then who cares. Go learn it!
Learn something. Every day. Whether it’s a lesson from your three year old, a piece of history from a magazine, or the end result of hours delving into Wikipedia. Just learn something. Your mind will thank you.
