I’m going to school using my GI Bill but I hear about a lot of people landing roles earlier through Tech. Bootcamps. I wanted to find out if I should save my GI Bill time, and use it for a shorter boot camp instead. I’m new to the tech industry so I’m battling between prioritizing my degree or looking employable sooner.
Answers
AI and chatgpt is changing sw dev
https://youtu.be/OeebS-VcSH0
https://youtu.be/Zm9B-DvwOgw
https://twitter.com/heyBarsee
https://twitter.com/rowancheung
Use it to get ahead of the curve
and get some good degree for gatekeepers
When I started to attend night college , there was no Computer Science Department. Most computer programmers were either Electrical Engineering, Mathematics or even a some Science Majors. My first formal job in Computer Programming involved Assembly Language programming. But the field grew and changed, now some companies might require a Computer Science degree, as certain basic essential concepts are now taught in that course of study. It is up to you to chart your course in life. Time goes by so you might only get to make one choice.
One exercise that could help you decide if you want or need a Computer Science or any other degree is to do job searches with relevant keywords, then create a version of your resume targeting each job that emphasizes the stated job requirements. That might help you decide how many employers demand a Computer Science or other degree or not.
Also you could examine the job titles at BLS.gov to see number of positions & salaries.
I've added links to information & videos under these sections of my EE webpage that might help you.
http://eehot.com/ee.html#mentoring - traverse BLS.gov to:
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.t01.htm
http://eehot.com/ee.html#jobs - job searches
http://eehot.com/ee.html#gjobs -Fed. Gov job search
http://eehot.com/ee.html#cs - Computer Science & Computers
http://eehot.com/ee.html#languages - "Write in C" music video" :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4YRPdRXKFs
http://eehot.com/ee.html#networking - get 1 year FREE LinkedIn premium
http://eehot.com/ee.html#datascience
http://eehot.com/ee.html#ai
http://eehot.com/ee.html#infosec
http://eehot.com/ee.html#automation
http://eehot.com/ee.html#resumes
http://eehot.com/ee.html#hobby
http://eehot.com/ee.html#va
http://eehot.com/ee.html#gibill
http://eehot.com/ee.html#vso
Sample google job search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=jobs%3A+Computer+Science+location%3A+N.Y.%2C+N.Y.
Oooops, I forgot to mention how I was able to pay for the tuition for my undergraduate & Graduate degree! At the time many employers reimbursed employees who studied part time if they got good grades. I worked several jobs, some technical. So you could stretch your GI Bill by working a full time job & studying part time. There might be time limits on some VA funding though from your ETS date. For graduate school there are usually teaching or research assistant jobs if you matriculate full time. Now there seems to be many online degree programs. :
http://eehot.com/ee.html#schools
Enjoy being young!

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Hi Mohammed, thank you for your question! There are a number of programs you can utilize to continue your tech education without a two- or four-year degree. ACT Now Education (https://actnoweducation.org/home) is an excellent resource for finding free and very low-cost courses. You can also check out the VA's VET TEC program (https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/vettec-high-tech-program/), which requires you to have at least one day of remaining GI Bill benefits but will not count against your GI Bill. Other great resources are VetsInTech (https://vetsintech.co/), Code Platoon (https://www.codeplatoon.org/), and Splunk (https://workplus.splunk.com/veterans). If you have specific questions about any of these programs or which courses will be most beneficial, I recommend discussing this with your ACP Mentor to determine the best path forward.
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