Does degree prestige count in Silicon Valley

Question

Hi, I go to a non-flagship state university in a smaller state on the east coast. I plan on moving after graduation to the SF area for various reasons, but being at the top place for my field is part of it.

My school is decently respected for my major regionally but nationally basically unknown. Will I have a lot of trouble obtaining a job just based on that. I have internships, a high GPA and even some research experience. Will I be able to compete with the top grads for highly ranked school for the jobs I really want? I'm not talking about the jobs with the big name companies just yet neccessarily but I would hope I'd be able to atleast find a good job.

ps. I could have went to my states flagship school with is like top 50 or so but didn't because I can't relocate currently for various reasons. Hopefully I' not screwed.

Answer 1

The reputation of your school is a good way of filtering out candidates. If I'm running a shop and have 10000 people apply for 10 jobs, screening becomes a big problem so I'd use school reputation to filter the applicants.

If you're from a medium range school, it might be wise to bolster your credentials with other things (open source project involvement etc.) and mention that in your cover letter so that you stand out from the masses.

Answer 2

I would suggest for you to get involved in some open source project(s). Open source projects are a great way to let people see what kind of work you can do and more importantly the quality of the code you write.

Answer 3

My degree was only really useful to get my first job out of university. After that, most prospective employers will look at your body of work (employment/volunteer/... accomplishments), assuming a certain 'completion' of a computer degree.

You learn how to learn at school and once you get out there you should continue to learn to differentiate yourself and to keep yourself relevant.

Your grades and research will help get a lot of interviews. As long as you are not trying to come in as the CTO, you should have no problem getting in the door. Once there, it is up to you to climb whatever ladder you want.