Part time qualifications for developers in SA

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TheLaggingShaman

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Dec 6, 2006
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246
Hi there,

I have been employed as a support engineer in a growing digital company for 9 months. I came in with no related degree (BA undergrad), just some high-school Java, self teaching and online courses, and have since worked with and learnt a quite competitive tech stack - Node.JS with ES6, Angular, small amount of React and Typescript. I would say I'm soon to move past beginner level, but the lack of a qualification worries me when looking to move up or away from where I am and improve from the very entry level pay.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or information on valuable local qualifications that I can do while working to be more appealing to employers. Even suggestions for full-time (shorter-term...) qualifications or different progression paths entirely would be appreciated.

Thanks for your time
 
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TheLaggingShaman

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X

XennoX

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Nov 15, 2007
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TheLaggingShaman said:
Thanks DanDango,

Have you done this? What's the shortest timeframe one can complete in?
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UNISA recommends 8 hours per week per module. I am currently doing 4 modules this semester whilst working full time. It really sucks up a lot of time. I spend anywhere between 30 - 40 hours a week studying. When I hit the level 2 modules, I think I'll drop to 3 modules per semester, simply because of the time demand.
 
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nickc

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Jun 9, 2008
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TheLaggingShaman said:
What's the shortest timeframe one can complete in?
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Be careful using the shortest timeframe to completion as a criterion for a qualification. There are plenty of organisations out there that promise you a qualification with a short 9 month course... but it's just a quick fix... as a software developer you quickly learn that quick fixes come back to bite you in the end.

I think the UNISA option is the best one to go for.
 
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Ancalagon

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Feb 23, 2010
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Can anyone recommend any good qualifications for developers who are already qualified?

I have a BSC Hons in computer science and many years of experience, but I'm thinking I might need more academic or professional qualifications to keep up. What is worth doing?

MSc in computer science? Those Microsoft certifications? TOEGAF?
 
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cguy

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Jan 2, 2013
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8,527
Ancalagon said:
Can anyone recommend any good qualifications for developers who are already qualified?

I have a BSC Hons in computer science and many years of experience, but I'm thinking I might need more academic or professional qualifications to keep up. What is worth doing?

MSc in computer science? Those Microsoft certifications? TOEGAF?
Click to expand...

What do you want to achieve? If you're looking for more interesting work, an MSc may provide a springboard for that.
 
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Ancalagon

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Feb 23, 2010
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cguy said:
What do you want to achieve? If you're looking for more interesting work, an MSc may provide a springboard for that.
Click to expand...

If I'm honest, I don't really know. I enjoy my current job and the work I do. However, I feel that if I don't continue to grow, I will stagnate.

What areas would I like to grow in?

At the moment, the things I enjoy are solving difficult backend related problems and architecture. I don't really know all that much about architecture, I suppose I want to learn more about it. I'm also interested in the intersection between industrial engineering and software development - ie optimizing the workplace and reducing waste.
 
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gkm

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May 10, 2005
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1,519
Ancalagon said:
If I'm honest, I don't really know. I enjoy my current job and the work I do. However, I feel that if I don't continue to grow, I will stagnate.

What areas would I like to grow in?

At the moment, the things I enjoy are solving difficult backend related problems and architecture. I don't really know all that much about architecture, I suppose I want to learn more about it. I'm also interested in the intersection between industrial engineering and software development - ie optimizing the workplace and reducing waste.
Click to expand...

One option might be to look on Coursera for courses that interest you.
 
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