A College Degree vs a Google Certificate. The Battle Begins…

Take your pick.

Google has done it again.

This time the disrupted industry is College education. By launching a 6-month certificate program that is more valuable than a traditional degree (according to them), they’ve risen doubts about traditional learning programs.

Students and their parents have been debating for a while whether spending 4 years and $100,000 is a wise investment in a job market that is changing so fast and doesn’t seem to value a university degree as much as before.

According to Google, Amazon, Facebook, and others, a college degree is no longer a prerequisite to work for them. They just want people with relevant skills regardless of the source. In order to achieve those skills, Google has joined efforts with the online platform Coursera offering 2 certificates for about $300 each — Google Automation with Python and Google IT Support Professional Certificate.

Here is what Kent Walker, senior vice president of global affairs at Google wrote in his blog:

“We will consider our new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for related roles”

And not just that, Google has teamed up with about 50 companies that invite graduates to join their workforce after complexion. Some of these companies are Walmart, Hulu, Bank of America, Intel, Best Buy, and many others.

So, where is the catch? Is this too good to be true? Is this just hot air to self promote and will amount to nothing?

My experience

I have just finished the Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate and this is my take on it.

My background

Although I’ve always been interested in coding and even went as far as reading a few books and tinkering with some code, it was more like a passing interest and a daydream rather than a serious hobby.

However, I am an advanced Linux user so I’m very familiar with the terminal, the shell script, and the open-source ecosystem in general.

Apart from that, I’ve never worked in any IT-related job and until recently I didn’t consider myself even a coding aficionado.

The Certificate

There were 6 courses in the program:

A crash course on Python
Using Python to interact with the operating system
Introducing Git and Github
Troubleshooting and debugging techniques
Configuration management and the Cloud
Automating real-world task with Python

As you can see, the course is heavily weighted on Python but it’s also based on Linux. Whether you use Windows or Mac the exercises and the exam take place in a VM Linux environment so that helped.

Out of the 6 courses, 3 are about Python, which is the core of the certificate. The question you might be asking is: Is it possible to finish this program with no previous knowledge of Python? Definitely. However, it is tough. In the beginning, it’s just easy exercises, sort of Hello World! kind of stuff but then, some tests are very advanced and it was a struggle to put everything together into a functioning unit.

My feeling is that the gap between what you learn and what you are tested on is wide, so in order to pass some tests, I had to do a lot of self-learning to compensate for my lack of knowledge. I guess that in an IT job, you have to be self-reliant and find solutions to problems you’ve never seen before so, in that sense, it’s a good training.

The other 3 courses were about Github, the Cloud, and Debugging. Github it’s a coding platform for version control and collaboration that comes in very handy for anyone in IT. The Debugging techniques and the Cloud parts were more general and not that useful, to be honest, but interesting nevertheless.

My motivations to enroll in this certificate were to learn new skills and see if I had what it takes. I was not 100% confident I could pass the exams, and I was not sure if it could benefit me professionally.

My expectations

I wanted to become to be a decent Python programmer. I know that was unrealistic. I’m definitely not there yet but I am well on my way to become one. In fact, the main benefit of this program has been to keep my motivation high and to increase my thirst for knowledge in this area.

The Coursera platform does something really well: to give you a sense of accomplishment, a sense of urgency, and a gratifying experience.

Every day I managed to tick off a few lessons and that made me come back for more. In fact, I have become addicted to the platform, since then I have joined a few other courses and certificates.

I’ve tried other platforms before and tried self-learning through books and the internet but the one that has made me tick is Coursera. I totally recommend it.

One of the options this platform offers is to join the Coursera plus program by which for about $300 a year you get unlimited access to all the courses and certificates on the platform (except the college degrees). I’m trying to make my money’s worth and have enrolled in everything tech-related. I’m learning at a great pace like never before. I even completed a course on Quantum Physics! What the …?!

Only one criticism for the platform. They seem to be very keen on selling you college degrees rather than pure online courses. These degrees are of course more expensive and they take much longer to finish. In my view, this detracts a bit from the philosophy of online education but hey, that’s just my opinion.

Coursera offers a fair amount of courses and certificates but nowhere as near as other platforms like Udemy. Udemy education offer is much more varied and comprehensive, however, Coursera makes you finish what you start, and that’s a big deal.

Did Google and Coursera fulfill my expectations?

I’m very glad I got the certification and very proud of myself. Thanks to this program I can see myself becoming a fully fledged programmer eventually. The main benefit has been realizing that I am capable of much more than I thought and that, by itself, has made it worthwhile.

Most people sell themselves short, they don’t believe in their potential and then settle for much less of what they capable of. I was one of them. But no more. Now I have the confidence to tackle any goal however complex. Nothing is difficult when you break it down into small steps and keep advancing every day.

I must admit that I still don’t feel confident enough to work for Google or any of the other companies in the program, but this may well be impostor syndrome. Of course, you can’t become a full stack developer in six months, that takes a lifetime, but an entry-level job in which you solve daily IT problems and write simple scripts is more realistic.

One of the main benefits of this learning experience has been the ability to understand a script. Now I can read any program in Python and know exactly what it does and why, even though I wouldn’t necessarily be able to write it myself. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is. When you understand a script, it’s easier to modify it to meet your needs, and that’s a big step ahead.

Can it compete with a college degree?

No, I don’t think so. However happy I am with the program and despite the fact that I’m not sure what a university IT degree entails, I’m pretty sure that in 4 years you would learn a lot more and be better prepared to land an IT job.

However, if you don’t have the money nor the time to immerse yourself in full-time education, this certificate is probably the next best thing. I do think college has a lot to offer especially for people that need more guidance and need to develop strategic thinking. But certainly, some degrees will become obsolete if online education keeps improving.

Will you find a job upon complexion?

Well, I don’t know. I’ve posted my certificate on Linkedin and join the validation program at Google and Coursera but the employers are not queuing up to offer me jobs.

I must admit I’m not actively searching for a job, and neither that was my goal when I joined this program. Plus, I’m a bit too old for an entry-level job.

However, I think for people in their 20s or even 30s that don’t want to go to college, this could be a door into the IT industry. I just don’t have any data on whether that is the case or not.

Is it for you?

If you have a genuine interest in IT, coding, and learning the in and outs of computers and you can spare at least 1 hour a day then I totally recommended it.

Keep in mind this is just the beginning and you will have to keep learning for life. If your only motivation is to land a well-paid job then don’t even bother. Even if you achieve that, it won’t be worth it. No amount of money can compensate for a miserable life. Find your passion first, then go for it. There is nothing stopping you apart from yourself. The money will come eventually as a side effect.

But don’t be overwhelmed by the difficulty either. Anyone can finish this certificate, or any other, regardless of your prior knowledge, experience, or background, or age. Yes, you too. All it takes is patience and determination. You can climb any mountain by merely focusing on the next step and then taking it.

Conclusion

I’m very glad I did it. Totally worth the money and time. I don’t call myself a programmer yet, but I have gathered enough momentum to be certain that I will become one eventually thus fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Life is a journey and by challenging yourself and getting out of your comfort zone you can go very far. The alternative is tedium.

If you decide to enroll in this program or any other and you need more guidance or assistance, contact me and ask for help. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Remember to dream big and to take action every day. Then, not even the sky will be the limit.

Salud