Hello i am 15 years old. i am learning 19 days c++(1 hour per day),
and 1 day html(1 hour per day).

i am just beginner,but i know many things ,from that i have heard from other people.

i want to ask you if i can find a good job when i will become 20.
should have a degree,or only the knowledge?

Knowledge without degree these days is like having a mobile with no SIM..
i hope you got the point.
however there are many online projects available that you can work on without having a degree.. =)

and will be paid?
if yes how?

if you complete your work in time.. then yes.. =)

You will be better off with a degree. Sadly, most of the world covets a degree when in truth the degree is just a piece of paper which is no proof of your abilities. If you become good at programming then getting a 4 year degree in CS or equivalent area will be a snap. I've said it before, a degree is the same as a high school diploma, it only says you completed their set requirements (ie you got enough credits hours logged) to graduate, but doesn't say if you are a good worker or not. Keep working at it and look into college to get your foot in the door a little easier.

Actually, the only thing that really counts is proven industrial experience. A lot of companies don't even recruit graduates these days (we don't where I'm currently working; everyone we're interviewing during the current recruitment drive has 8+ years relevant experience.). Which does make it hard to get into the industry, esp. in the current economic climate.

But there are companies which recruit graduates and similar, and they need something to go on. So while the value of a degree is debateable, it does at least provide some level of proof in your ability (in particular, your professors can provide references). And it also demonstrates that you could commit to something for a period if time, and see it through.

So, overall, I believe that having a degree will make it easier to get your first job. As will open source experience (unpaid to start with). Everything gets easier once you have 2-3 years experience, and much easier after 5+ years!

You do have to ensure that your degree comes from a well respected instititution. And has a syllabus which includes topics relevant to the commercial world, inc. a significant project component (individual and group). The problem for non-graduates is that they have to provide as least as much proof as the graduates.

Which is the main issue: it's not having the experience that actually matters. It's convincing someone else that you actually do have it.

By the way, when you look for your first job, I would look for somewhere stable which is committed to training, so you can build on your degree. Your second job (at 2+ years) is the one where you should be more daring.

Regards

Andy

I agree with all of the above. However, in some cases, it's not what you know, but who you know.

_Wazzak

@andywestken:
The same old cycle applies. "Can't get a job without experience, can't get experience without a job." Your company proves this catch. They want someone with 8+ years industry experience, but a lot of companies are like this so you can't get the industry experience because you can't get your foot in the door to get the industry experience required to move ahead. It's not just programming, I've had this problem in all my jobs I've applied for.