[padzochambers]

Thank you for your advice and I agree experience is superior to just knowing everything in a textbook. But out of interest, if the person with the diploma had a great portfolio and had amazing skillset, would you have possibly considered a little more then?

I'll be happy to get a junior level entry job to build that experience first. Right now I will focus on expanding my 'freelance' work.

[gethly]

That would completely change the situation, so yes.

The thing is that diplomas matter only in very few sectors. Like medicine, law, physics and such. But in tech, realistically, the value of a diploma is 0.

Again, focus on a popular language, do some projects with it(so you have something to showcase) and after you get hired you can start specialising on specific things. Like web services, 3D engines, database and whatever else you'd want or need.

In short, you have to be smart about transitioning from academia into the "real world". As you have a diploma and you have been teaching, it means you are likely in your 30s, which is great, because id you would be Gen-Z or Gen-A, you'd have much harder time getting hired. So you are not position all too bad.

[padzochambers]

I turn 29 tomorrow, the worlds my oyster ;) although it's nice hearing that 30s is a suitable age for jobs. Teaching students, I am often reminded that anything above 20 is very old.

I think focusing on python + flask will be my first aim and start a few projects, go from there.