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I started my engineering degree in 2011, but completed it in 2018 instead of expected 2015. I was a very average student. Luckily after completing a software testing course, I got an internship in 2016. Today I am working there currently as a manual & test automation engineer.

Now I want to switch over to some other company, because I don't make a lot of money at my current company even though I was converted to full time since 2017. I was unsure to continue my degree after my 3rd year, but my family forced me to continue (and I'm thankful that they did!).

But now I am concerned if taking so long to complete my degree will affect my future job prospects even though I have 2 years of work experience. Does having a gap of 3 years in my education mean that I'll have trouble getting a job even with 2 years of work experience?

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closed as unclear what you're asking by gnat, Philip Kendall, motosubatsu, scaaahu, Michael Grubey Jan 15 at 4:14

Please clarify your specific problem or add additional details to highlight exactly what you need. As it's currently written, it’s hard to tell exactly what you're asking. See the How to Ask page for help clarifying this question. If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.

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    Welcome to the workplace! You may wish to work on the wording and formatting of this post, I'm finding it a bit challenging to follow. – berry120 Jan 14 at 10:36
  • Welcome new user, this question may be closed as it is more personal advice. But you should be fine, you have an education and a job! Just keep working and having fun! – Fattie Jan 14 at 13:17
  • Indirectly I was just asking if I have a chance in IT I am not asking for any personal advice but thanks anyways... – Saurabh Kumar Jan 14 at 17:09
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Simply list only the graduation date on your resume/CV

Most people only list graduation dates, not start/end dates for degrees. It's unlikely the employer will even know how long you took to get your degree until they verify it with the university.

If it does come up, simply say what you said here, but in a slightly "more professional" way.

I took some time off from studying to work full-time, but did finish my degree.

Getting a degree is a difficult multi-year process. Not everyone does the traditional "full-time student" route.

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Not at all!

If you have work experience and still finished your education in the end then it will be fine. Everybody starts somewhere in the career ladder. You just need to be prepared to answer the question on why the gap is there when it comes to it.

Keep building your experience and look for the next step up in your job role/path. Start applying to jobs similar but higher pay and responsibility.

No matter how big a gap you'll still be able to get a job somewhere. Once you build enough experience they will focus on work rather than education

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As a general rule, the more experience you have, the less your education matters.

Any company that would ignore experience over some bumps in the road getting a degree isn't a company you would want to work for anyway.

Just focus on building your experience, list your graduation date, and should any questions arise, bring the topic back to your experience.

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Some places might care, but for the most part it won't matter.

In general, the fact that you have a degree matters the most. Where you got it from matters some. What your GPA was will matter a bit at first, but becomes less and less important over time. Things like the number of years you took to get there matters almost none at all.

There are exceptions. There are workplaces that will never stop caring what your GPA was. There are workplaces for whom "took more than four years" will be a massive red flag, and they'll never hire you. Places like that exist, but are relatively rare. The real effect is that you might have to spend a bit more time in each job search cycle, and possibly be a bit more flexible about where you're willing to work. Regardless, there are absolutely places out there who will be willing to hire you, and as time goes by, the number of places that care will get fewer and fewer.

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