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I completed my B.Sc. with average marks, then tried half a year in vain to get an entry level Data Science job, since most of them have a requirement of 3 years of work experience, and the ones without usually are given to those with years of work experience. As a proactive measure I decided to enroll in a Master's program to collect work experience as a working student. I actually landed a very good ML/Data Science job and collected 2.5 years of work experience. Since I did not take any exams the university kicked me out at that point and now I wonder if the whole thing was such a good idea after all. How do I talk about this in a job interview? Are there any real chances of getting another job after not taking exams for 2.5 years?

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    What's wrong with being honest and tell them exactly what you told us?
    – Aida Paul
    Commented Mar 17 at 18:24
  • Not at all uncommon.
    – keshlam
    Commented Mar 17 at 19:06
  • It would help to indicate where you are located, such as which country
    – aem
    Commented Mar 17 at 19:08
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    Does this answer your question? Interviewing for positions without a formal degree
    – gnat
    Commented Mar 17 at 19:53
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    Are you asking how to frame goofing off for 2.5 years in grad school? Or do I misunderstand what not taking exams means?
    – Tiger Guy
    Commented Mar 18 at 4:07

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Since I did not take any exams the university kicked me out at that point

The university did not kick you out. You chose to leave university because you got an interesting job offer.

The fact that you never told the university that you were leaving, and the fact that the university administratively "kicked you out" when they noticed that you were not taking exams, is a purely formal detail that prospective employers do not care about.

During an interview, explain why this choice made sense for you, and talk about the work experience that you have.

We have to make many choices in life, and it is always tempting to second-guess ourselves and see our past choices as failures, because every time we chose option B, it meant giving up on option A. But choices are not failures. They are choices. Do not frame your past choices as failures during a job interview.

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  1. Honestly.
  2. Try smaller companies to build a CV. They are hiring more than big companies now.
  3. If you aren't going to get the Master's, consider getting certifications.

Build on the experience that you already have. 2.5 years is a long time in tech.

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You're a BSc graduate with 2.5 years of work experience.

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