I had the opposite happen to me. I have been programming for years, but couldn't get a job because I did not have a degree. I got that degree, went in for an interfivew, got the job, but before they would hire me; they wanted their top programmer to interview me. He asked me questions that was clear to me he did not understand programming. Then he said I was pulling it at of my a**. I said "What!?" And ye said "Yeah, you are pulling it out of your a**." WoW! Lost that job and was downtrodden. Wound up wokring at a University for half what I used to make. They get a great deal and I am supposedly building up experience. I think the biggest problem is that no one understands the "programming"problem in the first place. People who say they are experts don't know everything and those coming in just need the experience; we all know that.