[Tishabet]

What exactly is your industry?

In my experience (fwiw I am 33) companies either sway one way or the other. I have known some (e.g. MITRE, Lincoln Lab) where a certain degree or cert is absolutely required, and everything from advancement to whether or not you get an office is determined by degrees and certs. I have worked for another (Virgin) where people could not care less what piece of paper you have, and where I actually worked with a very successful VP who had only a HS education and a couple of college courses... Which he took during his 12 years of tenure at Lotus.

At my current company (name withheld, but you have heard of them) it's helpful to have paperwork to get an interview, but on a weight basis someone with a BA and an inside referral is going to generally be more interesting than someone with a PhD and no referral. The interview process (which is notoriously difficult here) very quickly weeds out those who can from those who have paperwork saying they can. Not having a degree (or not having the right type of degree or cert) is not an issue... Getting hired without the requisite knowledge that would be backing up that paper, though, is nigh on impossible. If I were in your shoes, this is the situation I would look for... A place that will recognize that you can do XYZ because you have done it in past jobs and have real experience. These companies do exist, at least in my field.