That's awesome for you. I wish that had been my experience. I will share with you (one of) my stor(ies).
I had been working at a big company for almost five years with no degree and asked my boss "what's next". He arranged a meeting between me and the technical director for our division.
During the course of this meeting another employee reveale to the technical director that I did not have a degree. The technical director refused to talk to me (or even look at me) during and after that meeting and it became apparent from that point forward that there was both no way for me to advance and that my days could be considered numbered.
Your milage may vary. Until that conversation I was a valued member of technical staff that had taken on a variety of leadership roles, authored white papers and was on very good terms with the senior technical leadership in our customers. The lack of a degree killed it all.
I had been working at a big company for almost five years with no degree and asked my boss "what's next". He arranged a meeting between me and the technical director for our division.
During the course of this meeting another employee reveale to the technical director that I did not have a degree. The technical director refused to talk to me (or even look at me) during and after that meeting and it became apparent from that point forward that there was both no way for me to advance and that my days could be considered numbered.
Your milage may vary. Until that conversation I was a valued member of technical staff that had taken on a variety of leadership roles, authored white papers and was on very good terms with the senior technical leadership in our customers. The lack of a degree killed it all.