I'm not sure why this never gets said, but a degree in computer science helps. No, its not always required and a lot of people in unrelated fields have ended up

I'm not sure why this never gets said, but a degree in computer science helps. No, its not always required and a lot of people in unrelated fields have ended up going into software engineering, but we might was well be upfront and honest about what a lot of people would like to see for a first time employee.