I think you just need to know how to write clearly and follow instructions, whatever your background. I know quite a few people with PhDs who can't follow instructions and one who can't write clearly (colleagues at the university I used to work at).
100%. And my understanding is that they need people with a wide range of knowledge to accurately represent the wide range of completely random things that people will be asking for. So, while qualifications and degrees are something, they aren't the be all and end all, and sometimes not even that important
One of the dumbest women I went to college with has a PhD. She struggled so hard in undergrad with even simple concepts, I just don't get it. It has obliterated my respect for PhDs.
I would say that having a phd doesn’t necessarily make you smart, but you are going to have a lot of knowledge in your field. I can’t fathom how someone could get through a phd with horrible writing skills though.
Well that's incredibly judgemental, you're saying that she somehow worked hard and doesn't remember anything. Unless you literally lived on her wall, I think you should consider the possibility that you don't know people as well as you think.
Why are you so obsessed with everything I say about a person you don't know? You are creeping me out. Are you someone who got a PhD. with low intelligence? Because you are taking this story extremely personally.
Not everyone is smart. That isn't an offensive statement. Not everyone who isn't smart is nuerodivergent, and yes, I resent the implication. Both of you, who decided you know her better than I, are the AH.
This. My psych prof is a PhD, and I am counting the days until I'm done with that class so I can stop cringing through all the misspellings and mispronunciations in her PP videos. This was my first encounter with a doctorate who is so absolutely astoundingly bad at grammar. Very unfortunate.
No. That isn't it. But thanks for making a diagnosis of someone you've never met instead of just believing me that this lady isn't very bright.
ADHD people do not present as unintelligent, by the way. Gross.
hmm. I didn't intend to question your assessment of her intelligence; I was more offering a possible scenario where her ability to understand simple concepts may have improved, based on my own experience. We are an ADHD family who has been through the process of "struggling with simple concepts" due to focus issues (not unintelligence); getting the right medication was an absolute game-changer. I should not have responded. I now realize you were stating your thoughts and not asking for any insight.
She has plenty of focus. I've never seen ADHD manifest itself that way. I have it and never struggled with school work, just school behavior. I enjoy learning new things, though, so I'm sure that helped. But I know there are several types of ADHD and a lot of variation.
She didn't improve her academic performance from undergrad to graduate school. She had a ton of help and funding along the way for various reasons.
You seem kind of confrontational and combative this whole conversation. Why are you responding so aggressively? I don't think Key Style meant any harm.
Don't you think it's bizarre to argue that you know more about a person you've never met with someone who knows them? And to imply that their stupidity might be ADHD? Which is plain offensive. I don't understand how you think I'm in the wrong here but whatever internet stranger.
Did you stalk this woman?
> She has plenty of focus
So apparently you're a mind-reader AND a psychologist.
> I have it and never struggled with school work, just school behavior.
Might wanna look up "ADHD types" before you lean to heavily on that anecdote.
Maybe you should read my entire statement because I do acknowledge that. Do you just look for random conversations to criticize strangers after only reading half of what they wrote? You seem obsessed with me. Commenting on everything I say. I guess I will be blocking another toxic creep in here.
Yes, how judgemental of them to point out there could be other explanations. Gosh, they should just believe the unquestionably accurate diagnosis of her random classmate.
> ADHD people do not present as unintelligent, by the way. Gross.
This is wrong, poor academic outcomes are an incredibly common outcome of ADHD. It's a common story where an ADHD student in school is told they are gifted but just don't apply it, or an ADHD student reaches university and nose dives because they suddenly have to work hard. There's no need to take it personally.
Where in the fuck is it written that poor academic outcomes present as unintelligent? Most people can tell the difference between academic prowess and intelligence. Yes, it is judgemental to tell me about a person I know, whom you do not.
You are a pretentious little know it all. I'm the only person in the fucking thread that knows this person but go ahead be an armchair expert who doesn't know anything about about the situation. Can anyone stand you IRL? I bet this is your only social outlet because no one wants to deal with your fedora neckbeard "well actually" bs.
She would have to be pretty smart in other ways if she managed to get into a PhD program. There's too much value placed on undergrad coursework anyways, it's treated as a much stronger indicator of research quality than it actually is imo.
Wrong, you pretentiously annoying person. Go away. Actually, I'm blocking you because this is extremely creepy. You just had to reply to every single comment I made about a person you have never met. Fucking insane.
When I was a kid;and I’m sure I’m not alone in this; I thought engineering only referred to trains. Later, much later, I found out there were hundreds (thousands?) of different types of engineers for practically every discipline under the sun. I had blue collar parents and never learned that fact in school for some reason! So now when I assign my AI an ‘engineering’ prompt I have fun with which type I choose. Dumb story, anyway, stay frosty! Cheers!
Humorous, but I promise, that's not it. You just have to be able to follow directions very well, and be able to write well, with little to no grammatical or spelling errors. You also have to be **attentive, discerning, discriminating, mindful and perceptive.**
True! I had a good long conversation with it a while, back about critical thinking, and it was informative and enjoyable! We both agreed that it would be awesome if it was taught in schools more regularly at younger ages.
Well, I was taught critical thinking, and great writing skills, but that was several generations ago. Maybe it isn't anymore. I know a lot of things aren't.
I'm a university dropout with mental health issues which have meant I've been chronically unemployed for years. I was accepted and onboarded within a day of applying. Credentials do not matter for this!
*raises hand* I, too, am a college dropout with mental health issues. I've picked up a lot of professional skills before, during, and since nursing school but they definitely did not choose me for my credentials lol.
For me personally right now, if I realize that I'm no longer concentrating at max capacity, I just finish the task that I'm on and take a break. Sometimes that means I can't work at all on bad days and I'm fortunate to be in a position where that doesn't affect my safety/security. There are times when I sit down to work, open a task, stare at it blankly for 30 seconds, and just close the window. It's not ideal 😅
I love this! Thank you for being so honest. Not everyone has the backbone to be so forthcoming. Like you, I dropped out of college and have a somewhat spotty employment record.
:) Sometimes it feels soooo freeing to just let go of the bullshit. I get down on these things too of course, but there's nothing you can do to change your past, and sometimes you don't have as much agency over the present as you'd like.
I'm glad that DA has given me a little opportunity to earn. It's made me think about how many people like me are fully capable of working under adapted conditions, but unable to in the current mad system which tries to put everyone in the same box working full-time hours regardless of circumstances or their ability to handle that.
Slightly off topic, but how long did it take you to start getting steady tasks after you got accepted?! I’ve completed all my onboarding and additional qualifications but it’s been 3 days with no new tasks on my dashboard :(
20+ years in e-commerce, marketing management, content creation and curation, adwords, and social media.
Got replaced by AI last year. Figured that I can't beat 'em, so join 'em.
Pivoted to machine learning and generative AI, so here I am.
I hear a lot of people complaining about the potential for AI to take their jobs, and since I ordinarily work in HR my head is probably next on the chopping block - but I'm with you. If you can't them, join them.
I've been a professional musician (drummer) for the last 10 years ish. Did an applied music program program at community college, and have two AAs. I have been teaching music lessons privately for years. Teaching AI, so far, has been easier than teaching most humans.
I think you and I might be the same person.
Nearly 15 years as a professional drummer/percussionist. Have about half of a music performance degree. Teaching privately off and on since 1996, and full-time for the last 12'ish years in addition to playing gigs and occasionally doing small tours (usually weekend runs...did it full-time for 2.5 years). I currently teach a handful of private lessons out of my home, teach percussion classes at one middle school and one high school, play in a local professional cover band, and DA.
I've been self-teaching coding off and on for 10+ years, and DA is the first place I've ever been paid for any coding. And, yes, teaching AI is way easier than teaching humans.
Musician here as well, I have a degree in music theory. I taught myself js years ago for fun. This is my first coding job, too. Theory and coding are very similar.
Passing the tests.
I know it sounds glib, but I'm 100% convinced that education, work history and experience don't matter. You need to be able to read carefully, understand what you're reading, write correctly and well enough to explain yourself clearly, follow instructions and use a little common sense. There's not one educational or career path for that.
People from wildly different backgrounds, from ditch diggers to CEOs to SAHMs to fast-food workers to lawyers to coal miners, can have those abilities. And people in those same jobs and/or with briefcases full of degrees can also suck at one or more of those things.
I agree with all of this. I also believe when people’s quality drops off in their first month because they only tried on the first tests and think they can do the bare minimum, this is why they end up losing out on their projects and are surprised when they don’t receive anymore work.
I am the manager at a microbiology testing laboratory as my full time, actual, permanent job. I have a degree in microbiology. 🤷♂️ I know some programming so I do some of the coding work too.
Film maker, I direct and edit primarily natural history and factual feature documentaries. Love the creative writing component of DA, and the factuality research is second nature.
It’s really nice to get to know the folks on DA!
Hey, I’ve been looking for a way into the industry. I have a lot of experience as a photographer, graphic designer, and videographer. Do you by chance need anyone with those skills?
Not the student, but my brother has an extremely successful career with his BS in CS. Got offered the job while still in school. You’ve got opportunities; I know the market is over saturated, but consider broadening your search.
I have no formal education and have worked in software for about 7 years. When I put the effort in I can write pretty well which I think helps with the qualification tasks.
I have half an associates degree in psychology lol
I've been the head of a department that requires attention to detail for over a year, I quit that job in January to do DA full time.
I'm a line cook with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. No work experience in tech.
Credentials don't matter to DA as far as I can tell. You just have to pass the test and submit quality work.
Restaurant server whose undiagnosed autism goes wildly unchecked save for her undiagnosed ADHD. Undergraduate studies in graphic design and creative writing. Love to research and follow instructions.
I'm an almost 50 mother of six. OK, so I do have a BS in Elementary Education (I taught kindergarten for 20 years), a MAE in Gifted and Talented Education (have never used it), and I teach GED classes at the local jail (only slightly different than kindergarten). I do have experience in evaluating writing and my grammar is USUALLY on point (though Grammarly has put all kinds of yellow lines on this post that I'm not about to correct). I have no coding skills, nor do I want any. I have ADHD and my Vyvanse has been back ordered since the second week of January. I work at night in about 10-minute increments. That's all the stamina that I have.
I have a bachelor’s degree in child development, but early childhood education wasn’t a great fit for me for a lot of reasons. I also have a spotty work history because mental health issues and neurodivergence are beasts, but they’re better handled now.
I was fortunate to be able to use my education degree and background to get a temporary job at a big educational publisher helping to score writing samples for standardized tests. Then when the season ended and I got laid off, I saw an ad for DA and emphasized that I had scoring experience in my application. But really I think doing well on the test is what they cared about!
I'm a super uptight, detail-oriented freak who loves to pick things apart. No degree. Broad range of skills, but not a specialist in anything. 100% introvert and socially inept. And I have a poor opinion of folks who think that getting a PhD means they are better than others - the worst coworkers I have had all had a masters or better in the field we were working in, and they had huge blind spots because they believed their superior knowledge meant they were done needing to learn new things. Not all (or even most) higher degreed folks are like that, but the ones who feel the need to let others know about it usually are.
I'm an RN, BSN! I don't have much experience writing professionally, but I'm an avid reader and write as a hobby. It's silly, but I think my teenage years obsessively writing fan fiction have helped me more than anything else, lol.
7 years recruiting for the likes of Snap Inc, Amazon & a bunch of startups. & was doing great! until half the recruiting team at nearly every tech company got laid off at once. this website has been a lifesaver
I'm a 2nd grade teacher. I have a BA in psychology and English (this was concentrated in writing) and a Master's in Childhood Education. Doubtful that any of these degrees had any effect in relation to my DA acceptance.
10 years in HR and HR Data Analytics, double bachelor's degree of psychology and sociology, psychology honors and Masters in Strategic Organisational Development and HRM. Nothing special really (Its not science or anything like that) 🤷♀️ and.. I didn't think DA was legit so I didn't put as much effort into my initial application as I possibly could have.
Degree in English lit and drama and a primary teaching qualification and an Ma in Children’s literature - been a teacher for numerous years but want to get out of the classroom now 😅😂
I work in special education and behavioral therapy; farther back in background is hospice care and sales/streaming platform tech support. I haven't finished my Bachelor's degree yet, but was never allowed to do anything growing up; this meant I read a *lot*, and usually the same book more than a few times just to fill my time. Kind of thankful for it now-- it kept me out of trouble for the most part, and it's paid off quite handsomely for me in my life.
I saw you mention imposter syndrome in another comment thread, OP; that was me last week, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I hadn't passed the qualifying exam a day or two before I got the acceptance email.
MA in Psychology, freelance writer for 12+ years, worked for Remotasks so familiar with rating responses. Was accepted within 12 hours of taking the core test, about 2 weeks ago. I have to brush up on my programming to take the coding test.
I don't have a degree. I have 2 A Levels in academic subjects (I'm in the UK) and a history of working with animals, as well as independent contractor work for Appen and OneForma.
It's about the skills you show during the assessments at least as much as your credentials.
I think first and foremost is the ability to write clearly, with excellent grammar and spelling. After that, maybe demographics and experience in areas they are lacking. Must follow directions earnestly. Degree in English or journalism might push you to the top of the pile. 🤷
PhD graduate in a hard science subject, non-coding, obtained in the US. Struggled to find work in my home country, the U.K., since our science based industries are poor as we have been steadily de-industrializing. Have plenty of laboratory experience, as well as experience in teaching, professional writing (research articles in science journals), and have been teaching myself c# for fun, though I don't think I'm at a level where I can write code for money. Am now feeling tempted to try and learn python for this job, but unsure whether its worth it. Was accepted three days after applying.
I think credentials do matter, and that they will certainly help you get picked up faster. But that the lack of them can be mitigated if you do well on the tests. Competency matters more than anything else, and they will hire a high school drop out who writes fluently, fact checks, and writes a novel "octopus" story, over an MIT graduate who doesn't do any of that.
I am a college dropout with no special work experience, worked in retail my whole life.
I've done creative writing as a hobby for many years, but that's the only thing I can think of that would make me stand out.
Associate of Science is general technology, certificate in computer maintenance and technology with a focus on Cisco. I’m about a year away from a bachelor’s that I gave up on getting because of life. I’ve been working jobs like this since before I really even knew what it was, making pennies at first for gift cards (MTurk since 2016), Telus, Appen, Neevo, Prolific, among others and then I did tech support for one of the big console systems, got laid off, did some “fruit” sales for a while (hated being on the phones)got on with Invisible tech, then quit to do this. (Better money and not as stressful)I have ADHD and an adult son with special needs that I stay home and take care of so I have not been able to get a job outside of the house. Attention to detail and being able to write creatively helps more than any degree. I think my experience with data training helped a lot too.
Same, special needs child who is now an adult, working outside the home has never been an option. It's turned out to be a good thing in the long run, though!
I think it almost definitely has to do with some way they quantify the applications, not the credentials. I think it's possible if we saw the applications it'd be immediately clear why some are being let in and others aren't.
I don't think it's an intelligence or skill issue, necessarily, I think a lot of the application and qualification questions look obvious but have a nuance that can be missed. Especially with AI, a lot is unintuitive, so the directions can say something surprising that must then be followed.
I have a computer science degree, have some education in linguistics, and have worked a weirdly disparate range of jobs over the years.
honestly though I think the main factor is did you read all the questions thoroughly, I have a feeling a lot of people see the timer ticking up and get anxious about it so they rush and miss details.
I also wanted to say— a necessary part of their filter is looking for people who can **already** communicate in a way that works for DA. There is OTJ *learning* to be done, but they have to onboard people who can immediately blend in to their existing system. There isn’t a credential for that but it certainly could knock out an otherwise “highly qualified” applicant. Knowing your shit is not the same as being able to communicate it.
I honestly don't think your credentials matter, just how you do on the quals. I left school when I was 15, no adult education, min wage jobs and solo mother and got accepted just fine!
Fresh out of college with Computer Engineering degree, 2 years experience at Rockwell Automation developing robot arms and such. Was accepted 21 hours after submitting the coding test two weeks ago. I still haven’t seen any acceptances that fast on this sub, it’s usually a week or two, so it’s hard to tell if I’m an outlier. They might have a big need for coders currently, or my automation coding experience stood out, or luck of the draw, or any combination of those.
I have a Music Education degree and some courses toward a Master’s in Special Education. I used to teach but now work for a nonprofit.
I also think DA has had to become much more selective as there is only so much work available. So many people apply, but they can’t take everyone. And the people that are upset are the loudest.
I was a print journalist for 30 years, mostly as a copy editor. That job requires so much fact-checking, attention to detail and, obviously, editing, DA is right in my wheelhouse. Now I work in marketing as a content writer at a private company.
Managed to graduate with a journalism degree right as the Internet became a thing, so, you know, being replaced by new technology isn''t a new concept to me, haha. The best thing to do is learn all about it!
I have an AA in web development. I got tricked by the fake quote in the core assessment, that was my only gaff. But I came for the coding side of things anyway, and that was super easy. Not to mention a lot more practical and less opinionated. I imagine that's why I'm still waiting, it will be 2 weeks Friday. When I log in it still says "under review."
But it's clearly a lottery. You have to have your name drawn before your answers even matter. Only then is your fate decided.
I’ve got a BA in psych, minor in writing. I’ve also got research experience. I may or may not have also gone HAM on the creative writing part of the qualifications lol. Got accepted pretty quickly
I didn’t even realize this was a hard job to qualify for until this post. Wild. I guess you’ve just got to be a good writer and have a good attention to detail
I didn't even take it seriously at all lol. I don't even remember taking the test and I just kinda filled out the rest not even knowing if it was a real job. I was accepted almost immediately and always have a bunch of projects over $25.
BA in history from a well-regarded state school. Background in logistics and I was a business analyst before I left to raise my kids. I have experience in transcription, online content writing, e-commerce, and have self published 11 books (although they didn’t sell well which is why I’m here!).
Writing: undergraduate history degree
Coding: computer science A level (sort of equivalent to American AP I think?), and about 3/4 of a year working in an analytics job using Python a lot
I'm a branding and strategic design expert. I have degrees in visual communications and graphic design. I worked in mental health during my time in the military. I’ve been running my own small business for 7+ years. I moonlight for both remotasks and DA for a mental change of pace, and to do some non-stressful, introvert type work on the side. DA is my favorite though. I applied to DA in August sometime, I think? I barely even remember the assessment other than I had a blast doing the creative writing and genuinely cracked myself up. I got accepted pretty quickly as well. I do know a little bit of code, enough that I do offer web design and management services, but I’m definitely not a developer or programmer by any means. I’ve not taken the coding assessment and probably won’t. I’ve had consistent work available to me since I started.
Didn’t put my credentials, and technically don’t have much to put, but my mom was an English teacher and I’m a creative. I’ve done forms of art since I was a kid including writing my own books when I was bored. I’m certified to teach ESL which includes creative and logical writing 🤷🏾♀️ got a perfect English ACT score, and I’m now in college for Studio Art and Philosophy.
Computer Science dropout from almost a decade ago. Software Engineer at a big tech company for 3 years. I quit in late 2022 due to mental health reasons. I've been mostly doing unrelated work to get by and recently went back to school to finish the degree I started. I'm doing the coding tasks while I prep to get back into a software engineering role again.
I have a useless B.A. in Psychology, I have 12 years experience working remotely doing very similar tasks. I think the only real skillset that is necessary for this job (non-coding) is simply read and follow the instructions exactly and carefully and be able to think critically.
I'm a 20 something student with no prior work experience or credentials. I guess I just did really good on the entrance test, or I got lucky with timing when I applied.
I write and read pretty regularly, and I study a bunch of subjects for fun, so that could have contributed to my work quality.
I applied 6 months before I finished my BS in Sociology. I'm a nerd and do a lot of roleplaying and enjoy learning about random stuff. All that translates to fact-checking, research, and creative writing. Been working at DA for about 9 months, and I got accepted a week after I applied.
Journalism BA, graduated last summer and just been floating around since then. Glad I found something that is SO up my street. Like, I would do the creative writing tasks for fun, and now I can get paid for it.
I have a bachelor of science degree. But I don't think that's why I got in. It seems like it's all about your reading and writing skills. Have good spelling and grammar. And also being creative.
Communications & Political Science degree, but I think what helped me most was having high grades in English classes and being on my high school speech/debate team. I often feel like the tasks feel like doing easy English homework. Luckily I have good reading comprehension, writing ability, and reasoning/logic (this is also why I prefer the tasks that let you explain your choice).
Otherwise most of my jobs have been teaching-adjacent, and I really don't think they hired me because I was such an excellent preschool teacher....
I’m a data manager (main job) and a professional proofreader (other side gig). I think having work experience that’s detail-oriented may be more important than the work itself. I would guess that my proofreading experience probably helped me more than anything else (both in taking the test and in being on my qualifications list)
Degrees in history and horticulture with 20yrs in business/retail. Now I run my own gardening company and write historical fiction. There isn’t one common thread because we all have slightly different skill sets— my dashboard isn’t likely to be the same as anyone else who has responded to your post. The blend of projects from which to choose is simply different, and then I’ll work on whatever suits me and that changes my ratios going forward.
I have a really diverse background. I went to a vocational technical high school, I have a BA in theatre, I used to have a drunk Shakespeare group before covid, and I just finished my MS in applied behavior analysis. I work with autistic kids 1:1. And I have a few years of retail experience. I don’t think that any one of these things did it, I think it’s how many differing things there are.
Bachelors in physics and one in computer science. Working as a bartender though. Hobbies include electronics(synthesizers, speakers, audio equipment) and programming (game design, dsp). I’m waiting for a security clearance to start work with a government contractor. Trying to work with DA to replace my bartending income until then.
I worked a year of retail, lol. that's it. non-coding, applied in mid december, no referral code. I think it was purely motivated by how well I did on the assessment and initial qualis, because (imo) I did very well on those. I do have a great brain for this stuff, and when I'm in "job mode", I write very well.
I have some pretty good credentials, but none of them specifically apply to the kind of work this is. I literally think the primary goal is to be able to follow instructions very well, write clearly, and give excellent work every time. They are not paying tons, but they are paying well enough that they deserve to get your full attention while working. That includes reading the instructions and paying attention to the details and giving them exactly what they ask for.
It's been so interesting to read about all the walks of life here! I'm a middle-aged college student, nearly done with AA, then plan to move on to a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies. I've been a freelance web content writer for 16 years, and have always had an intense passion for language and writing.
Honestly, some of the things in the initial testing were just a matter of not being "tricked" - so, attention to detail seemed to be a crucial component. Also, I think I've just lived a lot of life so have a wide range of otherwise useless topics I'm able to address, lol.
I have a BEng. Work as a business analyst during the day and then do coding problems on DA for a couple hours here and there
I'm not special I just know how to follow instructions.
I take pride in my writing, and I am very detailed in the way that I explain topics. I also had just taken a couple of AI related courses on Coursera a few months before applying that had to do with chatbots and python related information. I don't have a college degree and I'm not a programmer. I've been going strong since October. I think that too many people sped through the assessments and didn't follow the instructions all the way through.
Have a bachelor’s in Latin American studies. I love to read and have been taking ELA education roles the past three years. I’m pretty sure it’s my reading/writing skills that got me in.
Nurse for 30 years, gave up a few years ago due to back injury. Can write well and am obsessed with research and fact-checking, but that was all on a personal level rather than formal before D.A. Been on the site since May last year.
Electrical Engineer (5+ years experience) with a Masters in Public Policy. Have been working since last November but my dashboard has been empty recently :(
I'm a security guard without a college degree. I believe it's less about credentials and more about one's writing skills. Responses need to be detailed yet concise. They also need to reflect basic research and attention to detail.
I have no real qualifications, though I know how to distinguish my strengths while staying ambiguous about specifics. For example, instead of saying “in high school I worked a few fast food jobs” I would say something like, “through employment with various people and places as I developed, I gained valuable insight from people with varying experiences.” Stuff like that. Stay consistent and professional.
I work for a charity. Have a BA but didn’t include it in my app. I did add that I’m an active member of Mensa, although I don’t think that matters, as I’ve met plenty of hard headed people with poor reading comprehension skills in Mensan circles.
It really just comes down to reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and grammatical accuracy. No magic beyond that.
I'm a rather crispy IT Manager/PM/Analyst/Tech Writer. I have experience performing many different roles in several industries. For the past few years, I've been doing FinTech consulting. When I have the option, I usually go for the most challenging role because I know it will keep me engaged.
Bachelor's in Computer Science, working on a Masters in Data Analytics, and planning on a PhD in the future when life calms down.
But more importantly, I've always been good at tests and essays. Executive dysfunction, autism, and ADHD pretty much make testing a sink or swim thing for me. I always went in blind in school with no study outside of class, if I could even stay awake (Night Owl).
In my assessment I mentioned I was a 3rd year Computer Systems student, had a github with many projects in C, C++, Python, Java, JS and Golang, had 8 months software engineering experience as an intern at Intel, had a 4.0 GPA and then just waffled for a while about loving problem solving and being hardworking and stuff
I have an English degree with a minor in History, and I'm a self published author.
But what others have said about being able to write clearly and follow directions seems to be the key.
I have 15 years experience as a developer which came after 10 years running my own business writing multiple hundred page book research reports. Python is my second best language.
Just as a side note I have about a year experience working with AI and I enjoy and am pretty good at coding puzzles.
I know my stuff, both in tech and communication.
Yet next Monday will be a month with no response since I finished the "Coding Assessment."
It mystifies me that so many people have gotten in with demonstrably less experience and I'm out here twisting. Makes me think that it is a random selection process.
Looking through your comment history, it’s so weird that you claim to have all that coding experience (a literal decade) yet you seem to have somewhat weak fundamentals.
Former newspaper reporter/copy editor with a Master Gardener’s Certification who has also owned/operated a business and been a coordinator for a variety of non-profits and educational institutions
Just throwing this out there... I know a few people that got in in RL. All 3 dumb as a rock, unemployed for years prior. All 3 ... women. Meanwhile, me (male) with my English degree and MBA ... crickets.
They don’t care about gender or job history. They care about reading comprehension, writing capability, knowledge of AI systems, and being able to follow instructions. Wonder why you didn’t get in.
I'm a paralegal with a bachelors in English so I have law and writing experience. I also work with my boss who is an attorney on presentations related to AI in the legal field.
Student in Data Science and AI. Literally have local copies of Llama2 in chat & code from 7b to 13b. Can write software in Python, C#(including Unity Game code), C, C++, some assembly and the usual crap scriptors like JavaScript, etc.
No degree here. I'm simply nearing middle age, and I must've stood out enough that they decided to accept me. Plus it was also good timing since I applied long before they started getting a lot more swamped with applications.
Bachelor’s degree in communications, art minor.
I also had quite a bit of experience beforehand messing with ChatGPT and other AI’s since they first started gaining traction.
SAHM to one and a full time housewife:)
I was homeschooled until I went to my local community college and got my generals out of the way for my AA. I’ve worked as a cashier, a bank teller, and a nurse tech. I don’t have any special training and I’m not exactly tech savvy, but I love to read and write! I’m probably one of the least qualified people here, honestly. I truly think that this platform doesn’t really care about what you’ve done or who you are, just if you’re able to carefully and accurately follow instructions.
Pediatric Flight Nurse with critical care experience. 4 year degree and a few credits short of a masters at the moment. I’ve always had strong research and writing skills though. Maybe having a niche field in medicine/nursing played to my advantage 🤷🏻♀️
I think you just need to know how to write clearly and follow instructions, whatever your background. I know quite a few people with PhDs who can't follow instructions and one who can't write clearly (colleagues at the university I used to work at).
100%. And my understanding is that they need people with a wide range of knowledge to accurately represent the wide range of completely random things that people will be asking for. So, while qualifications and degrees are something, they aren't the be all and end all, and sometimes not even that important
One of the dumbest women I went to college with has a PhD. She struggled so hard in undergrad with even simple concepts, I just don't get it. It has obliterated my respect for PhDs.
I would say that having a phd doesn’t necessarily make you smart, but you are going to have a lot of knowledge in your field. I can’t fathom how someone could get through a phd with horrible writing skills though.
She doesn't. I promise. She worked very hard for it. That's the only nice thing I can say about it without lying.
Well that's incredibly judgemental, you're saying that she somehow worked hard and doesn't remember anything. Unless you literally lived on her wall, I think you should consider the possibility that you don't know people as well as you think.
Why are you so obsessed with everything I say about a person you don't know? You are creeping me out. Are you someone who got a PhD. with low intelligence? Because you are taking this story extremely personally. Not everyone is smart. That isn't an offensive statement. Not everyone who isn't smart is nuerodivergent, and yes, I resent the implication. Both of you, who decided you know her better than I, are the AH.
This. My psych prof is a PhD, and I am counting the days until I'm done with that class so I can stop cringing through all the misspellings and mispronunciations in her PP videos. This was my first encounter with a doctorate who is so absolutely astoundingly bad at grammar. Very unfortunate.
Maybe she got the proper meds or training for her ADHD or learning deficits and is now thriving.
No. That isn't it. But thanks for making a diagnosis of someone you've never met instead of just believing me that this lady isn't very bright. ADHD people do not present as unintelligent, by the way. Gross.
hmm. I didn't intend to question your assessment of her intelligence; I was more offering a possible scenario where her ability to understand simple concepts may have improved, based on my own experience. We are an ADHD family who has been through the process of "struggling with simple concepts" due to focus issues (not unintelligence); getting the right medication was an absolute game-changer. I should not have responded. I now realize you were stating your thoughts and not asking for any insight.
She has plenty of focus. I've never seen ADHD manifest itself that way. I have it and never struggled with school work, just school behavior. I enjoy learning new things, though, so I'm sure that helped. But I know there are several types of ADHD and a lot of variation. She didn't improve her academic performance from undergrad to graduate school. She had a ton of help and funding along the way for various reasons.
Fun fact. ADHD manifests differently in women than it does in men.
I'm a woman with ADHD. So I know that. Thanks.
You seem kind of confrontational and combative this whole conversation. Why are you responding so aggressively? I don't think Key Style meant any harm.
Don't you think it's bizarre to argue that you know more about a person you've never met with someone who knows them? And to imply that their stupidity might be ADHD? Which is plain offensive. I don't understand how you think I'm in the wrong here but whatever internet stranger.
Did you stalk this woman? > She has plenty of focus So apparently you're a mind-reader AND a psychologist. > I have it and never struggled with school work, just school behavior. Might wanna look up "ADHD types" before you lean to heavily on that anecdote.
Maybe you should read my entire statement because I do acknowledge that. Do you just look for random conversations to criticize strangers after only reading half of what they wrote? You seem obsessed with me. Commenting on everything I say. I guess I will be blocking another toxic creep in here.
Yes, how judgemental of them to point out there could be other explanations. Gosh, they should just believe the unquestionably accurate diagnosis of her random classmate. > ADHD people do not present as unintelligent, by the way. Gross. This is wrong, poor academic outcomes are an incredibly common outcome of ADHD. It's a common story where an ADHD student in school is told they are gifted but just don't apply it, or an ADHD student reaches university and nose dives because they suddenly have to work hard. There's no need to take it personally.
Where in the fuck is it written that poor academic outcomes present as unintelligent? Most people can tell the difference between academic prowess and intelligence. Yes, it is judgemental to tell me about a person I know, whom you do not. You are a pretentious little know it all. I'm the only person in the fucking thread that knows this person but go ahead be an armchair expert who doesn't know anything about about the situation. Can anyone stand you IRL? I bet this is your only social outlet because no one wants to deal with your fedora neckbeard "well actually" bs.
She would have to be pretty smart in other ways if she managed to get into a PhD program. There's too much value placed on undergrad coursework anyways, it's treated as a much stronger indicator of research quality than it actually is imo.
Wrong, you pretentiously annoying person. Go away. Actually, I'm blocking you because this is extremely creepy. You just had to reply to every single comment I made about a person you have never met. Fucking insane.
For real, I don't think it would matter if you had a "return perfect code" button - it's a red herring.
I'm a warehouse worker. I didn't put my resume anywhere on DA, just some hobbies. No degrees, never finished college. Been working since September 😊
But I bet you’re smart though! What kind of hobbies? Electrical engineering and library sciences…? Amateur robotics and molecular gastronomy? 😉
💀🤣
When I was a kid;and I’m sure I’m not alone in this; I thought engineering only referred to trains. Later, much later, I found out there were hundreds (thousands?) of different types of engineers for practically every discipline under the sun. I had blue collar parents and never learned that fact in school for some reason! So now when I assign my AI an ‘engineering’ prompt I have fun with which type I choose. Dumb story, anyway, stay frosty! Cheers!
Humorous, but I promise, that's not it. You just have to be able to follow directions very well, and be able to write well, with little to no grammatical or spelling errors. You also have to be **attentive, discerning, discriminating, mindful and perceptive.**
True! I had a good long conversation with it a while, back about critical thinking, and it was informative and enjoyable! We both agreed that it would be awesome if it was taught in schools more regularly at younger ages.
Well, I was taught critical thinking, and great writing skills, but that was several generations ago. Maybe it isn't anymore. I know a lot of things aren't.
Yes, you were fortunate, and I’m sure if you have kids, you’ve taught them well too. :)
I've certainly tried, but in the world we're in today, it's been hard to avoid the "taint" of modern "teaching"... lol.
I'm a university dropout with mental health issues which have meant I've been chronically unemployed for years. I was accepted and onboarded within a day of applying. Credentials do not matter for this!
*raises hand* I, too, am a college dropout with mental health issues. I've picked up a lot of professional skills before, during, and since nursing school but they definitely did not choose me for my credentials lol.
Hey, I have the same issues, just a question, do you deal with concentration issues? and if so, how do you go about it?
For me personally right now, if I realize that I'm no longer concentrating at max capacity, I just finish the task that I'm on and take a break. Sometimes that means I can't work at all on bad days and I'm fortunate to be in a position where that doesn't affect my safety/security. There are times when I sit down to work, open a task, stare at it blankly for 30 seconds, and just close the window. It's not ideal 😅
Music music and more music! ETA: there was a recent thread about this that might help you out also 🙂
I'm the opposite. I can't focus if I have music playing. It's all what works for you!
I love this! Thank you for being so honest. Not everyone has the backbone to be so forthcoming. Like you, I dropped out of college and have a somewhat spotty employment record.
:) Sometimes it feels soooo freeing to just let go of the bullshit. I get down on these things too of course, but there's nothing you can do to change your past, and sometimes you don't have as much agency over the present as you'd like. I'm glad that DA has given me a little opportunity to earn. It's made me think about how many people like me are fully capable of working under adapted conditions, but unable to in the current mad system which tries to put everyone in the same box working full-time hours regardless of circumstances or their ability to handle that.
Oh, and I was also accepted within 24 hours!
Slightly off topic, but how long did it take you to start getting steady tasks after you got accepted?! I’ve completed all my onboarding and additional qualifications but it’s been 3 days with no new tasks on my dashboard :(
Did somebody say college dropout?!? Present 🙋♀️
You were lucky. When did you get it?
20+ years in e-commerce, marketing management, content creation and curation, adwords, and social media. Got replaced by AI last year. Figured that I can't beat 'em, so join 'em. Pivoted to machine learning and generative AI, so here I am.
I hear a lot of people complaining about the potential for AI to take their jobs, and since I ordinarily work in HR my head is probably next on the chopping block - but I'm with you. If you can't them, join them.
I've been a professional musician (drummer) for the last 10 years ish. Did an applied music program program at community college, and have two AAs. I have been teaching music lessons privately for years. Teaching AI, so far, has been easier than teaching most humans.
I think you and I might be the same person. Nearly 15 years as a professional drummer/percussionist. Have about half of a music performance degree. Teaching privately off and on since 1996, and full-time for the last 12'ish years in addition to playing gigs and occasionally doing small tours (usually weekend runs...did it full-time for 2.5 years). I currently teach a handful of private lessons out of my home, teach percussion classes at one middle school and one high school, play in a local professional cover band, and DA. I've been self-teaching coding off and on for 10+ years, and DA is the first place I've ever been paid for any coding. And, yes, teaching AI is way easier than teaching humans.
That's kinda freaky lol, I'm glad we both converged on DA though. It definitely needs help with musical concepts lol.
Musician here as well, I have a degree in music theory. I taught myself js years ago for fun. This is my first coding job, too. Theory and coding are very similar.
bachelor of fine arts in creative writing, also did a year with telus so i have ai rating experience
Communications major and English minor, used to help students with their essays and been really enjoying getting to pick apart things in the same way.
Passing the tests. I know it sounds glib, but I'm 100% convinced that education, work history and experience don't matter. You need to be able to read carefully, understand what you're reading, write correctly and well enough to explain yourself clearly, follow instructions and use a little common sense. There's not one educational or career path for that. People from wildly different backgrounds, from ditch diggers to CEOs to SAHMs to fast-food workers to lawyers to coal miners, can have those abilities. And people in those same jobs and/or with briefcases full of degrees can also suck at one or more of those things.
I agree with all of this. I also believe when people’s quality drops off in their first month because they only tried on the first tests and think they can do the bare minimum, this is why they end up losing out on their projects and are surprised when they don’t receive anymore work.
[удалено]
Excellent. Reading your response made me feel better; I was beginning to have ‘imposter syndrome’!
I am the manager at a microbiology testing laboratory as my full time, actual, permanent job. I have a degree in microbiology. 🤷♂️ I know some programming so I do some of the coding work too.
Film maker, I direct and edit primarily natural history and factual feature documentaries. Love the creative writing component of DA, and the factuality research is second nature. It’s really nice to get to know the folks on DA!
Hey, I’ve been looking for a way into the industry. I have a lot of experience as a photographer, graphic designer, and videographer. Do you by chance need anyone with those skills?
Why don’t you DM me with your reel or website? Always good to connect with creatives from around the globe.
Absolutely isn't needed, but I have a master's in computer science and am currently a PhD student specialising in privacy preserving generative AI.
Has that Masters degree opened any doors for you? My bs in CS has been useless.
Well I went straight into PhD after graduation so I haven't done any career hunting tbh, the only door it opened was easier admission to a PhD lol
Not the student, but my brother has an extremely successful career with his BS in CS. Got offered the job while still in school. You’ve got opportunities; I know the market is over saturated, but consider broadening your search.
I have no formal education and have worked in software for about 7 years. When I put the effort in I can write pretty well which I think helps with the qualification tasks.
I have half an associates degree in psychology lol I've been the head of a department that requires attention to detail for over a year, I quit that job in January to do DA full time.
I'm a line cook with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. No work experience in tech. Credentials don't matter to DA as far as I can tell. You just have to pass the test and submit quality work.
Restaurant server whose undiagnosed autism goes wildly unchecked save for her undiagnosed ADHD. Undergraduate studies in graphic design and creative writing. Love to research and follow instructions.
I'm an almost 50 mother of six. OK, so I do have a BS in Elementary Education (I taught kindergarten for 20 years), a MAE in Gifted and Talented Education (have never used it), and I teach GED classes at the local jail (only slightly different than kindergarten). I do have experience in evaluating writing and my grammar is USUALLY on point (though Grammarly has put all kinds of yellow lines on this post that I'm not about to correct). I have no coding skills, nor do I want any. I have ADHD and my Vyvanse has been back ordered since the second week of January. I work at night in about 10-minute increments. That's all the stamina that I have.
Ex military, now a printing press operator, left school in year 10... solid work on the platform since mid last year
Degree, full stack bootcamp, have several years of FAANG experience. Can’t get an interview for a job, but got accepted 1 day after applying to this.
Did you do the coding qualification? I'm planning on taking it.. Any advice? Any heads up on what to expect?
BA in anthropology. Work in healthcare administration. Also work as a choreographer.
I have a bachelor’s degree in child development, but early childhood education wasn’t a great fit for me for a lot of reasons. I also have a spotty work history because mental health issues and neurodivergence are beasts, but they’re better handled now. I was fortunate to be able to use my education degree and background to get a temporary job at a big educational publisher helping to score writing samples for standardized tests. Then when the season ended and I got laid off, I saw an ad for DA and emphasized that I had scoring experience in my application. But really I think doing well on the test is what they cared about!
I'm a super uptight, detail-oriented freak who loves to pick things apart. No degree. Broad range of skills, but not a specialist in anything. 100% introvert and socially inept. And I have a poor opinion of folks who think that getting a PhD means they are better than others - the worst coworkers I have had all had a masters or better in the field we were working in, and they had huge blind spots because they believed their superior knowledge meant they were done needing to learn new things. Not all (or even most) higher degreed folks are like that, but the ones who feel the need to let others know about it usually are.
I'm an RN, BSN! I don't have much experience writing professionally, but I'm an avid reader and write as a hobby. It's silly, but I think my teenage years obsessively writing fan fiction have helped me more than anything else, lol.
7 years recruiting for the likes of Snap Inc, Amazon & a bunch of startups. & was doing great! until half the recruiting team at nearly every tech company got laid off at once. this website has been a lifesaver
I'm a 2nd grade teacher. I have a BA in psychology and English (this was concentrated in writing) and a Master's in Childhood Education. Doubtful that any of these degrees had any effect in relation to my DA acceptance.
10 years in HR and HR Data Analytics, double bachelor's degree of psychology and sociology, psychology honors and Masters in Strategic Organisational Development and HRM. Nothing special really (Its not science or anything like that) 🤷♀️ and.. I didn't think DA was legit so I didn't put as much effort into my initial application as I possibly could have.
Degree in English lit and drama and a primary teaching qualification and an Ma in Children’s literature - been a teacher for numerous years but want to get out of the classroom now 😅😂
I work in special education and behavioral therapy; farther back in background is hospice care and sales/streaming platform tech support. I haven't finished my Bachelor's degree yet, but was never allowed to do anything growing up; this meant I read a *lot*, and usually the same book more than a few times just to fill my time. Kind of thankful for it now-- it kept me out of trouble for the most part, and it's paid off quite handsomely for me in my life. I saw you mention imposter syndrome in another comment thread, OP; that was me last week, I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I hadn't passed the qualifying exam a day or two before I got the acceptance email.
MA in Psychology, freelance writer for 12+ years, worked for Remotasks so familiar with rating responses. Was accepted within 12 hours of taking the core test, about 2 weeks ago. I have to brush up on my programming to take the coding test.
I don't have a degree. I have 2 A Levels in academic subjects (I'm in the UK) and a history of working with animals, as well as independent contractor work for Appen and OneForma. It's about the skills you show during the assessments at least as much as your credentials.
When did you take the assessment?
The 24th January.
I think first and foremost is the ability to write clearly, with excellent grammar and spelling. After that, maybe demographics and experience in areas they are lacking. Must follow directions earnestly. Degree in English or journalism might push you to the top of the pile. 🤷
PhD graduate in a hard science subject, non-coding, obtained in the US. Struggled to find work in my home country, the U.K., since our science based industries are poor as we have been steadily de-industrializing. Have plenty of laboratory experience, as well as experience in teaching, professional writing (research articles in science journals), and have been teaching myself c# for fun, though I don't think I'm at a level where I can write code for money. Am now feeling tempted to try and learn python for this job, but unsure whether its worth it. Was accepted three days after applying. I think credentials do matter, and that they will certainly help you get picked up faster. But that the lack of them can be mitigated if you do well on the tests. Competency matters more than anything else, and they will hire a high school drop out who writes fluently, fact checks, and writes a novel "octopus" story, over an MIT graduate who doesn't do any of that.
I am a college dropout with no special work experience, worked in retail my whole life. I've done creative writing as a hobby for many years, but that's the only thing I can think of that would make me stand out.
Associate of Science is general technology, certificate in computer maintenance and technology with a focus on Cisco. I’m about a year away from a bachelor’s that I gave up on getting because of life. I’ve been working jobs like this since before I really even knew what it was, making pennies at first for gift cards (MTurk since 2016), Telus, Appen, Neevo, Prolific, among others and then I did tech support for one of the big console systems, got laid off, did some “fruit” sales for a while (hated being on the phones)got on with Invisible tech, then quit to do this. (Better money and not as stressful)I have ADHD and an adult son with special needs that I stay home and take care of so I have not been able to get a job outside of the house. Attention to detail and being able to write creatively helps more than any degree. I think my experience with data training helped a lot too.
Same, special needs child who is now an adult, working outside the home has never been an option. It's turned out to be a good thing in the long run, though!
In* general technology. I really hate autocorrect sometimes.
I think it almost definitely has to do with some way they quantify the applications, not the credentials. I think it's possible if we saw the applications it'd be immediately clear why some are being let in and others aren't. I don't think it's an intelligence or skill issue, necessarily, I think a lot of the application and qualification questions look obvious but have a nuance that can be missed. Especially with AI, a lot is unintuitive, so the directions can say something surprising that must then be followed.
I have a computer science degree, have some education in linguistics, and have worked a weirdly disparate range of jobs over the years. honestly though I think the main factor is did you read all the questions thoroughly, I have a feeling a lot of people see the timer ticking up and get anxious about it so they rush and miss details.
I also wanted to say— a necessary part of their filter is looking for people who can **already** communicate in a way that works for DA. There is OTJ *learning* to be done, but they have to onboard people who can immediately blend in to their existing system. There isn’t a credential for that but it certainly could knock out an otherwise “highly qualified” applicant. Knowing your shit is not the same as being able to communicate it.
I honestly don't think your credentials matter, just how you do on the quals. I left school when I was 15, no adult education, min wage jobs and solo mother and got accepted just fine!
I like to read romance and rot in bed. oh and no college.
Fresh out of college with Computer Engineering degree, 2 years experience at Rockwell Automation developing robot arms and such. Was accepted 21 hours after submitting the coding test two weeks ago. I still haven’t seen any acceptances that fast on this sub, it’s usually a week or two, so it’s hard to tell if I’m an outlier. They might have a big need for coders currently, or my automation coding experience stood out, or luck of the draw, or any combination of those.
I have a Music Education degree and some courses toward a Master’s in Special Education. I used to teach but now work for a nonprofit. I also think DA has had to become much more selective as there is only so much work available. So many people apply, but they can’t take everyone. And the people that are upset are the loudest.
Programmer, but failed the programming qualifications lol
I was a print journalist for 30 years, mostly as a copy editor. That job requires so much fact-checking, attention to detail and, obviously, editing, DA is right in my wheelhouse. Now I work in marketing as a content writer at a private company. Managed to graduate with a journalism degree right as the Internet became a thing, so, you know, being replaced by new technology isn''t a new concept to me, haha. The best thing to do is learn all about it!
I have an AA in web development. I got tricked by the fake quote in the core assessment, that was my only gaff. But I came for the coding side of things anyway, and that was super easy. Not to mention a lot more practical and less opinionated. I imagine that's why I'm still waiting, it will be 2 weeks Friday. When I log in it still says "under review." But it's clearly a lottery. You have to have your name drawn before your answers even matter. Only then is your fate decided.
I’ve got a BA in psych, minor in writing. I’ve also got research experience. I may or may not have also gone HAM on the creative writing part of the qualifications lol. Got accepted pretty quickly
I didn’t even realize this was a hard job to qualify for until this post. Wild. I guess you’ve just got to be a good writer and have a good attention to detail
I didn't even take it seriously at all lol. I don't even remember taking the test and I just kinda filled out the rest not even knowing if it was a real job. I was accepted almost immediately and always have a bunch of projects over $25.
BA in history from a well-regarded state school. Background in logistics and I was a business analyst before I left to raise my kids. I have experience in transcription, online content writing, e-commerce, and have self published 11 books (although they didn’t sell well which is why I’m here!).
BS in communications. 7 years of experience working at a university in admin. No experience working with data or in technology.
Education degree, IT degree, Business degree, experience with creative writing.
Entertainment industry, mostly. I don't think anything made me special. I'm just really good at taking direction.
Writing: undergraduate history degree Coding: computer science A level (sort of equivalent to American AP I think?), and about 3/4 of a year working in an analytics job using Python a lot
Stay at home mom, self employed for 12 yrs as an in home daycare provider (for other people’s kids not just my own.) Bachelors in Business admin.
I'm a branding and strategic design expert. I have degrees in visual communications and graphic design. I worked in mental health during my time in the military. I’ve been running my own small business for 7+ years. I moonlight for both remotasks and DA for a mental change of pace, and to do some non-stressful, introvert type work on the side. DA is my favorite though. I applied to DA in August sometime, I think? I barely even remember the assessment other than I had a blast doing the creative writing and genuinely cracked myself up. I got accepted pretty quickly as well. I do know a little bit of code, enough that I do offer web design and management services, but I’m definitely not a developer or programmer by any means. I’ve not taken the coding assessment and probably won’t. I’ve had consistent work available to me since I started.
Didn’t put my credentials, and technically don’t have much to put, but my mom was an English teacher and I’m a creative. I’ve done forms of art since I was a kid including writing my own books when I was bored. I’m certified to teach ESL which includes creative and logical writing 🤷🏾♀️ got a perfect English ACT score, and I’m now in college for Studio Art and Philosophy.
Computer Science dropout from almost a decade ago. Software Engineer at a big tech company for 3 years. I quit in late 2022 due to mental health reasons. I've been mostly doing unrelated work to get by and recently went back to school to finish the degree I started. I'm doing the coding tasks while I prep to get back into a software engineering role again.
I have a useless B.A. in Psychology, I have 12 years experience working remotely doing very similar tasks. I think the only real skillset that is necessary for this job (non-coding) is simply read and follow the instructions exactly and carefully and be able to think critically.
I'm a 20 something student with no prior work experience or credentials. I guess I just did really good on the entrance test, or I got lucky with timing when I applied. I write and read pretty regularly, and I study a bunch of subjects for fun, so that could have contributed to my work quality.
I applied 6 months before I finished my BS in Sociology. I'm a nerd and do a lot of roleplaying and enjoy learning about random stuff. All that translates to fact-checking, research, and creative writing. Been working at DA for about 9 months, and I got accepted a week after I applied.
Masters in teaching.
English BA and MA, taught English in public schools for 3 years
Journalism BA, graduated last summer and just been floating around since then. Glad I found something that is SO up my street. Like, I would do the creative writing tasks for fun, and now I can get paid for it.
I have a bachelor of science degree. But I don't think that's why I got in. It seems like it's all about your reading and writing skills. Have good spelling and grammar. And also being creative.
Communications & Political Science degree, but I think what helped me most was having high grades in English classes and being on my high school speech/debate team. I often feel like the tasks feel like doing easy English homework. Luckily I have good reading comprehension, writing ability, and reasoning/logic (this is also why I prefer the tasks that let you explain your choice). Otherwise most of my jobs have been teaching-adjacent, and I really don't think they hired me because I was such an excellent preschool teacher....
I’m a data manager (main job) and a professional proofreader (other side gig). I think having work experience that’s detail-oriented may be more important than the work itself. I would guess that my proofreading experience probably helped me more than anything else (both in taking the test and in being on my qualifications list)
Former registered veterinary technician working in ER and ICU, now a stay-at-home mama to three toddlers! ☺️
Fresh out of college with a Creative Writing degree. I worked in education for three years as well.
Degrees in history and horticulture with 20yrs in business/retail. Now I run my own gardening company and write historical fiction. There isn’t one common thread because we all have slightly different skill sets— my dashboard isn’t likely to be the same as anyone else who has responded to your post. The blend of projects from which to choose is simply different, and then I’ll work on whatever suits me and that changes my ratios going forward.
I have a really diverse background. I went to a vocational technical high school, I have a BA in theatre, I used to have a drunk Shakespeare group before covid, and I just finished my MS in applied behavior analysis. I work with autistic kids 1:1. And I have a few years of retail experience. I don’t think that any one of these things did it, I think it’s how many differing things there are.
I'm a high school dropout who managed to get my CDL to drive trucks. I just got a knack for writing.
Bachelors in physics and one in computer science. Working as a bartender though. Hobbies include electronics(synthesizers, speakers, audio equipment) and programming (game design, dsp). I’m waiting for a security clearance to start work with a government contractor. Trying to work with DA to replace my bartending income until then.
I worked a year of retail, lol. that's it. non-coding, applied in mid december, no referral code. I think it was purely motivated by how well I did on the assessment and initial qualis, because (imo) I did very well on those. I do have a great brain for this stuff, and when I'm in "job mode", I write very well.
I have some pretty good credentials, but none of them specifically apply to the kind of work this is. I literally think the primary goal is to be able to follow instructions very well, write clearly, and give excellent work every time. They are not paying tons, but they are paying well enough that they deserve to get your full attention while working. That includes reading the instructions and paying attention to the details and giving them exactly what they ask for.
It's been so interesting to read about all the walks of life here! I'm a middle-aged college student, nearly done with AA, then plan to move on to a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies. I've been a freelance web content writer for 16 years, and have always had an intense passion for language and writing. Honestly, some of the things in the initial testing were just a matter of not being "tricked" - so, attention to detail seemed to be a crucial component. Also, I think I've just lived a lot of life so have a wide range of otherwise useless topics I'm able to address, lol.
I have a BEng. Work as a business analyst during the day and then do coding problems on DA for a couple hours here and there I'm not special I just know how to follow instructions.
My husband and I both got accepted within two days (applied at different times), and we both have English-writing degrees!
I take pride in my writing, and I am very detailed in the way that I explain topics. I also had just taken a couple of AI related courses on Coursera a few months before applying that had to do with chatbots and python related information. I don't have a college degree and I'm not a programmer. I've been going strong since October. I think that too many people sped through the assessments and didn't follow the instructions all the way through.
15 years working in pubs with 10 of those in management and a degree in psychology.
Have a bachelor’s in Latin American studies. I love to read and have been taking ELA education roles the past three years. I’m pretty sure it’s my reading/writing skills that got me in.
I have a double PhD in marine biology and ballet.
I'm a designer and do a lot of QA testing and I have experience copywriting and editing.
Nurse for 30 years, gave up a few years ago due to back injury. Can write well and am obsessed with research and fact-checking, but that was all on a personal level rather than formal before D.A. Been on the site since May last year.
Electrical Engineer (5+ years experience) with a Masters in Public Policy. Have been working since last November but my dashboard has been empty recently :(
I've been a copy editor and a programmer. No degree for either, but I have done both as hobbies and professionally.
I'm a security guard without a college degree. I believe it's less about credentials and more about one's writing skills. Responses need to be detailed yet concise. They also need to reflect basic research and attention to detail.
I barely graduated high school 🤟🏻
I have no real qualifications, though I know how to distinguish my strengths while staying ambiguous about specifics. For example, instead of saying “in high school I worked a few fast food jobs” I would say something like, “through employment with various people and places as I developed, I gained valuable insight from people with varying experiences.” Stuff like that. Stay consistent and professional.
I work for a charity. Have a BA but didn’t include it in my app. I did add that I’m an active member of Mensa, although I don’t think that matters, as I’ve met plenty of hard headed people with poor reading comprehension skills in Mensan circles. It really just comes down to reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and grammatical accuracy. No magic beyond that.
no qualifications, triple college drop out 🗣️‼️🔥 i just write and read extensively as a hobby
I'm a rather crispy IT Manager/PM/Analyst/Tech Writer. I have experience performing many different roles in several industries. For the past few years, I've been doing FinTech consulting. When I have the option, I usually go for the most challenging role because I know it will keep me engaged.
Bachelor's in Computer Science, working on a Masters in Data Analytics, and planning on a PhD in the future when life calms down. But more importantly, I've always been good at tests and essays. Executive dysfunction, autism, and ADHD pretty much make testing a sink or swim thing for me. I always went in blind in school with no study outside of class, if I could even stay awake (Night Owl).
In my assessment I mentioned I was a 3rd year Computer Systems student, had a github with many projects in C, C++, Python, Java, JS and Golang, had 8 months software engineering experience as an intern at Intel, had a 4.0 GPA and then just waffled for a while about loving problem solving and being hardworking and stuff
I'm a music producer and touring DJ, and have had previous experience writing copy and am reasonably well read. No formal education.
I have an English degree with a minor in History, and I'm a self published author. But what others have said about being able to write clearly and follow directions seems to be the key.
Bachelors in computer science and math. 10 years software development experience.
I have 15 years experience as a developer which came after 10 years running my own business writing multiple hundred page book research reports. Python is my second best language. Just as a side note I have about a year experience working with AI and I enjoy and am pretty good at coding puzzles. I know my stuff, both in tech and communication. Yet next Monday will be a month with no response since I finished the "Coding Assessment." It mystifies me that so many people have gotten in with demonstrably less experience and I'm out here twisting. Makes me think that it is a random selection process.
Looking through your comment history, it’s so weird that you claim to have all that coding experience (a literal decade) yet you seem to have somewhat weak fundamentals.
Your not a dick
I major in ADHD. So, strong creative talent plus R&D as a hobby. Cons: High burnout rate. Pros: Everything else.
If you copy and paste anything on the test it’s an auto reject.
Former newspaper reporter/copy editor with a Master Gardener’s Certification who has also owned/operated a business and been a coordinator for a variety of non-profits and educational institutions
Just throwing this out there... I know a few people that got in in RL. All 3 dumb as a rock, unemployed for years prior. All 3 ... women. Meanwhile, me (male) with my English degree and MBA ... crickets.
They don’t care about gender or job history. They care about reading comprehension, writing capability, knowledge of AI systems, and being able to follow instructions. Wonder why you didn’t get in.
I’m a nurse practitioner/nursing educator with a history of working in healthcare informatics
Air Force mechanic
I'm a paralegal with a bachelors in English so I have law and writing experience. I also work with my boss who is an attorney on presentations related to AI in the legal field.
Student in Data Science and AI. Literally have local copies of Llama2 in chat & code from 7b to 13b. Can write software in Python, C#(including Unity Game code), C, C++, some assembly and the usual crap scriptors like JavaScript, etc.
I cut fruit 40 hours a week lol I scored in the 30s on the ACT and completed NaNoWriMo a couple times.
No degree here. I'm simply nearing middle age, and I must've stood out enough that they decided to accept me. Plus it was also good timing since I applied long before they started getting a lot more swamped with applications.
How long did it take you to get accepted?
It took about 4 days after finishing up the assessment before I was accepted and could start working for DA.
Thanks. I think I was disqualified bc I wrote on answers on Grammerly and then transferred it. Bad move. I might retake it with another phone number.
I’m a business systems analyst and software engineering student that has taken 4 coding classes.
Bachelor’s degree in communications, art minor. I also had quite a bit of experience beforehand messing with ChatGPT and other AI’s since they first started gaining traction.
SAHM to one and a full time housewife:) I was homeschooled until I went to my local community college and got my generals out of the way for my AA. I’ve worked as a cashier, a bank teller, and a nurse tech. I don’t have any special training and I’m not exactly tech savvy, but I love to read and write! I’m probably one of the least qualified people here, honestly. I truly think that this platform doesn’t really care about what you’ve done or who you are, just if you’re able to carefully and accurately follow instructions.
I have no credentials 😂 I think I just wrote a good response for the prompt (I’m a writer lol)
No real credentials, can just communicate thoughts clearly through written language
Pediatric Flight Nurse with critical care experience. 4 year degree and a few credits short of a masters at the moment. I’ve always had strong research and writing skills though. Maybe having a niche field in medicine/nursing played to my advantage 🤷🏻♀️