Can you work as a software engineer/software developer without having a computer science degree

Yes. Many software engineers and developers are self-taught. A university degree won't ever hurt you, but it isn't the only way to get past the gatekeepers. A lot of talented people in the tech industry learned programming in their free time and hold high-level positions. Many people are also holders of different degrees like Math and teach themselves programming in their spare time as a hobby. If you can write software, then you can be qualified to hold a software engineering position.

The key is being able to walk the walk. A university degree isn't a guarantee that someone is a strong software engineer. A lot of what is learned in university lecture halls is unrelated to what someone would do on the job everyday. If you have a lot of professional experience, can write code, and solve problems effectively, you'll be a strong candidate for a software engineering job.

Getting a job can be tricky. You have to make sure you're well-versed in the expectations of a coding interview. If you've never experienced a technical interview before, definitely do at least one practice. Practice writing code with a pencil and paper or on a whiteboard if you have one. Familiarize yourself with the interview environment.

Experience a mock coding interview using online resources. Websites like Pramp and InterviewCake are excellent places to practice full mock coding interviews. Here you'll be paired with another software engineer of a similar skill level, and together you'll perform the coding interview from both perspectives. Solving coding problems in an interview environment will dramatically boost your confidence for the real thing. It will be helpful to catch you up to speed on the normal expectations of software engineers, and give you advantages over candidates who do not prepare for coding interviews this way.