Re: ANNOUNCE: Vacant Job Positions

In <DMJ15v.13C_at_falcon.daytonoh.attgis.com> Dick Menninger <Dick.Menninger_at_DaytonOH.ATTGIS.COM> writes:
>> In article <4fe3ov$pc0_at_qualcomm.com>, <nabbasi_at_qualcomm.com> wrote:
>> >And why would you not want to have a college degree is the question
>> >I would ask. If you real an able person, then you would be
>> >able to get a college degree in the field you enjoy working in.
"Would be" and "can afford to pay for, need to," ad nauseum are not the same thing. Our world is not of the Star Trek (tm) realm where ability reasonable desire give one access.

>> not necessarily. I had been pursuing a BS in CS untill last
>> term. Our CS department here at OSU requires 3 terms of physics >>
>> with calc. and
 

>> I was forced to change my major since I was unable to do these
>> physics classes. So you see, just because you are
>> good at something, and enjoy it, doesn't mean that you can get a
>> degree in it.
 

>Now, calc. is not that far up the mathematical maturity curve
>and the early physics courses are still rather concrete.
The European view... in America, the curve is more like a chasm. (Sorry for the mathmatical soap box commentary. No, I not sorry :) )

> So difficulty at this level says you are somewhat cut off from a
>considerable body of more abstract thinking that is germaine.
In the same way that not knowing how to build a Saturn rocket even though you know how to build a Saturn car makes you - mmm - an idiot.

>The demonstrated ability to deal with abstraction over a wide
>range of subjects matters is a valid criterion.
As a degreed math person with minor in physics, physics and math hardly constitute "a wide range of subjects matters"...

>Although
>whether a CS degree insures your qualification is debatable,
>inability to clear some basic hurdles in related fields in order
>to get the CS degree should concern those employers that
>are dealing with problems where demonstrated maturity at
>thinking and working abstractly matters.
>
>In my experience, people who took readily to math and
>physics readily developed a high level of maturity in software
>development, as well. Coding is only a small part of modern
>programming. Creating an abstract model of things is much
>a part of it and is much like forming a physical theory. You
>must understand what is important and what should be ignored.
>You must be able to do theorem-like work to do many calculations
>in the most appropriate form. That happens in business
>problems as well as other contexts.

Funny - the employers and colleagues I have known generally concur that one should lock up most of the developers with such "high level of maturity" in the programming area since they can't design a decent GUI or write documentation. So much for the "well-educated graduate".

>So, a CS degree is a good filter for many jobs. You should
>look very hard at why you had trouble. Was it ability or
>attitude or inadequate background or lack of applying yourself?
>If you were inadequately prepared, it would be worth your
>while to go back and fix that. Life can be hard sometimes
>and each of us must be willing to take responsibility and
>control of ourselves and work hard when life is hard.
Or you can do good work, suffer through the numerous employers and peers that can't stand undegreed developers, and judge fellow practitioners on their skills and thinking (and just enjoy the stories of where they learned them).

Be well and do good work...
Michael

Degreed;
happy about it;
would of made my way in the world without it with some extra effort. Received on Mon Feb 12 1996 - 00:00:00 CET