Re: ANNOUNCE: Vacant Job Positions

From: June Tong <junet_at_informix.com>
Date: 1996/02/14
Message-ID: <4ftlac$1o5_at_news.informix.com>#1/1

: In article <3120B741.3482_at_crl.com>, john b <jointprd_at_crl.com> wrote:
: >Correct my summary of this issue if I'm wrong.
: >
: >1) Corporate America does not recognize that there are very competent
: >"non-degreed computer" people out there.
: >2) Corporate America is probably bypassing a great source of knowledge.
: >3) Most of corporate America is prejudice.
: >4) All things equal, a degree will always win out.
: >5) Having a degree does not make you any better than anyone else.
: >6) Not having a degree more than likely will limit initial opportunities,
: > but if persistent things will work out.
: >7) Good experience is worth just as much as a degree.

Grant Reaber (greaber_at_reed.edu) wrote:
: Well I guess that's a good summary of one half of the issue :-). First

It IS a good summary of what this thread has covered so far. Which, I believe, is all it purports to be.

As only one person has pointed out so far, the original post said "or equivalent". In my experience, most companies see 2-3 years experience as being "equivalent". So 1) and 2) above are not necessarily true. Unless you are saying that college is SO useless that non-graduates don't need ANY experience to be equivalent, or even superior? We're not talking about specific individuals here, but as a group.

: All that said, it must be conceded that many degrees hardly approach the
: liberal ideal. Getting a degree from some colleges is probably of
: little value to anyone smart and motivated enough to be a good programmer.

Too true.  I personally think I got an EXCELLENT education from my college,
in many ways, not necessarily connected to programming.  This doesn't mean, of
course, that I am a better programmer (although I do think I'm pretty good,

but don't we all ;-) or that all colleges provide a great education, or, for that matter, that all graduates of my school feel that they got a great education.

On the other hand, at one interview (while I was still in college), the interviewer said to me, "You mean your school doesn't even teach you COBOL??? How do they expect you to get a job???" Made me wonder 1) what other colleges are teaching, 2) what this company wanted in their employees, 3) what they think colleges are supposed to teach you, and 4) what they were doing recruiting at my school. My feeling is that for what they wanted, they definitely should not require a college degree (I don't know if it was REQUIRED, though). All I know is that they were in the wrong place.

June Received on Wed Feb 14 1996 - 00:00:00 CET