Linked by Eugenia Loli-Queru on Tue 5th Feb 2008 01:37 UTC
How do you recognize good programmers if you're a business guy? It's not as easy as it sounds. CV experience is only of limited use here, because great programmers don't always have the "official" experience to demonstrate that they're great. In fact, a lot of that CV experience can be misleading. Yet there are a number of subtle cues that you can get, even from the CV, to figure out whether someone's a great programmer. More here.
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RE[4]: Certified and a Computer Science degree...
by Savior on Tue 5th Feb 2008 03:01
in reply to "RE[3]: Certified and a Computer Science degree..."
Member since:2006-09-02
Just because some hiring company/current employer thinks certifications aren't useless doesn't mean much in practice: you can get all sorts of people that manage to remember just enough for the testing, and can't actually apply it in real-world conditions when pressed, because they study for the test, and that's the extent of that: they're merely highly-evolved parrots with a piece of paper.
You are certainly right in a way. Many certificates let you do just that. However, you can't really pass the better ones, like SCJD, without actually being able to apply your knowledge to practical problems.
Also, even though I am not a fan of certification myself, I believe that if someone took the time to prepare and take the exams for one, it means that he takes his job / himself seriously. And in my eyes, that is a good seller.
RE[4]: Certified and a Computer Science degree...
by rhyder on Tue 5th Feb 2008 13:50
in reply to "RE[3]: Certified and a Computer Science degree..."
Member since:2005-09-28
Spot on and +1. By the time most of us get to our mid 20s, we've all encountered our share of "mediocre graduates". As you say, anyone truly talented will use their degree as a springboard to a life of learning, not an end.
Have you ever noticed that the most hopeless graduates seem to be the ones who think they know it all because they have a degree?
Member since:
2006-05-26
Just because some hiring company/current employer thinks certifications aren't useless doesn't mean much in practice: you can get all sorts of people that manage to remember just enough for the testing, and can't actually apply it in real-world conditions when pressed, because they study for the test, and that's the extent of that: they're merely highly-evolved parrots with a piece of paper. This also goes, too, for a lot of computer science/IT type degree earners: that means they've put in enough time and effort to earn the piece of paper, but it doesn't mean the paper has any real-world value once they're having to produce things in real life. Many of those with a degree (and not just in computer science) see it as a means to an end, and think as soon as they've got that, they're golden, and many think they're the cat's pajamas, too, and lord it over self-taught people or those that didn't attend as almighty an institution as they did. Really, the most useful thing to get out of a college education is to learn the art of learning, because all college and a degree are truly good for are getting your feet wet, and giving you a clue about how and what to look for in a given field, and some of the basics: it isn't a long-term solution that never needs updating, if you're serious about your pursuits.
So, a combination of real-world experience, combined with some sample of what they've done (via references, actual code example or products as appropriate) combined with sufficiently probing questions can reveal those that are competent from those that are not, and more often than not, those that are self-educated to some degree (surely you don't believe that a college-educated person should stop there!) are of far more value than those that went through some formal program, got a piece of paper, and were content with that. There's far too much required towards the mastery of any field for any college degree or formal certifications afterwards to ever say much about how good you are: it can only state how much time, energy and money were involved in getting you a longer CV/resume. I've noticed many college graduates that were worthless, even though they got good grades in school.