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Im sorry, but this is where you need to check your own biases at the door. For example, your statement "A company like Apple has little use for someone who has

Im sorry, but this is where you need to check your own biases at the door. For example, your statement "A company like Apple has little use for someone who has only ever worked on IT-focused Java development.". Actually, Apple has a need for people like these. Their whole web/it/retail infrastructure is a Java backend ( i believe webobjects moved to Java, then was deprecated as an outside project, but kept for internal use, my knowledge is dated on this). Take a look at their jobs site[1] Now my point wasn't about apple and java. But our own biases that we bring, at every level. We all have biases, but most direct way to effect biases in hiring, is to close your pool down. You need a really wide opening at the beginning of your sourcing funnel to have diversity ( and i mean diversity at every level ). I work at one of the "big 4" and went to an ivy, but guess what, some of the smartest people I have ever met, had to go to schools based on what their parents could afford. Thats a HUGE selection bias. So yes, widen your funnel, and recognize your biases ( that we all have, and that basically boil down to having less knowledge ). [1] https://jobs.apple.com/us/search?job=112907897&openJobId=112907897#&ss=java&t=0&so=&pN=0&openJobId=112907897 https://jobs.apple.com/us/search?job=112907897&openJobId=112...

randyrand 9y ago
Bias also comes from having knowledge. Statistical racial profiling and stereotyping based on facts are examples of this. Morally I still haven't figured out what to think about this. Generally stereotyping people is considered okay unless its about something outside of their control (race, etc). e.g. its okay to stereotype about rednecks or Californians, because they could choose to move, etc. But generally I don't believe in free will - nothing is a choice when you consider all the circumstances. You'll find plenty of articles on Washington post that follow this line of reasoning about the circle of poverty, etc. So if you don't believe in free will, you're not allowed to judge anyone for any reason - which sounds ridiculous. So in short, I have not figured out how the morality of stereotyping works, and that bugs me. Has anyone figured it out?
akhilcacharya 9y ago
> Actually, Apple has a need for people like these. Their whole web/it/retail infrastructure is a Java backend Not only this, but most new grads are hired in a pool and not for specific skills.
gsnedders 9y ago
And even if they didn't have so much Java, they'd quite possibly still be interested—plenty of major places are more interested in your problem solving skills than your knowledge of any given language.

randyrand 9y ago

Bias also comes from having knowledge. Statistical racial profiling and stereotyping based on facts are examples of this. Morally I still haven't figured out what to think about this. Generally stereotyping people is considered okay unless its about something outside of their control (race, etc). e.g. its okay to stereotype about rednecks or Californians, because they could choose to move, etc. But generally I don't believe in free will - nothing is a choice when you consider all the circumstances. You'll find plenty of articles on Washington post that follow this line of reasoning about the circle of poverty, etc. So if you don't believe in free will, you're not allowed to judge anyone for any reason - which sounds ridiculous. So in short, I have not figured out how the morality of stereotyping works, and that bugs me. Has anyone figured it out?

akhilcacharya 9y ago

> Actually, Apple has a need for people like these. Their whole web/it/retail infrastructure is a Java backend Not only this, but most new grads are hired in a pool and not for specific skills.

gsnedders 9y ago

And even if they didn't have so much Java, they'd quite possibly still be interested—plenty of major places are more interested in your problem solving skills than your knowledge of any given language.