4 ms·

Until you won't fix hiring discrimination based on school name, you can't fix the problem. Just see around in silicon valley you can find the example.

pickdenis 8y ago
I don't buy that the probability of a new grad being successful is independent of the name of the school from which they received their degree. Sure, maybe the link isn't as strong as it's made out to be by hiring practices but it can't be nonexistent.
gnulinux 8y ago
This is bizarre I think. Are we supposed to pretend all CS degrees in the world (or US?) have the same value as MIT, Stanford, Berkeley et al?
- User23 8y ago
  It's not any more silly than plenty of other things we are expected to pretend. Edit: HN downvotes tell me I'm supposed to pretend that I'm not supposed to pretend silly things. Neat really.
- DannyBee 8y ago
  For undergrad, yes. Having interviewed 500+ people at this point (and screened many many more resumes and github accounts), i'd there are rarely, if ever, meaningful differences in quality of candidate based on where they got their CS degree from. I see much greater variation in masters/graduate candidates than in undergrad.
  - synaesthesisx 8y ago
    Agreed - I've interviewed candidates with no CS degree that outperformed ones from Harvard etc. In fact many of the best ones were self-taught...
    - gnulinux 8y ago
      I'm finding it very hard to believe a student who did well in MIT or Berkeley can "on average" be outperformed by someone who is self-taught. I'm not suggesting all students in top schools are good, or nobody self-taught is good, but in my experience there is a strong correlation. I'm also surprised that (1) people had a differing experience in this thread and (2) I'm downvoted for expressing my experience. Disclaimer: I taught CS classes in both Berkeley and MIT.
      - DannyBee 8y ago
        Fwiw: Most new grads suck at coding. The self taught are often a little better. The algorithms and data structures part is a toss up. Maybe they are good at class and bad in interviews, but ... On average I haven't seen the correlation you have.
- sdinsn 8y ago
  No, that's not what he's saying- He is saying we should attempt to evaluate individuals without being biased by name recognition. There are poor students at Stanford and excellent students at <insert unknown school here>.
prolikewh0a 8y ago
I know a lot of people in Engineering jobs at Facebook, Valve, Amazon, Google with no degrees who dropped out of College in their first year. The stigma that you need paid education is gone from at least tech jobs, which judging by your mention of Silicon Valley those may be what you're talking about.
jogjayr 8y ago
I don't think it's that big of a deal in Silicon Valley anymore. If you have a few years' work experience as a software engineer and are currently working in the Bay Area, you are sure to be contacted by at least one recruiter from each of the FAANGs, regardless of where you studied. Possibly more. Don't know if it's more difficult as a fresh grad from a no-brand name institution though - I would imagine so.

pickdenis 8y ago

I don't buy that the probability of a new grad being successful is independent of the name of the school from which they received their degree. Sure, maybe the link isn't as strong as it's made out to be by hiring practices but it can't be nonexistent.

gnulinux 8y ago

This is bizarre I think. Are we supposed to pretend all CS degrees in the world (or US?) have the same value as MIT, Stanford, Berkeley et al?

User23 8y ago
It's not any more silly than plenty of other things we are expected to pretend. Edit: HN downvotes tell me I'm supposed to pretend that I'm not supposed to pretend silly things. Neat really.
DannyBee 8y ago
For undergrad, yes. Having interviewed 500+ people at this point (and screened many many more resumes and github accounts), i'd there are rarely, if ever, meaningful differences in quality of candidate based on where they got their CS degree from. I see much greater variation in masters/graduate candidates than in undergrad.
- synaesthesisx 8y ago
  Agreed - I've interviewed candidates with no CS degree that outperformed ones from Harvard etc. In fact many of the best ones were self-taught...
  - gnulinux 8y ago
    I'm finding it very hard to believe a student who did well in MIT or Berkeley can "on average" be outperformed by someone who is self-taught. I'm not suggesting all students in top schools are good, or nobody self-taught is good, but in my experience there is a strong correlation. I'm also surprised that (1) people had a differing experience in this thread and (2) I'm downvoted for expressing my experience. Disclaimer: I taught CS classes in both Berkeley and MIT.
    - DannyBee 8y ago
      Fwiw: Most new grads suck at coding. The self taught are often a little better. The algorithms and data structures part is a toss up. Maybe they are good at class and bad in interviews, but ... On average I haven't seen the correlation you have.
sdinsn 8y ago
No, that's not what he's saying- He is saying we should attempt to evaluate individuals without being biased by name recognition. There are poor students at Stanford and excellent students at <insert unknown school here>.

prolikewh0a 8y ago

I know a lot of people in Engineering jobs at Facebook, Valve, Amazon, Google with no degrees who dropped out of College in their first year. The stigma that you need paid education is gone from at least tech jobs, which judging by your mention of Silicon Valley those may be what you're talking about.

jogjayr 8y ago

I don't think it's that big of a deal in Silicon Valley anymore. If you have a few years' work experience as a software engineer and are currently working in the Bay Area, you are sure to be contacted by at least one recruiter from each of the FAANGs, regardless of where you studied. Possibly more. Don't know if it's more difficult as a fresh grad from a no-brand name institution though - I would imagine so.