1. In the UK, via the "milk round" of good universities, personal referrals, industrial sponsorship... Also, some universities won't take undergraduates straigh

1. In the UK, via the "milk round" of good universities, personal referrals, industrial sponsorship... Also, some universities won't take undergraduates straight from school, which forces a "year out" in industry which plays into recruitment. It was kind of fun watching the big players fighting over those new grads with 1st class degrees. 2. I think, at it's best, the process is the safety net. At it's worse, it's a substitute for talented people - but I don't think that's sustainable for long. Perhaps it's just a different talent, for working in an extremely tightly controlled way without going crazy.