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This problem is not limited to the humanities. Academia in all fields depends on an army of young grad students and postdocs to staff the research trenches, man

by frossie 18y ago

This problem is not limited to the humanities. Academia in all fields depends on an army of young grad students and postdocs to staff the research trenches, many times more than there ever will be tenured positions for. In fact it is more insiduous in the sciences, in that people think they are gaining marketable skills that they can fall on as a Plan B. For example many delude themselves that they can program, because they had to write a few scripts to manipulate data in their research career. They get weeded out at early stages for software engineering positions ("Have you ever used a version control system" is a Damoclean interview question).

timr 18y ago
"They get weeded out at early stages for software engineering positions ("Have you ever used a version control system" is a Damoclean interview question)." If by "Damoclean", you mean "capricious", then I agree, but it sounds more like an interview anti-pattern. That question doesn't tell you anything about the candidate's capability of understanding a version control system, which is a far more important property than their particular experience with one VCS or another. This year alone, I've learned at least a half-dozen new tools and technologies that I'd never used in grad school. Yet here I am, using them to do productive work. Would you really not hire me because I'd never used a tool before?
- frossie 18y ago
  I know this sounds unkind, but it is not a question of whether someone knows a particular tool, which I agree is not always essential. The overwhelming chances are that if a person has never used any version control system at all, they have not written software of any complexity and/or they have not written software in collaboration with others. The fact that they could, in fact, happen to be brilliant at both of those given a chance is an unknown quantity - and a pivotal part of hiring is to minimise the risk of someone not working out. Of course there are always good answers to questions even when the skill is not there; personally, I have yet to get one on this question. My advice to anyone who is a non-comp-sci grad (or lacks real software engineering experience for other reasons) that wants to turn into a programmer is to join an open source project and cut your teeth on that; not only is it going to give you an introduction to many things that count but it does so in a way that makes it very easy for a potential employer to verify them.

by frossie 18y ago

timr 18y ago

"They get weeded out at early stages for software engineering positions ("Have you ever used a version control system" is a Damoclean interview question)." If by "Damoclean", you mean "capricious", then I agree, but it sounds more like an interview anti-pattern. That question doesn't tell you anything about the candidate's capability of understanding a version control system, which is a far more important property than their particular experience with one VCS or another. This year alone, I've learned at least a half-dozen new tools and technologies that I'd never used in grad school. Yet here I am, using them to do productive work. Would you really not hire me because I'd never used a tool before?

frossie 18y ago
I know this sounds unkind, but it is not a question of whether someone knows a particular tool, which I agree is not always essential. The overwhelming chances are that if a person has never used any version control system at all, they have not written software of any complexity and/or they have not written software in collaboration with others. The fact that they could, in fact, happen to be brilliant at both of those given a chance is an unknown quantity - and a pivotal part of hiring is to minimise the risk of someone not working out. Of course there are always good answers to questions even when the skill is not there; personally, I have yet to get one on this question. My advice to anyone who is a non-comp-sci grad (or lacks real software engineering experience for other reasons) that wants to turn into a programmer is to join an open source project and cut your teeth on that; not only is it going to give you an introduction to many things that count but it does so in a way that makes it very easy for a potential employer to verify them.