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> if someone has spent time to get a PhD in a part of computer science that just doesn't have real-world profitability, it's pretty clear that it's going to be

by rflrob 13y ago

> if someone has spent time to get a PhD in a part of computer science that just doesn't have real-world profitability, it's pretty clear that it's going to be hard to find a job in the market. If they are only looking for jobs in their specialization, that makes sense, but if the PhDs are looking for any job for which they hold the qualifications, it's not obvious that having spent time devoted to specializing ought to be a penalty. If the choice is between someone with a bachelors in CS, and someone with a bachelor's in CS who also has a a PhD in Finnish Basketweaving, why isn't the second person just as hire-able as the first?

DavidWoof 13y ago
Because time spent getting the PhD is time spent away from the field, and that's a negative factor that may or may not be balanced by the specialization of the PhD. So, yes, all things being equal, I'd definitely want a new CS grad over the basketweaving expert who hasn't touched a computer in 4 years. I'd also take the dev with solid 5 years recent team lead experience over someone who thinks his 5 years on a private project in school merits a senior programmer position on a development platform he's completely ignorant of. I'm not saying that's the guy in the article, I have no idea.
hardwaresofton 13y ago
I think the reason might be a little bit more complex than just whether they have a PhD or not. Maybe it would make more sense when you consider the person as being 'overqualified', moreso than less hire-able? Let's say I'm some web startup that focuses on making the best todo list app that has ever been made -- If I get a guy out of college who has little to no experience (but the experience is on the stack that I am using), and I have a PhD with a some specialization like robotics or DSP (vague but bear with me), it might not seem to make as much sense (even given that they have the same experience on the stack that my company uses) to hire the PhD with the robotics/DSP, as he it seems that he is a molded part (specialization), that does NOT go into the hole I'm trying to put him in, whereas the new grad appears to be more pliable (if not incomplete), and will definitely fit, and I can try and build up to expand to fill the role. Don't know if that analogy made sense, but essentially I mean to say that someone with a PhD might be just as hirable, but from a hiring manager's perspective, hexagon block in a square hole (as opposed to putting a circle block in that square hole)

by rflrob 13y ago

DavidWoof 13y ago

Because time spent getting the PhD is time spent away from the field, and that's a negative factor that may or may not be balanced by the specialization of the PhD. So, yes, all things being equal, I'd definitely want a new CS grad over the basketweaving expert who hasn't touched a computer in 4 years. I'd also take the dev with solid 5 years recent team lead experience over someone who thinks his 5 years on a private project in school merits a senior programmer position on a development platform he's completely ignorant of. I'm not saying that's the guy in the article, I have no idea.

hardwaresofton 13y ago

I think the reason might be a little bit more complex than just whether they have a PhD or not. Maybe it would make more sense when you consider the person as being 'overqualified', moreso than less hire-able? Let's say I'm some web startup that focuses on making the best todo list app that has ever been made -- If I get a guy out of college who has little to no experience (but the experience is on the stack that I am using), and I have a PhD with a some specialization like robotics or DSP (vague but bear with me), it might not seem to make as much sense (even given that they have the same experience on the stack that my company uses) to hire the PhD with the robotics/DSP, as he it seems that he is a molded part (specialization), that does NOT go into the hole I'm trying to put him in, whereas the new grad appears to be more pliable (if not incomplete), and will definitely fit, and I can try and build up to expand to fill the role. Don't know if that analogy made sense, but essentially I mean to say that someone with a PhD might be just as hirable, but from a hiring manager's perspective, hexagon block in a square hole (as opposed to putting a circle block in that square hole)