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OK, here is the answer why he couldn't get a job. It makes sense to me. I am quoting comment #6 from the original blog post: http://lemire.me/blog/archives/2013
by g42gregory 12y ago
OK, here is the answer why he couldn't get a job. It makes sense to me. I am quoting comment #6 from the original blog post:
http://lemire.me/blog/archives/2013/09/23/why-cant-yo-find-a-job-with-a-stanford-computer-science-ph-d/ http://lemire.me/blog/archives/2013/09/23/why-cant-yo-find-a...
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"...It’s worth noting that he has a CS PhD but his research was in biomechanical simulation.
He then applied to a bunch of Product Management jobs without any industry experience. Nothing about him suggests he’d be a better candidate for an entry level spot than the typical BS-CS. The bit about 47k users is not really all that relevant to anyone hiring for a PM position in the Valley. He’s definitely nowhere near a live candidate for anything past an entry level position.
Regarding programming jobs, he’s definitely not all that interesting a candidate on either the data science or systems front. He should have been able to get a job somewhere but that would strictly be off potential as opposed to anything relevant.
I’m not entirely clear on what he expected, given the skills he focused on during his PhD.
For context: I also went to Stanford, did some biomechanics research and then had to do a fair bit of resume rehab to be employable. Spent big portions of the last 5+ years actively hiring engineers for various places I’ve worked. I’m surprised it took him a year, but was less surprised when I read about the jobs he went after..."
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- xerophtye 12y agoYeah that pretty much sums it up. Having a PhD doesn't magically make you more eligible. You have to demonstrate how you make a value-addition to the team.
- mcv 12y agoI guess the root of the problem is a mismatch in expectations. The PhD thinks his PhD puts him a notch above people with merely a Master's, therefore he must be ready for management. The industry sees him as someone with talent, but fresh out of university, with no industry experience. First get some experience on how projects are run before you expect to manage them.