Subj : Re: Academic grades should be USELESS
To   : comp.programming
From : Ed Prochak
Date : Mon Jul 25 2005 11:34 am



Charles Richmond wrote:
> James wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> > I don't know why these software companies put a lot of stress on the
> > academic grades. The academic grades have nothing to do with the
> > technical know-how of a person. I have a just an average academic
> > grades and because of this I was not able to sit in the interviews of
> > most of the companies, which visited my university, inspite of the fact
> > that my technical know-how is the among the best in the
> > university.What's more the toppers of my class who doesn't even know
> > the fundamentals of programming, were eligible to sit in the company
> > interviews.
> >
> That's because companies do *not* want the person who can best do the
> job. Companies want people who will conform, give up their individuality,
> and be willing to slavishly work long hours.
>

And to provide a specific example, I know of an Engineering student
that spent his co-op sessions at one company, winning an internal
company award and impressing several managers. When job offers came
out, two of his buddies (with slightly lower grades), got job offers
from the company, but not him. He got up the nerve the ask the manager
he worked for. Thankfully the manager was very honest and said it came
down to one interview question:
Where do you see yourself in 10years?
Which the student answered that he hoped to have moved up and possibly
be a VP by then.
The manager said, the company wanted folks that would be happy being
Engineers for next 30years.

In the end that was likely a good event for the student. He found a
position which he enjoys working for another strong Engineering
company.

But the point is the first company made an explicit decision to get
employees with lower career plans, passing over most ambitious talent,
irregardless of the grades.

  Ed

.