Subj : Re: Academic grades should be USELESS
To   : comp.programming
From : Charles Richmond
Date : Tue Jul 26 2005 01:59 am

Christopher Barber wrote:
> 
> James wrote:
> > 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.
> 
> Companies care about grades because (a) they are often the only independently
> verifiable piece of information they have on entry-level applicants, and (b)
> good grades from a good University generally indicate that the applicant is
> likely to have decent communication skills, good work habits and is reasonably
> intelligent.  You are correct that this misses those people who have talent
> but for some reason or another do not thrive in the University setting.
> However, what is a company to do?  Unless they have other evidence to go on,
> such as coding samples, work experience and so on, they are obviously going to
> want to go for the applicants with the best grades.
> 
ISTM the OP's best hope is to get someone who knows his work, and already
works at the company, to become his spokesperson. If this friend also is
the one who conducts interviews, so much the better.

Good ole' American know-who.


--
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|  Charles and Francis Richmond  It is moral cowardice to leave  |
|                                undone what one perceives right |
|  richmond at plano dot net     to do.   -- Confucius           |
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