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If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

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Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#81

Post by helthanatos »

wolfgke wrote: post #64
ryandrake wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, I use the "I want a $10K Ferarri = shortage of Ferarris" example but it's the same thing. The word shortage is meaningless without stating the asking price.

"Shortage" means that even if you payed absurdly high prices you will not get any/not enough, though you would immediately be willing to pay that price.

Likely, raising wages for computer jobs would lead to more people doing jobs, but it may also lead to lower quality. Computer programmers try to have job security and delay or wait until deadlines to get things done. Giving them more money could make them more competitive or they may see more money and more security. It's amazing how much of a difference there is in computer jobs and pay. There's also a chance that some jobs people just don't like and won't accept without a ridiculous amount of money. But then again, if no one wants to do it without a large sum, that may make the job worth the money.

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#82

Post by gregmac »

LeanderK wrote: post #48
JetSetWilly wrote: post #30

From my experience interviewing CS grads in the UK, I'd say the answer is pretty obvious: 'cos most of them are inexplicably rubbish. For example I recently interviewed someone with CS degree (sorry, "informatics" according to them) and masters from edinburgh uni who couldn't join 2 tables, write fizzbuzz-type code, etc. I don't know if it is because of group work or some other effect, but credentials even from decen…

How many CS grads commited to open source projects regularly? Do they perform better in interviews?

In my experience, very few, but most of those were exceptional people. They contributed to something they were passionate about, and learned all the stuff you don't get in school (writing code that can be maintained for a while, and that's maintainable by others; use of source control and issue trackers, etc).

That said, I can think of two cases where I'm pretty sure they "contributed" because they were told or read that it would be good to do for their resume. One basically just uploaded a couple projects to github (with one commit). The other had contributed a few trivial patches to a couple projects, at least one had some comments that were unaddressed and didn't get merged.

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#83

Post by dwaltrip »

wolfgke wrote: post #64
ryandrake wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yea, I use the "I want a $10K Ferarri = shortage of Ferarris" example but it's the same thing. The word shortage is meaningless without stating the asking price.

"Shortage" means that even if you payed absurdly high prices you will not get any/not enough, though you would immediately be willing to pay that price.

The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is, which of course is going to be a matter of debate.

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#84

Post by bobosha »

Mikeb85 wrote: post #16

Well my education is in economics and, in general, the way to solve a 'shortage' in labour is to raise wages. Of course, what they're really talking about is a shortage in engineers willing to do the job at the price they've specified, so they lobby the government to open up immigration to workers from abroad willing to work for less, while at the same time trying to push more and more kids into CS, so that the marke…

Put another way: "there is no shortage of jobs, just a shortage at the salaries these devs feel entitled to. "

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#85

Post by wolfgke »

dwaltrip wrote: post #83
wolfgke wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Shortage" means that even if you payed absurdly high prices you will not get any/not enough, though you would immediately be willing to pay that price.

The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is, which of course is going to be a matter of debate.

> The key word in this definition is "absurdly". Whether or not there is a shortage depends on what people think a reasonable price is

"absurdly high" is intended to mean an amount of money high enough such that not the money but the supply is the limiting factor.

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#86

Post by zzalpha »

lloyd-christmas wrote: post #60
sotojuan wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that's the problem and it doesn't seem like it'll be fixed any time soon.

From a hiring side, the current industry standard of job-hopping within two years has a significant negative affect on junior hires. The ROI on training someone really isn't there if the their employment expectation boils down to dine-and-dash.

Now that is a very valid point. We recently rejected a very green grad because it was very clear he had no intention of committing to the job more than a couple of years. With a likely 12 month ramp and training period there was no way we were going to put in that level of investment into someone who would vanish a year later.

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#87

Post by muninn_ »

CuriousCosmic wrote: post #68
muninn_ wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Meh, not all the great programs are on the coasts. Any Big 10 school (carrying on with the football reference lol) is going to be at least decent, and a few are world class: Carnegie Mellon (not a Big 10 school I know) #1 globally Michigan Illinois Northwestern Purdue Wisconsin Ohio State to name a few.

I can say that Carnegie Mellon is definitely ranked nationally a Top 10 university in computer engineering and/or computer science.

General consensus that I've seen is that it is not just top 10 but number 1 across the entire planet.

Re: If there's a tech skills shortage, why so many computer graduates unemployed?

#88

Post by thenadamgoes »

JetSetWilly wrote: post #30

From my experience interviewing CS grads in the UK, I'd say the answer is pretty obvious: 'cos most of them are inexplicably rubbish. For example I recently interviewed someone with CS degree (sorry, "informatics" according to them) and masters from edinburgh uni who couldn't join 2 tables, write fizzbuzz-type code, etc. I don't know if it is because of group work or some other effect, but credentials even from decen…

No one seems to understand this. There is a large number of people in a CS college program that don't belong there. They had no interest in anything CS before they got there and they only enrolled because someone told them there was a lot of money in it.

Turns out you still actually have to be good at whatever you do.

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