Re: Testing job applicants

[Pete Fenelon <pete@fenelon.com>]

In alt.folklore.computers Ruff Records <ruffrecords@geocities.com> wrote:
> This may be controversial but as a rule we find people with computer science
> degrees don't make good software engineers.  This is at least in part
> because nearly all our developments are cost sensitive embedded
> applications.  We find computer scientists have insufficient appreciation of
> the hardware aspects.

Depends on the CS course. Good ones emphasise an engineering/systems
approach encompassing high- and low-level software, and the way it
maps onto hardware. The fact that there are tradeoffs to be made, and the
tools for deciding how to make them, underpin the course. 

Bad ones teach "flavour of the month" programming languages and 
trendy techniques.

A graduate from a *good* CS programme should be capable of working at
any level from high-level requirements capture for a GUI down to
bit-banging on bare silicon... and should adopt a rigorous engineering
approach to both ends of the spectrum.

pete
-- 
pete@fenelon.com "there's no room for enigmas in built-up areas" (HMHB)