Comment Computer Science degrees are broken. (Score 1) 349
By way of introduction, I run a high-end software consultancy[1] and have spend a good proportion of the last few years trying to recruit really good CS grads.
My overwhelming impression is one of massive variability in quality of CS graduates, which bears no relation to the result they got. Hence, a CS degree (even a first class one) is out of step with the realities of real jobs. It seems that the really good candidates succeed partly in spite of their CS training, and the really bad ones use their degree to cover over the cracks in their abilities for as long as possible when in a real work situation. Often, hiring a CS grad is like hiring a baby: you have to run around cleaning up after then for ages. They don't really start learning how to code until they start working on their first job - they're really only at trainee level at that point.
I'm slowly forming the opinion that a full time CS degree with no industry experience is the wrong training for professional programmers. We don't train doctors or engineers like that! Give me anyone who's passionate about coding, regardless of experience and even to a certain extent regardless of talent: they can be turned into a great software craftsman over several years, if they have the right personal skills and motivation. What's actually important is: how organised are they? What's their attention to detail like? Can they get on with other people? These skills are learned in real work environments, not in a lecture hall.
An apprenticeship scheme, working on the job with a sponsoring company, and perhaps a part time CS degree for the theory would work better. This should be taken over about five years: true software craft is hard and most achieving a good level stumble their way there in the dark for about a decade before they really know what they're doing.
If CS grads were more like this, then maybe they'll actually be in demand.
