Java developers! This is a call to action!
Go pick up those dusty computer science “theory” books you decided to save thinking that maybe, just maybe, they might come in handy some day. Read them! Brush up on data structures, algorithms, and object oriented programming concepts. Practice big-O program analysis. Write some recursive algorithms. Review all those topics that you “forgot” because you thought you would never use them again.
I’m tired of screening Java developers who can’t tell me how the internals of the libraries they use are actually implemented. When computer scientists talk about “data structures,” we talk about hash tables, binary search trees, and linked lists, not java.util.Collection. We learned about program analysis in school because we were supposed to use it - if you can’t tell me about the runtime implications of the algorithms you choose, then you shouldn’t use them.
You got the degree, so you’re obviously not stupid. Now start using what you learned.
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December 1, 2005 at 2:47 pm
Arthur
C’mon, be nice. If you’re looking for programmers then all they’ll need to know is how to implement libraries.
On the other hand if you’re looking for computer scientists then… well you’ve got a good point.
Oh and just because you have a degree doesn’t mean that you’re not stupid.
December 1, 2005 at 4:17 pm
chris
I guess then that just highlights the difference between companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, that hire people to solve real problems, and other companies, that just hire programmers.
December 1, 2005 at 4:27 pm
chris
And I don’t think its wrong with expecting somebody who got a degree from a top school to be smart. But we’ve had plenty of people fail at that.
December 15, 2005 at 4:32 pm
o.
nerd! xo