Does “prestige” matter for Computer Science majors?

I think CS at Ivies may not translate to the best CS programs either.

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Hiring for non-senior positions is often carried out at the department/group levels at large companies. My experience is that HR will assist and make sure candidates meet the company’s overall requirements but generally let the department/group take the lead. Different departments/groups have different requirements in terms of the skills needed for the open positions. Some may cast a wider net, and some may not due to resource issues or other practical considerations.

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It’s quite easy to set parameters for receiving thousands of applications. One doesn’t need to sift through school names to find appropriate candidates. It’s simpler than it has ever been.

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A 3.8 gpa gpa cutoff at mit is not the same as the same gpa cutoff at a community college

My husband has been a very Senior person and many of the places you mention so often. In some cases, he’s worked for these companies more than once :slight_smile:
He has never scrutinized people based on name of the school in 30+ years. The HR dept also works with Regional/Country management, Senior VP level, Senior Director and higher people in Tech to ascertain what type of personality fit they are looking for as well.

They are often trying to build a group to deliver a solution/product. Very often groups are filled with people from across the world. So fit is important. Not everyone has the same soft skills. Fit discussions are often done before the req is even written. Hiring managers and even really high level people work with HR to get the skills they want. It’s been that way for at least 25 years. My husband is still in touch with people in HR from various companies he worked at decades ago and they with him.

Senior folks know what the top tier schools are, they have kids and family who often attend. But that doesn’t mean they are going to let a good candidate get away because he/she went to a state college or a school no one has ever heard of in another nation. Second hand mention of people who work at Google, FB, Amazon, MSFT and all the rest who might be focused on a small set of schools would barely get anyone hired. And there is a shortage as it is.

These are huge organizations who need ten of thousands of people annually just to keep up. The set of “top schools” isn’t large enough to produce the candidates needed.

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An HR recruiter may apply an initial screen to applicants and only forward resumes that they deem qualified. How well the hiring manager communicates their requirements can impact the selection process.

Maybe best to cite what you are referring to. I never mentioned MIT, CC or a 3.8 GPA. Perhaps, you are referring to another poster?

A 3.8 GPA at MIT is like a B- average, while most community colleges use a scale where a 3.8 GPA is like an A- average.

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I meant the equivalent on. 5 point scale

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“Our diverse perspectives are enriched by many dimensions, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, culture, language, and education, as well as professional and life experience.”

ETA: this is for Amazon, but my company looks for the same :wink:

If the positions in the department/group is highly selective, the hiring manager, together with HR, will likely refine its criteria and target so that the HR initial screening process can be effective.

That happens for all positions if the first batch of candidates isn’t what the hiring manager was looking for. This doesn’t happen often once a recruiter is more experienced at the company and with the teams they are supporting. You can have a candidate that checks all the experience/skills boxes, but not a fit for the role in the team they applied for.

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Haven’t had a chance to read all the comments and not a CS parent - but I would assume/think for certain boutiques where a resume might be spread to customers and there are less employees - it would matter.

But given the huge supply/demand of employee imbalance, it wouldn’t matter as much for the masses - they just need people (that can do the job). Just like food servers - it’s better to have anyone (job ready) than no one at all.

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Short answer: No.

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Slightly longer answer: maybe.

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Much longer answer: maybe, but not in most cases.

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In between answer: it depends

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First, Google decided that a person doesn’t even need a bachelor’s degree to apply for a software engineer position. Second, Google decided to go college blind in their software engineer hiring decisions, meaning that the hiring committee will not even see the name of the college on the applicant’s resume.

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There’s a lot of places for computer science majors to work other than just Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon.

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Not surprised at all.

So many places. And though someone might have mentioned it upthread, there are very few entry level positions at these companies. Most require at least a few years. Some kids can circumvent this by learning skills that are in demand. But the biggest companies want experience. Some want 10+ years. And they can get it.

And someone who is highly skilled in CS, might want to get a job at a start up. No better time than right after graduation ( you have energy, less ties and want to make contacts). Not all can do this, due to student loans etc. But most of the people who have done very well in CS, have worked for a start-up at some point. Wearing a lot of different hats, also can help fill out the resume. Not to mention, they can see what they are good at and what they enjoy most.

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