Kyle Smith

…it’s what you did while you were there.

Instead of focusing on the candidate’s skills, many companies wrongly focus on what school the candidate received their degree from.  In their minds the better reputation and rank of the school they attend, the better the candidate.  That’s a huge mistake.  There are plenty of good software engineers that come from little-known schools; they just don’t have the luxury of a top-tier school’s brand and reputation to get them in the door.

Aside from actually considering a candidate’s skills and experience, another trait I always look for is whether or not they have a passion for computer science.  Too many of the students (and even new college graduates) I’ve interviewed have had no industry experience (including graduate students!).  They claim to love computer science, but when asked about side projects – things outside of their assigned course work – they all too often have nothing to say.

I like hiring people who made the time to try something without an external force motivating them.  These are the people that are interested enough to explore something they don’t know about and play around with it until they understand it.

In short, look for students that know how to get shit done.