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What Student Developers Want in a Job (techrepublic.com)

Posted by msmash on from the closer-look dept.

Organizations desperate for software engineering talent tend to follow similar plays when it comes to attracting student developers about the enter the workforce, including offering perks like free food, beer, and ping pong. However, student developers have a much stronger appetite for other workplace elements when making employment decisions, according to a Tuesday report from HackerRank. From a news writeup: The three most important criteria students look for in job opportunities are professional growth and learning (58%), work/life balance (52%), and having interesting problems to solve (46%), according to a survey of 10,350 student developers worldwide. These far outpaced compensation (18%) and perks (11%), which they view as "nice to haves" rather than deal breakers, the survey found.

For many student developers, a computer science degree is not enough to teach them the skills they will need in the workforce, the report found. Nearly two-thirds (65%) said they rely partially on self-teaching to learn to code, and 27% say they are totally self-taught. Only 32% said they were entirely taught at school, the survey found.

5 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. When surveyed, people lie! by petes_PoV · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The three most important criteria students look for in job opportunities are

    I think you will find that this is "interview bullshit". It is the sort of answer that people think the ask-er wants to hear.

    The reality is that is you offer a candidate a lower than expected "nice to have" salary, say: 50% less, they'll walk to the next employer who is offering more.

    --
    politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
    1. Re:When surveyed, people lie! by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 4, Interesting

      The reality is that is you offer a candidate a lower than expected "nice to have" salary, say: 50% less, they'll walk to the next employer who is offering more.

      To some extent that is correct. But salary is a hygiene factor: if it's lower than expected it leads to dissatisfaction, but paying above expectation does not yield a lot of extra satisfaction. I look for different things in jobs now that I am older. But even when I was young, I usually picked lower paying jobs, with opportunities for learning and growing and interesting work, over crappy but well-paying jobs. And I've done a few crappy but well paying jobs as well... and it sucked. Pay is poor compensation for that.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    2. Re:When surveyed, people lie! by lgw · · Score: 4, Informative

      The reality is that is you offer a candidate a lower than expected "nice to have" salary, say: 50% less, they'll walk to the next employer who is offering more.

      first job is to be a full-time developer. To rise above the crowd who claims that can do dev work, and maybe does it part time. My second job paid 3x my first job, because I had that credibility.

      Do Millennials really care that that much about work-life balance out of school? When I was in my 20s, I was full of energy and passion, and happy to work my ass off on any project that was actually interesting. Good thing, too, as I had a lot to learn. It was only in my 30s that I started to care about time for other things. Now it's my primary concern, but I'm close to retirement.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    3. Re:When surveyed, people lie! by khchung · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But salary is a hygiene factor: if it's lower than expected it leads to dissatisfaction, but paying above expectation does not yield a lot of extra satisfaction.

      It's a LIE spread by HR departments to suppress salary increases. If it were true, all C-level executives would only be paid similar to, or maybe 2-3x, the average wage of the company, not 100-200x of it. And they won't asking for, and get, even more millions in bonus and stock options every year, plus a golden parachute, even if they drove the company to the ground.

      Speak for yourself. Pay ME above expectation will certainly give ME a lot of extra satisfaction.

      In fact, everyone I know at work PREFER to get a bigger bonus/higher pay as appreciating for job well done, instead of stupid appreciate cards or such cheap gimmicks.

      --
      Oliver.
  2. Re:Employers focus on what they can easily change by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What about leveraging synergies between business and IT using digital transformation? That should be a high priority for you.