Software Engineering Stack Exchange
Software Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [skills]

Questions around the proficiency of a particular technology or ability. Examples could be proficiency in C# or gathering requirements.

Questions around the proficiency of a particular technology or ability. Examples could be proficiency in C# or gathering requirements.

162 questions
176
votes
36 answers

How can programming ability be used to help people in poverty?

As a student studying Computer Science in college, I often hear from friends working on various humanitarian projects, and I want to do something myself. But it seems that programmers don't have as many obvious avenues to help out as, say, doctors…
Matthew
  • 303
137
votes
12 answers

How to recognize a good programmer?

Our company is looking for new programmers. And here comes the problem - there are many developers who look really great at the interview, seem to know the technology you need and have a good job background, but after two months of work, you find…
gius
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106
votes
17 answers

Importance of hobby projects

I want to know, how important is it to program in your spare time? Is it necessary to work your 9-5 as a programmer and then get home and work on your hobby to become a better programmer? This said, I know you only get better at programming by,…
Pieter van Niekerk
  • 413
105
votes
22 answers

Do job postings exaggerate their requirements?

I feel like a reasonably qualified programmer, but a lot of job postings I run into make me feel otherwise. Almost all of them separate qualifications into requirements and desirables, but even the requirements part can be daunting. I've seen a lot…
Tesserex
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100
votes
10 answers

What are the key differences between software engineers and programmers?

What are the key differences between software engineers and programmers?
grokus
  • 7,528
94
votes
14 answers

Learn programming backwards, or "so I failed the FizzBuzz test. Now what?"

A Little Background I'm 28 today, and I've never had any formal training in software development, but I do have two higher education degrees equivalent to a B.A in Public Relations and an Executive MBA focused on Project Management. I've worked on…
moraleida
  • 939
75
votes
14 answers

At which point do you "know" a technology enough to list it on a resume

I recently had a programmer in for an interview, who listed Python, PHP, Rails and ASP as a few of their skills. In the interview however, they interviewee didn't enough know what control structures and basic logic were, they had only followed a few…
Brandon - Free Palestine
  • 5,863
70
votes
29 answers

Are certifications worth it?

I am finishing my college degree in programming soon and I'm exploring the next steps to take to further my career. One option I've been considering is getting a certification or a series of certifications in the area of development I want to work…
HoLyVieR
  • 976
59
votes
11 answers

Woes of a Junior Developer - is it possible to not be cut out for programming?

(Let me start off by asking - please be gentle, I know this is subjective, but it's meant to incite discussion and provide information for others. If needed it can be converted to community wiki.) I recently was hired as a junior developer at a…
user575158
55
votes
14 answers

What is the best way to evaluate new programmers?

What is the best way to evaluate the best candidates to get a new job (talking merely in terms of programming skills)? In my company we have had a lot of bad experiences with people who have good grades but do not have real programming skills. …
Rafael
  • 687
40
votes
9 answers

What's the difference between a "developer" and a "programmer"?

What's the difference in this terminology? Is one considered more professional than the other?
Brandon
  • 1,439
38
votes
10 answers

Effectiveness of FizzBuzz and Beyond

As part of the interview process we initially ask the candidates to do 'FizzBuzz' nowadays the percentage of candidates that can correctly answer FizzBuzz has increased dramatically - this may be due to it's popularity on the web. About a year ago,…
Gradeinar Pfeffernüsse
  • 431
34
votes
7 answers

How to get a job with no experience?

I am about to be a new college grad and I am trying to get an internship or a jr software engineer position. However, I have no experience at all in the field. All I will have is my degree and my in class projects that I have completed. How can I…
Cay
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33
votes
11 answers

Should a developer be forced to memorize details?

Many times I forget things about my application. I don't memorize the table names or what a query did and I search to get what I want. My team leader told me I'm supposed to memorize the table names that I use. Is the developer required to memorize…
Anyname Donotcare
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32
votes
19 answers

"Half of everything you know will be obsolete in 18-24 months" = ( True, or False? )

Just ran across this, and wondering if anyone has a way to prove or disprove this statement: Something to keep in mind ... what's the half-life of knowledge in high tech? It tracks with Moore's Law: half of everything you know will be …
blunders
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1
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