Preferred Software Developer Candidate

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RajaGuy

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Hypothetically speaking, which of these two potential employees would you hire to fill the role of a Web developer (C# .NET) :

A)
  • Bsc Degree:
    - Majors: Mathematics and Statistics​
  • Certificate:
    - Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) - Web Developer 4 - Link​

B)
  • Bsc Degree:
    - Majors: Computer Science and Information Systems​

Both candidates have the following:
  • 3 years formal web development experience (C# .Net)
    - Experience in the relevant .NET framework technologies (MVC, WCF, Entity framework, etc.)​
    - Experience in other relevant web technologies (Javascript, CSS, AJAX, SOAP, JSON, etc.)​
  • Has knowledge of SDLC, and can provide sample work products from Requirements Spec phase to Maintenance phase.
  • Has OOP knowledge, proven in SDLC work products.
  • Can provide souce code of completed working projects.

Would you say these two candidates will receive roughly equal salaries?
Also, would you rank these candidates as Junior, Intermediate or Senior?

Thanks.
 
I think Candidate A's MCPD would carry more weight due to the MCPD, and I think A could also command a higher salary due to the MCPD. 3 years formal experience I would say ranks as Intermediate.
 
I wouldn't hold too much weight on the qualification, and rather see which candidate is more capable for the role he is being hired for.
 
I think I would take Candidate B, obviously based on what his/her personality and attitude is like, how a person matches up to the vibe of your company is just as important as matching up their skills
 
Sorry, I need to emphasize something. Majority of employers will require a potential employee to have an "IT related degree/diploma" or "Degree with computer science as a major". Would candidate A been seen as inferior to candidate B? If you had to choose between the two, who would you employ?

Thanks.
 
RajaGuy said:
Sorry, I need to emphasize something. Majority of employers will require a potential employee to have an "IT related degree/diploma" or "Degree with computer science as a major". Would candidate A been seen as inferior to candidate B? If you had to choose between the two, who would you employ?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I worked (as a developer) fresh out of varsity with a person who had a BSc with Maths and Stats, and one java programming course thrown in. I had a BSc Eng....and the other person earned more than me. Needless to say, I left that job. Anyway, they weren't bad but lacked understanding initially...didn't even know what serial comms was!!
I would hire the Comp Sci hands down. Why would you do a maths and stats degree if you wanted to be a developer? I would want someone working for me who is passionate for programming, ie: comp sci.
 
So it would not bother you much, that candidate "A" does not have a directly related qualification - ignoring the certificate - for this job placement ?
 
RajaGuy said:
- Majors: Mathematics and Statistics
Click to expand...

How much of this skill will he be using when employed?

This is obviously his field of interest and he has spend some time to study it. He he will not use this part of his skill set he may get bored and look for another opportunity elsewhere.

Just something to keep in mind/ask him about in the interview.

After that, I will pick the guy based on his coding abilities and personality.
 
Come to think of it, it actually would. But he would need to be assessed on his understanding of computer science fundamentals, such as object orientation. The BSc in Computer Science and IS guy has an edge on him in that respect.
 
markface said:
Why would you do a maths and stats degree if you wanted to be a developer? I would want someone working for me who is passionate for programming, ie: comp sci.
Click to expand...

On a daily basis I find application for maths and stats while I code. Not having studied it I have to go and research it. Having someone skilled in maths and stats would be a BIG bonus, if your application calls for such things.

Go to http://projecteuler.net/ Do the first couple of problems. Then look at the solutions implemented by people with strong maths skills - and look at how that improves the run time of your program.
 
At a low level, both degrees (CompSci/IS and Math/Stat) express the employees ability to infer and reason, a core requirement for a software engineer. One could even say that this is possibly the most important quality of a software engineer.

A Math/Stat degree, almost in totality, deals with logic and reasoning. While I would say, three fifths of a CompSci/IS degree deals with logic and reasoning. Would you not say that the high level aspects of a CompSci/IS degree, could easily be grasped by someone holding a Math/Stat degree? And that this would make the Math/Stat employee a more favorable candidate?
 
I have no doubt that someone who got a Maths and Stats degree could understand what is involved in software engineering. But they would lack the background that a CS and IS guy would have. Post university courses usually dont focus on the science part of computer science, and instead upon the programming. Which becomes more important later in your career.

Anyway, point is, both candidates could understand computer science, and are trained in logic and reasoning. But one already has that science knowledge whereas the other would have to learn it. Or would never understand it as well as the other guy because he was not taught it.
 
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