The organization that I work for is on a hiring spree -- which means that I periodically conduct interviews. We look to hire fresh college graduates with a "spark" whom we can train and have work with us.
Interacting with young job seekers today shows me two (very disturbing) trends.
The first is the complete inability to "apply" any kind of knowledge. We routinely tell folks who come and interview with us that they should expect to be asked about the open source test automation tool we use. We are not looking for expertise (obviously no one can be an expert with 3 days' notice). We are not even looking for a "correct" solution to simple automation that we ask them to do. Instead what we look for is their ability to "use" the tool for simple tasks, and for *some* demonstration of problem solving skills. Sadly, without exception, EACH candidate who has walked in the door has not even tried to *install* the tool and play around with it. (We are careful to determine if they have access to a PC/Internet on which they can install and play around with it.) Instead they memorize and repeat details like the one-line tool description, the name of the creator and other trivia. So naturally, when asked to write a small script (on a laptop -- we aren't paper meanies ;-)), they don't even know where or how to begin!
The other disturbing trend is complete amnesia towards what they have learned, irrespective of discipline. Some say things like -- "Oh, that was 6th semester -- one year back, I cannot be expected to remember it." Really? I have had a candidate tell me -- "Oh, I don't know the answer to what you are asking me, but I remember studying it and look at my grades -- I did really well in the subject!"
The situations above are usually followed by the plea "if given a chance, I will prove myself." But hey, you WERE given a chance. You were given a chance at demonstrating problem solving skills in a simple open source test automation tool. You were given a BIGGER chance when you went to college and got yourself a degree!
What is the "chance" that you expect *me* to give you now?
The problems we see in today's younger generation could be put down to habit and attitudes that have been taught to them rather than what is inherent in them...... How many schools and parents for that matter in India now teach children
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2. work independently and think..... India is probably the only place where students need notes rather than reference books in colleges
3. question and challenge, be analytical.... our education systems lay more stress on descriptive rather than analytical skills.
unfortunately we are bringing up a generation which are trained to just tow the line. This seems to be the sad reality. We keep telling the children, you have to become a manager without letting them to develop the skills to be an effective one
I agree that our education system seems to be designed to kill creativity. I often think of the perceptive questions that my 6.5 year old asks me, and then when I look at the twenty-something generation, I wonder where that ability to reason and discuss has gone.
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