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From: dgary@ecsvax.UUCP (D Gary Grady)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: Interview question
Message-ID: <760@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Feb-85 11:37:16 EST
Article-I.D.: ecsvax.760
Posted: Mon Feb 25 11:37:16 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 20:25:26 EST
References: <7700002@hplvle.UUCP> <317@ihu1m.UUCP>, <8498@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: Duke U Comp Ctr
Lines: 26

<>
We (meaning all of us) have a real problem caused by the education
racket:  A degree represents time spent in a classroom and that's about
it.  The only way to acquire credentials is to take courses.  I have a
degree is physics but I have worked only in public relations and
computers (in which I have zero formal credentials).  I would like to be
able to get an MS, say, in computer science, but that would require my
doing classroom work most places.  Ditto in PR and journalism.  Why?
That's just the way the system is set up.

So it's no wonder that HP and other firms have resorted to on-the-fly
testing of applicants either in interviews or in testing sessions.
Otherwise (going by degrees) they risk excluding excellent candidates
and including poor ones who happen to have degrees.

Still, I object to the casual use of multiple-choice tests in employment
and in nonacademic credentialing (CDP etc).  Their reliability is very
questionable and their "cultural bias" is well known.  I think a
multiple choice programming test is silly on the face of it.  It reminds
me of Johnny Yuhn's line about his black belt.  "It's much easier to get
a black belt in Korea," he says.  "It's just a written exam."
-- 
D Gary Grady
Duke U Comp Center, Durham, NC  27706
(919) 684-3695
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