Generalized IT Degrees Preferred Over Specialized Degrees
| Q: For most entry-level positions, which type of degree is most applicable for recent graduates? Select only one. | |
| Type of Degree | Percentage |
| Generalized/traditional degrees (e.g., CIS, computer science, computing, software engineering | 83% |
| Specialized/new age degrees (e.g., data analysis, human-computer interaction, AI, game development | 17% |
| Q: Which of the following programming languages are most difficult to find? [select the top-3 languages that are most difficult to find] | |
| Languages | Ranked Most Difficult to Least Difficult |
| .Net | 1 |
| SQL | 2 |
| Python | 3 |
| Java | 4 |
| JavaScript | 5 |
*Perl, C++, C# and Ruby on Rails all tied for 6th. **Scala and PHP tied for 9th.
The vast majority of hiring managers, more than 8 in 10, say a generalized or more traditional technology degree is more applicable for new college graduates, say analysists.
Hiring managers often prefer several years of experience when filling specialized roles, while certain organizations internally develop individuals for specialized roles requiring unique skill sets.
“The distribution of programming languages seems to indicate that to advance as a programmer or developer, new IT pros would do well to develop fluency over a range of languages as opposed to specializing in just one,” said the company.
Work Experience and Internships Dominate as Top Factors for Hiring Over GPA and School Attended
| Q: When considering a recent graduate for a position, how important are the following factors? Stack rank from most important to least important. | ||
| Rank | Factor | Percentage (ranked 1 or 2) |
| 1 | Work-related internship/experience | 86% |
| 2 | Referrals/references | 50% |
| 3 | GPA | 24% |
| 4 | School attended | 18% |
| 5 | Extracurricular activities | 11% |
| 6 | ROTC or Military Reserve Program | 10% |
When considering recent college graduates for entry-level positions, IT hiring managers are adamant that work-related internships or experience is the most important factor, ranking it twice as high as the next factor, referrals and references.
“This is significant as it has implications for both hiring managers seeking candidates, as well as students themselves: experience trumps potential, and work-related internships and experience, along with referrals and references, are better predictors of performance for first-time graduates than either GPA or the particular school attended—especially in the fast-paced, ever-evolving industry of technology,” said analysists.
They noted that it could also speak to an increased focus on finding the right cultural fit versus technical fit, where the decisive criteria in competing candidates with less proven backgrounds would be practical experience and an ability to assimilate into an existing team. A more “build versus buy” approach.
Salary Still Tops, but Workplace Flexibility More Important Than Healthcare
| Q: How much do you expect FULL TIME & CONTINGET IT hiring to change (as of Q2 2017)? | ||
| Change | Full Time | Contingent |
| Increase | 35% |
31% |
| Stay the Same | 49% |
54% |
| Decrease | 16% |
15% |
| Q: In terms of a hiring package, which factors do you consider most attractive to a recent college graduate when offering them a job? | ||
| Rank | Package | Percentage (ranked 1 or 2) |
| 1 | Salary | 85% |
| 2 | Workplace flexibility (i.e., ability to telecommute, flexible work schedule | 68% |
| 3 | Healthcare | 26% |
| 4 | Tuition reimbursement (on-going education) | 16% |
| 5 | Retirement/401k | 5% |
Not surprisingly, IT hiring managers say salary is the most attractive aspect of a hiring package for recent college graduates.
Hiring managers are well aligned with the desires of IT candidates when thinking about the most attractive pieces of the hiring package puzzle, ranking workplace flexibility as the second highest factor—even above healthcare.
“Although salary is important to job seekers, and no company can compete for IT talent with salary bands below market value, an increasing trend among new job seekers in IT talent is workplace flexibility,” said the company. “It allows them the freedom to structure their own working hours, which in turn, can offer a better work-life balance, time to pursue further training, or accomplish other goals.”
Hiring managers who wrap flexibility into their employee value proposition should stand out in the competitive IT job market.
For more information about the survey, contact Nathan Bowen at nabowen@TEKsystems.com.
Material from a press release was used in this report.
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