Narcissistic College Graduates In the Workplace? 1316
SpuriousLogic writes "I work as a senior software engineer, and a fair amount of my time is spent interviewing new developers. I have seen a growing trend of what I would call 'TV reality' college graduates — kids who graduated school in the last few years and seem to have a view of the workplace that is very much fashioned by TV programs, where 22-year-olds lead billion-dollar corporate mergers in Paris and jet around the world. Several years ago I worked at a company that did customization for the software they sold. It was not full-on consultant work, but some aspects of it were 'consulting light,' and did involve travel, some overseas. Almost every college graduate I interviewed fully expected to be sent overseas on their first assignment. They were very disappointed when told they were most likely to end up in places like Decater, IL and Cedar Rapids, IA, as only the most senior people fly overseas, because of the cost. Additionally, I see people in this age bracket expecting almost constant rewards. One new hire told me that he thought he had a good chance at an award because he had taught himself Enterprise Java Beans. When told that learning new tech is an expected part of being a developer, he argued that he had learned it by himself, and that made it different. So today I see an article about the growing narcissism of students, and I want to ask this community: are you seeing the sorts of 'crashing down to Earth' expectations of college grads described here? Is working with this age bracket more challenging than others? Do they produce work that is above or below your expectations of a recent college grad?" We discussed a similar question from the point of view of the young employees a few months back.
First Bonus Post (Score:2, Funny)
Does the geek cred I gain by posting on Slashdot mean I automatically become CTO?
A question for the submitter (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, well, you know what? (Score:4, Funny)
I deserve your job, because my mommy and daddy said I was very speshul!
It IS like TV (Score:5, Funny)
They just don't realize that the show is, "The Office".
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
I have been sent exciting places like Indianapolis.
Oh, I used to lie awake at nights, dreaming of being sent to Indianapolis. Or was it nightmares.
Re:Not just college grads (Score:3, Funny)
Huh, my middle paragraph got eaten somehow.
In fact, I'm going to go all racist and suggest that you'd enjoy reading http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ [stuffwhitepeoplelike.com] . But it's OK because I'm part white myself and identify with at least a third of the stuff they cover. It has really helped me understand myself and others in a way that is simple, succinct, and wrong :P
Re:Yeah, well, you know what? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, well -- if you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?!
answer at bottom of page (Score:4, Funny)
Quote at bottom of /. page:
"You will be advanced socially, without any special effort on your part."
Well, there you go.
Re:First Bonus Post (Score:5, Funny)
I made millions selling karma futures, back before the economy turned bad.
Re:oh really? (Score:5, Funny)
Uh, guy? I think you're the one they're talking about in the article.
Re:oh really? (Score:2, Funny)
I stopped reading your comment there.
Re:Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
And what happened to the future of the ancient Greek people? Conquest by Alexander the Great and annexation by the Romans.
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:1, Funny)
My generation is afflicted entitlement mentalities and an aversion to actually doing anything to better themselves. It's sad.
Hmm, and this group constitutes Barack Obama's most ardent supporters.
We're doomed.
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:2, Funny)
Do NOT post this on Facebook [slashdot.org]!
Re:Obligatory (Score:5, Funny)
Let me translate that from the original Greek for you: "Hey, you kids get off my lawn!"
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
I agree with you almost completely except for who to blame. It wasn't Mom and Dad who told everyone they were special, it was that evil, evil man Mr. Rogers [poetv.com].
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:5, Funny)
I am a tech writer, you insensitive clod!
Re:Yeah, well, you know what? (Score:1, Funny)
You! Yes, you behind the bikesheds! STAND STILL, LADDY!
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
... sometimes.
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yeah, well, you know what? (Score:5, Funny)
You have to give the moderators who recognize this quote a little extra time.
First they need to put their dentures in so they can cackle maniacally.
Then they select the mod category and forget to push the 'Moderate' button.
After a while they grow frustrated and slap the side of the CRT.
This /. tip brought to you by Wilford Brimley.
Re:It isn't their fault. (Score:3, Funny)
Well, if you're going to get into how they compromise reality to simplify production (as opposed to deliberately distorting it for feelgood purposes) you have to note that everybody on these sitcoms seems to have a collective, unspoken agreement only to use 3 of the 4 walls in every room they live, work, or play in.
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
I'm nothing special, I've just been using computers and programming for a long time. I learned BASIC when I was 7.
But you are special. You are a special kind of asshole, the kind who thinks "Why oh why isn't everyone just like me?"
My god, you must be one insufferable twit.
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:3, Funny)
Except that I am out drinking, having fun, and getting laid. I'm also making a nice chunk of change while I do it. :)
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:3, Funny)
And by laid, I mean with actual 3d live humans who don't ask for a credit card number before they talk to you.
Sadly, I read too fast and saw this as "3rd level" human beings, and wondered immediately what game was being played.
Re:oh really? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:oh really? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:5, Funny)
A lot of bosses have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
How can I get this? Are there courses I can go on?
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:5, Funny)
I am a tech writer, you insensitive clod!
Not for long! I'm programming robots to do technical writing.
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
better solution: (Score:5, Funny)
Stick one of these [despair.com] up on the wall, and just go with it.
Re:Try going to school with them (Score:4, Funny)
Yes, I have worked with six languages: HTML, CSS, Javascript, AJAX, XML and TXT.
Don't understand why I can't get a job?
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:1, Funny)
A lot of bosses have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
How can I get this? Are there courses I can go on?
Sure, just become the type of person who throws an awards ceremony for themselves after tying their own shoes sans shitting their pants in the process.
Charles II of Spain, for example...
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
Oh dear.
I think I might be a narcissist too.
A better one than you, mind.
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:5, Funny)
I stand corrected.
It's much easier to pretend to agree with a narcissist than to argue with them.
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:3, Funny)
Oh and I got to crawl inside a tank in Summer 2008 so I could measure and modify a cable. Woo. ;-)
Unless you convinced them that the tank needed to be moving and firing off at least a few rounds for you to properly test the modification, I sense a missed opportunity.
:(
I'm assuming you meant tank as in army not water. If you meant water and still gave a "Woo", if feel I would suddenly regret all of my education past 6th grade.
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:3, Funny)
$reverse = strrev($string);
echo $reverse;
?>
Do note that during such tests you should allow access to the documentation. If you don't, you're selecting for people who are good at memorization, not people who can code well.
Re:solution: (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:2, Funny)
If international travel is high on your list of job satisfaction goals, you can achieve it. You may need to do extra work or take a bit of a salary cut to get it, but you can do it.
By getting a job as a stewardess
Re:Precious Snowflakes (Score:2, Funny)
Except that I am out drinking, having fun, and getting laid. I'm also making a nice chunk of change while I do it. :)
You're getting a nice chunk of change while getting laid? That explains your post somewhat.
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:3, Funny)
And, or reasons of irony, I almost always fail to document those scripts.
Easy. Write a Perl script to document Perl scripts, and you won't even have an infinite loop.
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:3, Funny)
What does the word *whoosh* mean? The way it's pronounced seems remarkably like the sound I heard when I read your comment just now... please tell me what this marvellous word means!
Re:Oh they'll crash all right (Score:3, Funny)
yah, 'cept the students have degrees like EE, ME, CS and MBA etc and still need lotsa help forming complete and accurate sentences. Once in awhile, one almost says what they think they are saying. Usually, they are able to go to the bathroom by themselves.