Communications of the ACM
Six Key Skills New IT Grads Are Lacking
Credit: RealTimeCustomers.com
Recruiters are increasingly making the point that undergraduate and graduate schools aren't able to keep up with the IT hiring needs of companies, which could lead to a reassessment of which skills IT grads need to learn. In many cases, it is simply a fact that there's just not enough time in college to learn all the skills that workers need to be successful. IT leaders continue to value the "soft skills" — particularly communication skills, customer service skills and an understanding of how to behave professionally — that have topped their lists for years. But now they're also looking for specific business and technical skills that recent grads seem to be lacking.
The most important skill for new computer science grads is having knowledge of business basics. They need to understand accounts receivables, logistics and operations, and marketing plans. After all, many end up in corporate IT positions where they're expected to develop applications to facilitate the work done by other departments. And while graduate-level IT programs do a better job of offering business-related courses, there can still be a knowledge gap. Secondly, grads need to have experience with systems integration. Most computer science students spend a majority of their time in college learning how to build their own applications and systems, even though businesses often don't necessarily need that type of expertise.
Grads also need to demonstrate familiarity with emerging technologies, such as business intelligence and cloud computing. Colleges can offer only so many courses, and with technologies changing so rapidly, there tends to be some lag time when it comes to developing extensive coursework in evolving trends. New hires also need to have basic tech skills, such as understanding batch scripting or knowing how to fix a PC when it's not responding. Businesses are also still looking for people who can work on legacy systems. They want workers who know Cobol, Customer Information Control System and other mainframe skills. Finally, IT workers need to know how to work on a team and collaborate across online communities.
From Computerworld
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