I believe one of the most important parts of our guide is the information on the different types of interviews. When I first started looking for internships, I did not even know there were different types. I figured that the types of questions they would ask you would differ based on the job you were interviewing for, but I did not have any idea that something like a technical or a case interview existed. The best piece of advice I have ever received was to look at things like a company’s mission statement. Being able to incorporate key phrases from that statement into a cover letter or interview answers really stands out to interviewers. From my internships experiences, companies really try to encourage employees to take their mottos to heart.
I’m not sure if changing curriculums is our answer. I do recognize that we are spending more and more time on job searches and interview prep. But I believe part of that is because, especially in computer science, there are so many different paths you can take post-undergrad. There is the software engineering route, which deals with heavy coding. Classes like Data Science and Algorithms prepare us for the technical interviews. There are also a lot of IT and consulting related routes. Having technical background as well as soft skills are important for these types of jobs. In addition, Notre Dame offers a CSE Case Study class. And in addition to those two paths, there is always the option of more schooling by going into grad school and computer science research. What we need is some resource that can tell us about the different paths that a computer science degree might best prepare you for. And then, when it comes to computer science electives, which ones are best for which of those paths.