Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by hamidpalo 4449 days ago
I'm a Fog Creek employee who is also an immigrant and did not go to an Ivy League school.

I also do a fair bit of interviewing at Fog Creek and we don't really care about which school you went to. We look for smart people who get things done. It's as simple as that.
2 comments
cc439 4448 days ago
"If you don’t know where to begin here’s a good rule: only target colleges that admit less than 30% of applicants. That will give you a head start on being selective, especially if you have limited spots available in your program."

That doesn't really jive with the not caring "about which school you went to" bit. If that's the criteria it eliminates all but 2 of the top 25 public universities which is flat out ridiculous.

link
thedufer 4448 days ago
Context is important. That was under "Where Should You Post Your Internship?" - yes, if you're limited (by budget, time, etc.), it makes sense to target people who are even marginally more likely to work out.

That doesn't mean you have to go to one of those schools to get in - which school you went to is treated as a weak signal in the resume reviews, and is ignored for the rest of the process. I went to a public school that falls outside of the 30% rule, for example, and another from my school will be joining us this summer.

link
hamidpalo 4448 days ago
We have never rejected anyone based on which school they went to, and conversely have never extended someone an offer based on the school they went to. The schools we actively recruit at all admit less than 30% of applicants because we have found that they tend to do better.

In an interview the school you go to doesn't really matter if you can't code.

A great github account would probably help you more in our interview process than a degree from MIT.

link
dominotw 4449 days ago
How did you get past 'must be eligible to work in us' restriction? Did they sponsor your visa?
link
dlp211 4449 days ago
Being an immigrant does not mean that you aren't allowed to work in the US. In fact, there are a ton of immigration visas built around the idea that you will in fact work in the US.

If you are on a student visa (which clearly a full time employ isn't), then there are some hoops to jump through in order to work, but I am not familiar with the necessary steps.

link
hamidpalo 4449 days ago
I have a green card, so no visa necessary.
link