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Comment by 77pt77 | Hacker News Reader

> And good luck getting a job in IT unless you know someone (c.f. the latest SO survey).

What survey?

https://stackoverflow.com/insights/survey/2017#work-how-did-...

This survey is for software developers. Not IT positions. And, it only shows a plurality (26%) of hiring via network connections. And on top of that, it's a survey of Stack Overflow readers...so if you're presuming it is representative of the labor market at large, I suggest you have not received adequate education in critical thinking.

Where in the world do people need education on critical thought? How do you even educate for that? I've always thought of critical thought as a natural instinct with close ties to curiosity and survival.

Unless you are trying to insult the person you are replying to.

In college I've had a discipline¹ in critical thinking (I studied Software Engineering in Portugal). We analyzed arguments in texts presented by the teacher and written by each other. It was mostly learning by doing, and seeing others doing.

¹Is this the right word? I'm struggling to find the right translation.

Was it really necessary? I mean, couldn't you construct structured criticisms before you attended the lecture? I'm pretty sure you could.

Sure, and I could program too, but the course was still useful. Critical thinking is a skill, and I think there's value in training it in a methodical way and with some guidance.

Sure icebraining could.

Now icebraining can even better.

Honestly, if the only thing you're going to dispute me on is my very last point (which had basically nothing to do with the overall theme of my reply), I couldn't care less what your argument is.

Moreover, I doubt you're the kind of person who's had to work for anything in your life.

That survey shows that ~27% got in through some sort of connection, but the remaining ~73% didn't. So roughly 3/4 of those surveyed didn't use connections to land gigs.

Am I missing something here?

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