I used to think Noah Smith's articles missed the bigger picture, but for the last several years he has been right on the money.
Every student in a good school should read this before graduating.
Every student in a good school should read this before graduating.
This can be hard to tell from the outside, but there will always be a point during your job where you truly understand what it is you're actually being paid to do. If this can be gleamed ahead of time from the experiences of others in the industry, then more power to you.