Mechanical, civil etc engineers in IT companies ?

[Rahul Sudip Bose]

Many Indian IT companies like infosys, wipro etc employ smart non-CS/IT engineers for "software related" jobs. They train them for 4-8 months and absorb them
I was wondering, what kind of "software development" can these guys do after 4-8 months of training ? IT/CS guys get absorbed only after a 4 year grad and some training.
How can a non-it guy become an "it-professional" just after 6 month of training ?
I asked some folks and they dont learn OS, networks, database, languages and data structures etc. What sort of it-professional is that ?

Does this happen in US/European/Australian colleges ?

However, i hear that "hardcore" companies like google and microsoft dont take non-cs guys unless they are exceptionally intelligent and can prove their ability in It/CS.

PS : I am an electronics engineer. I am taking the long route - DB, DS ,Java etc.

[Rogerio Kioshi]

I think it doesn't matter what is the person's graduation, because if they can perform a good work and bring great results, I don't see any problems if they are Mechanical or Civil Engineers. An Enginner is prepared to solve problems, and the IT field has a lot of them...
Besides, nowadays you have certification programs that can be applied to these people, to verify if they have the right skills.

[Rahul Sudip Bose]

Rogerio Kioshi wrote:I think it doesn't matter what is the person's graduation, because if they can perform a good work and bring great results, I don't see any problems if they are Mechanical or Civil Engineers. An Enginner is prepared to solve problems, and the IT field has a lot of them...

True. I was wondering what kind of problems they can be given, as a non-CS fresher ?

Rogerio Kioshi wrote:
Besides, nowadays you have certification programs that can be applied to these people, to verify if they have the right skills.

Most non-CS freshers are not certified. And anyway certifications have little value unless you have done some "good" work or project.

[Pat Farrell]

If you have a graduate degree in Engineering, you have proven that you are smart and willing to work hard. I see no reason that a person who is motivated can move from hard engineering to the soft engineering we call "software engineering". I'm not familiar with the companies (and we aren't supposed to talk about specific companies here anyway) so I don't know what areas they are going to have the hard engineers work on.

In most IT companies, there are lots of IT jobs that do not require a Computer Science degree, lots of Information Management, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Analysis, etc.

For me, the key parts that distinguish a Computer Science degree over other IT related courses of study are Compilers, Operating System Theory, and Analysis of Algorithms. Real engineers do lots of theory, so OS Theory should not be a huge problem. All hard engineering fields are heavily calculus based, as is Analysis of Algorithms (well, sometimes algorithms focuses on limits and derivatives rather than integrals.)

Compiler courses focus on two things: (1) a huge amount of programming and (2) formal analysis of languages and parsing. The second part should be no problem for hard engineers. The huge programming effort can be a big problem, but if you can't handle a big programming problem, you are not likely to like being in IT anyway.

[arun r mehta]

IMHO, Indian IT services company hire freshers who can handle day to day task with commitment. Also their revenue is directly proportional to the number of people that put in their man hours. To the company it doest matter whether a fresher is IT/CS grad or civil/mechanical/Electronics grad. What matters is whether the person is able to learn and do his job on time and bring value for the company.

About Google/Microsoft and other product development companies...for them the talent matter irrespective of the grad course you took. I know few electronics and mechanical graduates who cracked google/Microsoft interviews and CS/IT grads struggling to even qualify for the interviews. For product develpment companies...ppl who think out of the box matters....

so in either case It doest matter what course you attend...if you have sharp logic, out of box thinking, creativity and mind-blowing analytical skills...you can definetly drop yourself in any product development company which primarily seeks talent and If you are an average intelligent with good communication skills and attitude to learn you can see yourself working in any IT services company to serve their customers

[Kaustubh G Sharma]

Well I think you must pick a job the field you like most,accordingly in your engineering also pick the branch in which you've interest.Not just because some field is in fashion or converting more job chances, if you do this like I did, sometimes you've regret and there may be a tough come back. If you have interest the in the field you pick and study, may be you've less jobs but you'll get one of them. Choosing another field for money or some another cool stuff will not give you any satisfaction.

I think we've a mentality that our education must be that kind so that we can make money and get an easy job.. That's why more of us are doing jobs. We've less-> solid entrepreneur, great scientist, leading sportsman, human politician, a true discoverer etc etc

[Pat Farrell]

Kaustubh G Sharma wrote: our education must be that kind so that we can make money and get an easy job..

Wow. I have never thought that way. I got an education to become educated so that I could earn the right to a job. Once in the job I worked my tail off to keep my job and to earn raises.

I've never had an easy job. I don't know if I would know what they look like.

Money came after I worked my tail off for a few years. Lots of money never came. That's OK with me.

[Kaustubh G Sharma]

Pat Farrell wrote:

Kaustubh G Sharma wrote: our education must be that kind so that we can make money and get an easy job..

Wow. I have never thought that way. I got an education to become educated so that I could earn the right to a job. Once in the job I worked my tail off to keep my job and to earn raises.

I've never had an easy job. I don't know if I would know what they look like.

Money came after I worked my tail off for a few years. Lots of money never came. That's OK with me.

At least you pick this career for you. Here most of us are doing it unlikely, only few of us get the dream job. When they realize it and step back for it.

[Jan de Boer]

Well, I studied Physics and Chemistry first. But in the end got my degree in Computer Science. So, although I am fully 'educated', I started my education in a different subject too.

But I know that if staff is short, they hire people from other technical backgrounds and educate them. And they are good engineers. Although of course as a freshman, you start with arrears, I think that it is your own talent in the end that more determines your career.

The disadvantage is, I must say, that I am still more interested in general exact science, than computer science. But what the heck, it pays a lot better.

[Rahul Sudip Bose]

Jan de Boer wrote:
The disadvantage is, I must say, that I am still more interested in general exact science, than computer science. But what the heck, it pays a lot better.

Similar situation here. I like electronics more and CS comes second. I guess that its primarily the pay and the delusion (in some people) that they might become the next bi££ gat€$, mark zuck€rbe€rg or $ab€€r bhatia etc.