When I was coming out of school, non-prestige schools (and locales) were simply left out of recruiting altogether. I graduated literally first in my class year, with a BS in CS and Business Administration minor... and wasn't pursued at all. Meanwhile, I already had a software engineering career going, enjoying the setting and challenge as well, and I wasn't particularly concerned at the time. I had developed a skill set spanning both programming and computing center operations (having started there), and I was pretty invaluable in my group from the outset, and the recognition was really valuable to me.
So, you'd think that management in my group (at least) might consider panning for additional nuggets in the same stream (top performers at lower-prestige schools), right?
No.
The hiring manager did recruiting trips where he wanted to travel. New York. Hawai'i. Etc.
He'd hire one candidate from each locale, apparently to justify the trip. Attractive female candidates didn't even have to meet the official policy constraints (a Sociology degree is not CS, engineering, or even BA, sir).
Eventually, I got recruited elsewhere not by any standard channel but by a personal friend.
Not everyone is born into resources. I had to both support myself and put myself through school. That constrained my choices and forced me to be resilient in ways peers my age didn't need to be. Employers who hire by formula completely omit my kind.
So, you'd think that management in my group (at least) might consider panning for additional nuggets in the same stream (top performers at lower-prestige schools), right?
No.
The hiring manager did recruiting trips where he wanted to travel. New York. Hawai'i. Etc.
He'd hire one candidate from each locale, apparently to justify the trip. Attractive female candidates didn't even have to meet the official policy constraints (a Sociology degree is not CS, engineering, or even BA, sir).
Eventually, I got recruited elsewhere not by any standard channel but by a personal friend.
Not everyone is born into resources. I had to both support myself and put myself through school. That constrained my choices and forced me to be resilient in ways peers my age didn't need to be. Employers who hire by formula completely omit my kind.