Project Title

Taylor Kaur Eyler

Contact: LinkedIn

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in computer and information technology occupations to grow 11 percent from 2019 to 2029, which is a much faster growth rate average when compared across all occupations. In a world that is increasingly dependent on computers, the employment outlook for computer science students should continue to be a bright spot in the jobs sector. Despite this, computer science majors have one of the highest unemployment rates post-graduation. In 2020, the unemployment rate of newly graduated computer science majors was 4.5% compared to an overall unemployment rate of 2.8%. Data trends suggest that this unemployment rate will continue to grow as universities struggle to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of the computer science hiring process.

More and more, computer science majors are being asked to demonstrate skills beyond what is generally emphasized in most computer science majors during a technical interview, particularly in the realm of creative problem solving. To bridge the gap between what is taught in university and what is expected in a technical interview, myself and other members of the Tech for Good research group at University of Washington Bothell hosted problem solving workshops and online courses.

Over the span of two quarters, I hosted 14 problem solving workshops focused on identifying approaches to data structures and algorithms questions commonly asked in technical interviews. In post-workshop surveys, 80% of participants who were currently enrolled in CSS 342 or CSS 343 reported that they learned new information that had not yet been covered in their studies at UWB and 100% of the participants reported that they felt more prepared for technical interviews after attending the workshops. Among participants who had already completed CSS 342 and CSS 343, 71% reported that they learned something new and 86% reported feeling more prepared for technical interviews after attending the workshops. The workshops fill a clear need in students’ education. Adapting the undergraduate curriculum to align with the demands of the computer science industry is the only way to ensure every student is successful after graduation.