What can we learn from recommendations of early-career engineers? Assessing computing and software engineering education using a career monitoring survey

This paper presents an analysis of the skills and professional competencies that recent graduates from computing and software engineering programmes recommend for current students. Previous studies have not investigated the viewpoints of early-career engineers, and the current study addresses this research gap. The data used in this study comes from nationwide career monitoring surveys for former university students who graduated five years earlier. We analyzed the responses to questions about the skills and competencies needed in the software or computing jobs and compared them with the satisfaction and career paths of the respondents. According to the results, three types of skills and competencies are paramount: Soft skills in general, programming skills, and the practical experience gained during university studies. A logistic regression analysis revealed that soft skills are recommended by those who are most satisfied with their careers. Practical skills are more likely to be recommended if the respondent is less satisfied with their studies. Based on the findings, we concluded that the responses from the career monitoring survey could be used as an indicator of how well studies prepare graduates for the industry.