Software engineer? Can you take a survey?
 

My sister is looking for current/former software engineers and the people who work with them to take a survey. She helps teach a writing course at MIT and is trying to get as many people as possible to take her survey. "The goal is to determine which communication skills are most important for software engineers, so we can better teach communication to software engineering students. Results will be disseminated nationwide. For more info, see web.mit.edu/ruff/SEcomm"

The survey takes about 20 minutes, and if you take it or forward it to someone who takes it, you are entered into a drawing for a small gift card. It's confidential.

I know there are a few sysadmin types here, and hopefully some of you are willing to take this survey.

Full disclosure: I haven't taken the survey myself, because I'm not a software engineer, so I don't know how it is.

The deadline is in ten days.

Thanks!

Survey link

Done.

Glatt. I'm guessing your sister is looking for information as to what communications skills to teach to software engineers. I'm not sure the survey will get her the answers she's looking for. The problem is with the wording. We don't evaluate applicants on any kind of communication skills. It is assumed that they have them or will learn them.

On the other hand, there are a number of communications skills that engineers would benefit from. It would ease their entry into the workplace.

Engineers need to know how to:

Precisely describe the current behavior of a piece of software - for bugs.
Concisely and precisely describe the desired behavior of new software.
Participate in external (UI) and internal (architecture) design discussions.
Small group presentation skills.
And of course all the usual office skills - phone, email etc.
IM is just becoming a big thing in the office setting as an alternative to a phone call.

Thanks dar! I'll pass along your comments to her.