5 Key Skills of a

New Grad Developer

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What’s Inside▉

P.02 What Makes a Strong New Grad Candidate

P.03 Tips for Using This Guide

P.04 Key Skills of a New Grad Developer (& Why They’re Important)

Problem Solving

Language Proficiency

Data Structures Knowledge

Computer Science (CS) Fundamentals

Communication Skills

P.10 Pointers for Identifying Strong New Grad Developers

P.10 Methodology

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01.
What Makes a Strong
New Grad Candidate?▉
1,457,000
student interviews
Hiring new grads for developer roles presents a unique challenge. Since they

45
often have limited professional skills, assessing job fit can be a major undertaking.

When you’re wading through a sea of resumes with similar work experience,
degrees, and GPAs, what’s the best way to seek out fit? What are the key skills that
help define a high potential new grad?
countries represented
We analyzed over 1,000,000 student interviews to understand how top teams
assess the skills of new grads. From that data, we identified 5 key skills that define

409
an ideal new grad candidate. In this guide, we’ll explore the meaning of those 5
skills, and why they’re a critical part of the new grad hiring process.

universities analyzed

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02.
Tips for Using This Guide▉
This guide is intended for anyone who wants to learn more about what
makes a strong new grad candidate. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll
focus on key skills for the most common technical new grad role: software
developers.

Though the skills we describe are most desirable in entry-level software

developers, the same key skills would be valuable in any new grad taking
on a development-heavy role.

In each section, we’ll explore a high-level definition of each skill. We’ll also
explain how the skill is used on the job, and why you should include it in
your evaluation process.

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03.
Key Skills of a Language
Proficiency

New Grad Developer▉

When it comes to new grads, the best of them are strong in 5 key skills. Problem Data
Other key competencies—from new languages, to new frameworks, and Solving Structures
more—can be taught over time. Knowledge

Hiring new grads shouldn’t be about finding an exact professional skill

match, or finding a developer that has experience in your tech stack. It’s
about finding developers that have the foundational knowledge that will
make them successful today, and the curiosity to learn new things as time
goes on—which means high upside for your organization in the long term.

When it comes to software developers, however, these key skills don’t exist Communication CS
in a hierarchy. For example: strength in problem solving doesn’t make up Skills Fundamentals
for weakness in communication skills. They’re intrinsically linked; all 5 skills
are of equal importance.

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KEY SKILLS OF A NEW GRAD HACKERRANK

Problem Solving
Example Problem
High-Level Definition: How a developer thinks about logical problems,
and how they decide to approach them.

How It’s Utilized

Problem solving skills are defined by a developer’s ability to break a problem
down into its constituent components, ask relevant questions to understand
the problem from multiple points of view, use their knowledge of algorithms
and data structures to design a solution that fits into the time constraints
provided by the problem.

As they’re exposed to new projects, their knowledge base of logical

problems—and corresponding solutions—will continue to grow. And so will
their ability to implement them.

Why To Assess It
Most engineering problems take place in the context of a complex system.
A developer needs to be able to break a problem down into simpler
components to understand where the true issue lies. Without that ability,
solving problems will be much harder. A candidate with this skill will be better
equipped to solve business problems at your org—and adapt as business
challenges and technologies evolve over time.

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KEY SKILLS OF A NEW GRAD HACKERRANK

Language Proficiency Example Problem

High-Level Definition: The ability to effectively express solutions

through code in a given programming language.

How It’s Utilized

Once the developer has developed their solution, the next step is articulating it
through code. Language proficiency means that a developer can express their
solution into one or more specific coding languages (e.g. Ruby or Python).

To be proficient in a language, a developer needs to have more than basic

working knowledge. They need to follow the language’s rules and constructs, and
demonstrate an understanding of its supporting libraries. Generally, proficiency
comes from building real, practical projects with the language.

It comes down to writing code that’s readable, maintainable, and makes smart use
of pre-existing resources (e.g. supporting libraries). It also means writing code that
performs effectively and efficiently for the use case at hand. It’s important that new
grad developers are proficient in at least one language and its supporting libraries.

Why To Assess It
A developer that has a proficiency in the languages you rely on can add immediate
value to the team; their familiarity will help them get to know your codebase
faster. But even if they aren’t proficient in the languages you focus on, proficiency
in another language is still an advantage. They’ll have a much easier time learning
new ones—which will help them keep up as technology inevitably changes.

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KEY SKILLS OF A NEW GRAD HACKERRANK

Data Structures Knowledge

Example Problem
High Level Definition: Understanding the common ways in which data can be
stored, and the best way to store and retrieve it for a given use case

How It’s Utilized

The systems built by software developers process information. But for optimal
performance, that information needs to be stored efficiently. Data structures are the
mechanism that store that information. To create a solution, the developer needs
to know how to store information, process it, and retrieve it when needed—which is
achieved via data structures. Using the right one will make storing, processing, and
retrieving the information efficient at scale.

For example, when implementing an autocomplete feature, you typically use a data
structure called trie. But if you used another data structure, like a linked list, your
autocomplete would be significantly slower. That slowdown, in turn, could negatively
impact user experience, and subsequently, harm your business. Why To Assess It
Data structures are the building blocks of computer science. Knowledge of
Developers have a variety of widely adopted data structures to choose from. Though common data structures is crucial to learning a new codebase, and building
these options vary across languages, there’s a common set of data structures that apply efficient solutions. Without it, candidates risk inadvertently reinventing the
across most languages. New grads should know some of the most common ones, at the wheel to address simple challenges on the job—neither a good use of time,
least (e.g. arrays, stacks, and more). Skill in this area is defined by knowing what data nor a reliable approach.
structures they can use, and knowing when to apply each of them.

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KEY SKILLS OF A NEW GRAD HACKERRANK

Computer Science (CS) Fundamentals

Example Problem
High-Level Definition: A well-rounded grasp of the foundations of how
computers work

How It’s Utilized

Unlike the previous 3 skills, CS fundamentals isn’t limited to hands-on
abilities. It encompasses a blend of hands-on skills (e.g. algorithms) and deep
foundational knowledge (e.g. networking, operating systems, complexity
analysis, abstraction, compilers, and more).

Combined, they give developers deeper context and awareness in the work:
they’re consciously aware of what’s going on under the hood as they develop
their solutions.

They go deeper than asking, “does it work?” Instead, they want to understand
the solution’s impact: like what it means for the system as it scales. A
developer without strong CS fundamentals might be less aware of their
work’s broader implications—so they won’t factor it into their decision
making.

Why To Assess It
CV
Having a well-rounded understanding of computer science adds depth and
nuance to a developer’s work. It not only helps them execute their role on
a practical level, but also gives them the deep foundational knowledge they
need to build reliable and performant systems.

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KEY SKILLS OF A NEW GRAD HACKERRANK

51%
Communication Skills
High-Level Definition: The ability to collaborate with teammates in
the context of the engineering org

How It’s Utilized

Even the most technically skilled developers are limited without strong
communication skills. of developers say that team collaboration is
one of their top contributors to success at work
In the context of a development role, communication skills boil down to an ability to
work well with others. Since every developer’s work is interconnected on a team, it’s
important that incoming new grads can communicate with grace: from managing
expectations, to being a good listener, creating shared understanding, and more.

For better or worse, new grads often have limited work history, and subsequently,
limited professional references to speak to their communication skills. Methods
like pair programming and behavioral interviews will be some of your best tools to
evaluate them on this front.

Why To Assess It
Unless your new grad is expected to work alone, communication skills are non-
negotiable. Development is a team sport, and communication skills enable
developers to collaborate with peers, managers, and other key stakeholders across
your org.

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04. Methodology
Pointers for Identifying Between January 2017 and June 2019, HackerRank reviewed 1,457,000

Strong New Grad Developers▉

assessment attempts made by university students, including 409
universities from 45 different countries. From this data, we identified
the most commonly assessed skills, and established a performance-
based university ranking for different skills and languages. You can see
Finding strong new grads is about more than solving the challenges of your
how universities across the world performed in each skill category here.
org today: it’s about making a long-term investment in the future of your
company. Here’s what you can do to make sure you find the right fit:

Ensure strength in all technical skills: Ensure strength in all

technical skills: A great problem solver doesn’t always have strong CS
fundamentals—and vice versa. Remember that these key skills are only
valuable when they’re present as a collective (not individually).

Don’t forget about communication skills: Communication skills are

sometimes pushed to the back burner. But in practice, they’re just as
important as technical skills. Evaluate accordingly.

Need some inspiration for building your own new grad assessments? Learn
more about how HackerRank can support your university recruiting program:

Sample Report Request Demo

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Match Every Developer to the Right Job

HackerRank is a technology hiring platform that is the standard for assessing developer skills
for over 1,500 companies around the world. By enabling tech recruiters and hiring managers
to evaluate talent objectively at every stage of the recruiting process, HackerRank helps
companies hire skilled developers and innovate faster.

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