H1B visas are back in the news these days. One one hand we have some loud calls for more H1B visas with a claim that US native workers are not up to snuff. Or at least that there are not enough good ones locally. On the other hand, people claim that well qualified Americans are losing out because foreign workers are taking jobs at lower pay. That the call for H1Bs is all about saving money. Amidst all of this, American students are wondering about future jobs for them between artificial intelligence and H1B workers taking all the jobs.
H1B and both hiring and salaries are actually more complicated than many think. Some claim that H1B workers work for less but the law and most hiring companies payH1B workers and natives the same salaries.Plus it can be hard to hire H1B workers because of government rules and paperwork.
On the other hand, supply and demand are involved. If H1B workers increase supply than salaries may be lower for everyone. My friends and contacts in the software industry complain that there is an over abundances of programmers and that the need is dropping because of AI. Other industries may very well be different. I just don't know.
From what I have read a majority of H1B visas these days do got to software developers. Are Musk and Ramaswamy talking about a need for other types of engineers? Are we facing a shortage of other engineers? I don’t know but I will focus on computer/software types because that is where my expertise rests.
Some of that Musk and especially Ramaswamy are saying is that US student don’t work hard enough and that the US educational system is not helping. Leaving aside that many of the people who agree with them want to cut funding for education and make the system worse aside, what is happening.
I have taught a number of international students over the years. These students generally do work harder and show more respect for teachers and for learning. Ramaswamy is not totally wrong on that. The students I have had are not typical in many ways from their peers in their home countries. I would hesitate to extrapolate to what goes on in those countries. Lets face it, it takes a very motivated and privileged student to go study in another country.
Priorities are a bit off in some respects in American education though. Look at how many states where the highest paid public employee is a college football or basketball coach. In other countries sports and school are not as connected as in the US. How often to athletes get special treatment in American schools and college admission! And yet, students come to the US from all over the world to study at American universities. Clearly, we’re doing some things right.
Cost of higher ed is a turn off and a burden for many. Universities are spending money on some non-academic things to attract students which adds to the cost. That is in part, I think, because the US has cut funding that could help students get a good education. People forget that the greatest growth in the economy came from GIs getting free tuition after WW II. Reducing government funding of higher ed is a direct cause IMHO, for a perceived need for H1B workers. If Musk and Ramaswamy think there are problems with US education spending more money IS the answer.
What does this mean for American students? Well, for starters it means they need to do more to prove themselves. Years ago I was working for Microsoft on a competition called the Imagine Cup. International students took to it and worked their tails off. American students, especially those at top universities, said that there wasn’t enough prize money to make it worth their while. A degree from a name university was all they needed. They saw no need to try to prove themselves. Those days are gone! And good riddance.
A student today who wants a career in software or related fields can get it but they should not expect it to be handed to them. The evidence companies are looking for are not grades or what university you attended but actual evidence of accomplishment. A solid portfolio in GitHub for example. Or projects completed in an internship or working to help a non profit. Or perhaps building out systems for a small business. What did you do outside of classwork?
High school students work very hard to get into universities. They research what universities are looking for and they build impressive resumes. Too often they coast once getting into university. Oh sure, the academics can be hard and they have to work at it. But universities have all sorts of support for students once they get into the university. It is tempting to think that university is about having a good time before being handed a good job. That is the mentality that hurts students.
Can American students have a good career in computing in spite of AI and H1B visas? Absolutely, but they cannot take it for granted.
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