Local Students Contest in Software Architecture and Development
This January we organized a contest for local students attracted to the computer sciences of software architecture and development. Motivating and fostering the talents of younger and next generation professionals provides for all of our futures, and buys us the opportunity to meet and work with the best and the brightest.
Last December, two months before deadline, we issued an open invitation to non-professional student software developers across the country. The volume of responders and registrants was encouraging, and speaks well of Serbia's present and future assertion into the global market.
On the 20th of February, the contest began. Each official participant received an email that detailed certain tasks and the criterion of successfully completing the assignment. It also gave them 7 days to deadline. At Vega we believe in getting the job done, and promoting a sense of urgency, because the anticipation of deadlines enriches the final product by compelling developers to crack into their creative selves, take chances and make the kind of dynamic decisions that arise when there isn't time to doubt inspiration.
The contest was composed of several independent and mostly non-related tasks, that, when completed, would form a real life software solution. The participants were not required to complete each task, because in software development, as in all things, the quality of the product supersedes the importance of quantity.
The most superior method of building starts with a blueprint, obviously, and we were pleased to find, in the end, that a number of the participants specified their end solutions through diagrams using the Unified Modeling Language (UML) before they even started coding.
The contest is over now. The greater-than-anticipated response has been accounted for and the submissions are being analyzed. The architects of the best and winning entries will be contacted and invited to the office for discussions regarding their solutions.
The top three candidates will receive cash prizes, and all candidates that showcased their ability to develop worthy and agile solutions will be considered for professional engagement after their studies.
We had a great time preparing for the contest and reviewing the submissions. We were challenged and impressed by the imaginations of our younger peers, and look forward to organizing the event next year.
Thank you, again, to all of our contestants. We were honored by your participation.
