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Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

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Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#1

Post by kevin_vanilla »

Context: I was just listening to the latest Soft Skills Engineering[1] (a podcast I highly recommend, by the way!) and they were consoling a junior eng who bombed an interview by saying everyone has a story about doing this at some point. I thought it'd be nice to crowd-source these stories in case others are feeling bad about their interview experiences :)

I can start: My first tech interview ever was the summer going into my Junior year of college. I was still very raw and had no idea what to expect, and got asked a pretty standard string manipulation question. I fumbled around for a while before frantically trying to Google the question in a manner that I now realize was likely very obvious. Needless to say, I didn't get the job. I did learn from the experience, though, and studied my butt off for the next summer, which paid off in much harder interviews :)

Looking forward to hearing yours, thanks!

[1] https://softskills.audio/2023/04/03/episode-350-bombing-a-te...

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#2

Post by 1attice »

I, a React developer, took three months off developing in React, only to forget how `useEffect()` works when you pass it no dependencies (vs when you pass it an empty array.)

Idea: Build a map of things that are easily forgotten and treat it as a map of places where the API needs improvement. (Following ye olde Law of Least Surprise. Thanks, Larry Wall!)

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#3

Post by renjimen »

I can think of a few.

Uni interview at Cambridge for physics, I was asked to: derive the equation of motion for some coins sliding into each other on a table, and identify the oscillatory nodes of a tea cup struck with a spoon. Needless to say I didn’t get in and have the utmost respect for those who did!

First technical job interview I was asked whether a heavy or light element is better for absorbing nuclear radiation. Now that one I am embarrassed I didn’t get having completed my physics degree. Lighter is better.

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#4

Post by geraldwhen »

1attice wrote: post #2

I, a React developer, took three months off developing in React, only to forget how `useEffect()` works when you pass it no dependencies (vs when you pass it an empty array.) Idea: Build a map of things that are easily forgotten and treat it as a map of places where the API needs improvement. (Following ye olde Law of Least Surprise. Thanks, Larry Wall!)

The fact that it’s unintuitive and different is why hooks are a joke. Class components just make sense.

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#5

Post by D_B_Koopa »

Google relies on writing syntactically correct code in a google doc with no autocomplete/auto indenting during their interviews. The cognitive load of this plus having to answer very difficult obscure algorithmic questions was too foreign from my normal workflow and too heavy of a cognitive load for me to be able to answer the question accurately in the time given. I hope they don't build production code this way.

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#6

Post by undefinedzero »

1attice wrote: post #2

I, a React developer, took three months off developing in React, only to forget how `useEffect()` works when you pass it no dependencies (vs when you pass it an empty array.) Idea: Build a map of things that are easily forgotten and treat it as a map of places where the API needs improvement. (Following ye olde Law of Least Surprise. Thanks, Larry Wall!)

I, a React developer for ~8 years, don’t really remember what useEffect does without the second param. I never needed it, so I forgot. I almost feel it should be a required prop, and I doubt that that knowledge alone would fail or pass an interview.

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#7

Post by ygjb »

I interviewed at Stripe, pre-COVID, and it was an onsite interview after I suffered a concussion. I should have cancelled the interview, but I was excited about the opportunity, and had underestimated how disabled the concussion left me.

Objectively I think I interviewed fairly strongly, however for the hands on coding portion of the interview, I basically couldn't even write more than a few lines. I couldn't remember simple things like function or class definitions. I had to look up a few syntax things, and my already challenging dyslexia was exacerbated to the point where I could barely type.

I recognize looking back on it that I had a freaking concussion and wasn't even supposed to be looking at screens or reading, but it was still really embarrassing.

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#8

Post by nobody10 »

I have so many stories that I bombed the interviews, but this is probably the most interesting one.

In 2008 I was searching for my first full time job. At the time a social network company flew me out to SF from Toronto for interview. I was promised a 5-hour block but only lasted 3 hours before they walked me out. I don't remember the questions, but I do remember that the VP of Engineering at the time was browsing his BlackBerry and weren't listening to me. Needless to say, I felt humiliated for awhile after that experience.

Fast forward to 2018, I interviewed at this startup in SF and I did well in the first 2 sessions. The 3rd session was the CTO and he was the same person that ignored me 10 years prior. This time I did well enough that he immediately got the CEO to meet with me and offer me the job on the spot. I thanked them and ended up not taking that job due to a better opportunity elsewhere.

The CTO didn't remember me nor I confronted him about it, but it's a small win in my book.

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#9

Post by dkarp »

renjimen wrote: post #3

I can think of a few. Uni interview at Cambridge for physics, I was asked to: derive the equation of motion for some coins sliding into each other on a table, and identify the oscillatory nodes of a tea cup struck with a spoon. Needless to say I didn’t get in and have the utmost respect for those who did! First technical job interview I was asked whether a heavy or light element is better for absorbing nuclear radiat…

Was that for an undergraduate at Cambridge?

Re: Ask HN: Tell me about how you bombed a technical interview

#10

Post by dangwhy »

manager at netflix told me that i used an older java version in my take home which indicated that i am not someone who keeps up with latest tech.

Some dude at airbnb asked me if had gone to IIT ( indian institute of tech) and ended the interview early when i told him i didn't. This was after they flew me into sfo.

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