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For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

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Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#141

Post by ereyes01 »

lostcolony wrote: post #130
deftnerd wrote: post #89

The current state of the hiring process in tech companies has really affected me. I'm, by nature, a very shy person who doesn't deal with rejection very well. Because of this, I tend to apply at jobs where my hiring is a slam-dunk because it's so routine and easily within my skill-set. It results in jobs that aren't particularly fulfilling but gives me plenty of time to work on technology I'm interested in my spare t…

I actually found 'toughening up' the wrong mental strategy, but rather "not giving a damn". You're in a position where you have a job. Anything you interview for you -don't need-. You may want, but you don't need. You also sound very comfortable in a specific role. That's a great place to start from, because if someone rejects you...what are they rejecting? How does it effect you? You know you're good, at least in ce…

This works for me, and is generally how I've dealt with high pressure situations throughout my life. I just sort of go into "eh, don't give a fuck" mode, and try to joke around with people about how I don't give a fuck about the outcome (if comfort level with said people is appropriate, like fellow students). It's just a way that I calm myself so that my brain can effectively recall my practice / training to help me execute better at the critical moment.

Interviews are much like tests in school. The pressure is high, you only have a moment to recall the information and act correctly, you have very little leverage over the situation... and in both cases they are probably poor indicators of what is being measured :-)

Maybe the similarity to tests in schools is the origin of programming interviews came to be the way they are...

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#143

Post by yarou »

timbofoo wrote: post #66
kafkaesq wrote: post #5

So, how did you get to where you are today? I’ve always been passionate about coding, starting from my early days at Olympiad teams in high school and ACM teams in college. Anyone who's made it onto an Olympiad team[1] of any significant geographical scale, in any category, shouldn't have to deal with this whiteboard nonsense. Maybe a few lightweight-to-medium rounds to verify that they are what they say they are. Bu…

I see the whiteboard coding test as an attitude-test. If you have too much attitude to sit down and write some code for an hour, then you aren't someone I want in my company. It shouldn't be hard if you're skilled. Sorry to be that way, but that's the way I (and we) see it.

Probably one of the most insensitive posts I've ever seen written on here. There are many people who have crippling anxiety and social phobias, and your post chalks that up to them having an "attitude".

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#144

Post by [deleted] »

deftnerd wrote: post #89

The current state of the hiring process in tech companies has really affected me. I'm, by nature, a very shy person who doesn't deal with rejection very well. Because of this, I tend to apply at jobs where my hiring is a slam-dunk because it's so routine and easily within my skill-set. It results in jobs that aren't particularly fulfilling but gives me plenty of time to work on technology I'm interested in my spare t…

[deleted]

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#146

Post by jussij »

timbofoo wrote: post #66
kafkaesq wrote: post #5

So, how did you get to where you are today? I’ve always been passionate about coding, starting from my early days at Olympiad teams in high school and ACM teams in college. Anyone who's made it onto an Olympiad team[1] of any significant geographical scale, in any category, shouldn't have to deal with this whiteboard nonsense. Maybe a few lightweight-to-medium rounds to verify that they are what they say they are. Bu…

I see the whiteboard coding test as an attitude-test. If you have too much attitude to sit down and write some code for an hour, then you aren't someone I want in my company. It shouldn't be hard if you're skilled. Sorry to be that way, but that's the way I (and we) see it.

Call me old school but before starting out writing code I much prefer to find a quite place, take out a pen and paper and spend the hour sketching out a few design thoughts on paper.

That entire process many only produce one or two sheets of paper, with many more sheets ending up in the bin, but I find it is time well spent as it makes the coding step much easier.

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#147

Post by labster »

ars wrote: post #93
deftnerd wrote: post #89

The current state of the hiring process in tech companies has really affected me. I'm, by nature, a very shy person who doesn't deal with rejection very well. Because of this, I tend to apply at jobs where my hiring is a slam-dunk because it's so routine and easily within my skill-set. It results in jobs that aren't particularly fulfilling but gives me plenty of time to work on technology I'm interested in my spare t…

Have someone else apply for you. Your wife probably. You find the job and tell her you are too nervous to apply, let her know it's OK to apply for you. Sometime seceding that bit of control is enough to get over the problem - especially when you have self awareness of it. Once she applies you will probably feel an urge to take over and continue the conversation with the employer - so do that, and take it to an interv…

How do I apply for a wife? I'm pretty nervous and I get rejected a lot.

Honestly getting a job is way easier.

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#148

Post by smilekzs »

chrisbennet wrote: post #91
NTDF9 wrote: post #31

I read the article as: "It's not enough to be a mediocre engineer for a mediocre paying job. If you want to play in the local tennis league, you better be Roger Federer (without his pay)" I think software engineers should counter-question the interviewers. Interviewers should be allowed to judge the candidate only if they can answer the candidate's questions to them. If the interviewer cannot, he/she is not qualified…

I think sometimes people forget that sometimes the interviewers don't actually want to hire someone. - They might be afraid of someone who might outshine or compete with them. - They might not want to train or mentor someone. - They might think they don't need help. - They already have someone they want to hire and are just going through the motions of "looking".

> They already have someone they want to hire and are just going through the motions of "looking"

Exactly, even when you show them (through a mostly well-done interview) that you are up to the job.

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#149

Post by argonaut »

logfromblammo wrote: post #41
kafkaesq wrote: post #5

So, how did you get to where you are today? I’ve always been passionate about coding, starting from my early days at Olympiad teams in high school and ACM teams in college. Anyone who's made it onto an Olympiad team[1] of any significant geographical scale, in any category, shouldn't have to deal with this whiteboard nonsense. Maybe a few lightweight-to-medium rounds to verify that they are what they say they are. Bu…

If only that were true. I'm a U.S. national event champion in Div. C Science Olympiad (Road Scholar), and I not only have to deal with whiteboard nonsense all the time, but also, the spouse never really believes that I know how to get anywhere from anywhere else. (Sure, argue with Siri/Google, rather than allowing that I might possibly know which direction north is.) Credentials are only as good as the trust other pe…

I'm pretty sure the parent poster was talking about things like the IOI, IMO, etc., which are ridiculously difficult and prestigious and are competitions that occur on an international scale. Each nation only sends a handful of competitors. Not the "Division C Science Olympiad," which is US high-school based.

Re: For anyone who has been turned down by 38 companies

#150

Post by hayd »

mahyarm wrote: post #69
NTDF9 wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is: If the candidate asks a relevant question that the interviewer cannot solve in time, the company failed at its own game because the candidate proved that he/she is better qualified than the company's representative, given the rules of the game. What excuse does the company have for not hiring the candidate now?

The company is paying you money. The company is the customer of your services. This is why.

Except they're not. Companies rarely, if ever, pay interviewees.

Sure, it's true if you become an employee or contractor... but til then they're speculating (as are you).

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