The latest trend for tech interviews: Days of unpaid homework

Post by newobj » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 5:32 PM UTC

newobj wrote: post #325

131012 wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't know for sure that dad/friend/partner didn't write or review the assignment either. How about a 4-5 hours coding rush in the office, where you have to add a few functions or features to an existing codebase?

> You can't know for sure that dad/friend/partner didn't write the assignment either. I don't follow what you're implying here, sorry? > How about a 4-5 hours coding rush in the office, where you have to add a few functions or features to an existing codebase? I work at a company where we actively keep a small set of tasks groomed for new hires. It's extremely difficult to keep a set of meaningful actually-in-the-cod…

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 5:34 PM UTC

adreamingsoul wrote: post #354

monocasa wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to hate it, but have now performed enough interviews of supposedly senior devs with decades of experience. I've literally seen someone who did firmware for the space shuttle grind for 45 minutes on fizz buzz without making progress. Like, I'd they struggle for ten minutes or so, I take a step back and say "Ok, screw syntax, let's just vaguely talk about what needs to happen and mock up some pseudo code.". Even…

Check your premise. It sounds to me that an assumption is being made because they didnt meet the expectations within a fixed time period. The danger with this is that this is not a real world scenerio of how two people would approach a task or problem. It’s also important to recognize that everyone is different with regards to how they process information. Stress has a real biological effect on how the brain processe…

Post by trowawee » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 5:35 PM UTC

tytytytytytytyt wrote: post #360

newnewpdro wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which may have proven nothing more than this person was too nervous to function.

So hire everyone who can't function during the interview?

Post by gnarcoregrizz » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 5:36 PM UTC

throwaway84742 wrote: post #331

monocasa wrote: post #250

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to hate it, but have now performed enough interviews of supposedly senior devs with decades of experience. I've literally seen someone who did firmware for the space shuttle grind for 45 minutes on fizz buzz without making progress. Like, I'd they struggle for ten minutes or so, I take a step back and say "Ok, screw syntax, let's just vaguely talk about what needs to happen and mock up some pseudo code.". Even…

That sounds to me like fight or flight response. Happens to me sometimes, and when it does I can’t code worth a damn, in spite of having a decade and a half of experience on the top projects at some of the top companies in the industry. This, in fact, happened to me the first time I interviewed with Google: I bombed that pretty spectacularly. The second time I applied I already had a couple of very generous offers el…

Post by rahimnathwani » Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 5:37 PM UTC

newobj wrote: post #329

magissima wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're only applying to one job and you get it, sure. But when you're looking for a new job and sending out dozens of resumes, it adds up pretty quickly! On top of that, it makes rejections all the more dispiriting when you spend hours or days working on one job application.

IMHO, if you can't land, say, 1 out of 3 interviews, there is a systemic personal problem, not just a bad day, and "the problem is u" -- sadly you will just need to work harder because something in your skill set is not up to snuff.