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Questions to ask a company during a job interview

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Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#261

Post by jecxjo »

PascLeRasc wrote: post #174
username3 wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why did it take a year to find something else?

I'm not sure where the impression that it's easy to find a tech job comes from. Like the parent commenter, I started searching on day 2 of my current job and it's been over a year with around 200 applications/cover letters, dozens of interviews, some offers, but no good fits. I graduated 2 years ago with ~120 others in my class - not a single person is working in our domain (biomedical engineering), they're either in…

I totally concur. It took me over a year, after being the lead developer for a decade with tons of technical and business experience. Thank goodness for digital resumes cuz I sent out at least 200. If it weren't for the fact that I had my current job down to a science, giving me a lot of free time to interview, it would have been impossible to find a new job.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#262

Post by protomyth »

quotemstr wrote: post #237

I use the comment test. It's pass/fail and goes like this: "Suppose I'm reading some code and I see an obvious typo in a comment. What's the process for fixing it?" (Note: I've actually gotten all of these answers, albeit sometimes only after I joined a group (prompting me to develop this test in the first place)). Fail: "just edit the file lol" Pass: "edit the file and check it in" Pass: "edit the file, send a diff,…

Remember to ask about 'code lockdowns', some coding jobs have seasons of a sort.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#263

Post by astura »

C1sc0cat wrote: post #256
astura wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never flat out lied to a candidate, but I know part of my job as an interviewer is to sell the company/position, so I put a positive spin on things. Same thing the candidate is doing. It's not even uncommon to be hired for one role and end up in another role for whatever reason. Another thing is, policies change. Your interviewer could be grandfathered in and not know it (or know it, but don't mention it...). Or…

An interviewer must absolutely know what the T&C's are - sounds like your place is a bit of a shambles

Technical interviewers aren't going to know HR policies as they apply to other people - its HR's job to give them that information. I don't know how much time off a new hire might get, for example. But a helpful technical interviewer might say "oh we start off at five weeks a year" because that's what they started out with four years ago.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#264

Post by denton-scratch »

SamBam wrote: post #163
tashoecraft wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just feel that most interviewers when pressed on these are just going to lie unless the company truly does it, which will make it hard to tell whose telling the truth. I guess that's what the whole interview is, detect who is telling the truth about themselves. I think more detail on these questions, and to press on follow ups for specific examples.

I think the nice thing about the "tell me about a time when..."-style questions is that it makes it harder to lie, or at least harder top lie believably. None of the interviewers will bat an eyelid answering "do you value developer growth" with a one-word lie "yes," but I think most interviewers would feel uncomfortable making up a story whole-cloth, and that would show. The risk, of course, is that you'll seem rude…

Yes.

I love the table-turning style of these questions; but the fact is, they can always answer "No, we can't think of any such examples. Are you going to walk away from the job?"

That is to say, hiring is usually a buyer's market.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#265

Post by jcadam »

logfromblammo wrote: post #251
atulatul wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> my usual 1-2 years A genuine question...(I am not from USA.) Is this 1-2 years period normal for many people/IT companies? Is it similar to contracting- benefits and tech/business exposure wise?

It's a nice balance between not having to run the job search gauntlet for a while, and not getting significant pay increases or advancement opportunities unless you get a new job at a different company.

I've found 1-2 years is also about the time it takes for me to become bored and want a new project, new responsibilities (promotion), etc (I've only asked for a raise once during my entire career, so it usually isn't about the money when I leave, though I do usually get a nice pay bump for switching companies).

I'll ask for what I want, invariably get told some version of "no", and start looking for a new job.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#266

Post by CalChris »

viraptor wrote: post #36
CalChris wrote: post #26

There is a question about funding. So I'll assume the company is a startup at some stage. But I'm surprised there aren't any questions about stock.

Actually it wasn't supposed to be about a startup only. Established companies also grow through external funding, whether it's a loan, partnership, selling shares, or something else. Each of those may change how the company works and whether you're comfortable working that way.

Not only. But if you’re going to ask about runway then some intelligent questions about stock are in order.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#267

Post by eeZah7Ux »

r00fus wrote: post #182
jbob2000 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This only works if you're interviewing with decision makers. At a larger organization, I don't think the person you're interviewing with would have any capacity to answer these (which could be a red flag for you, but also a very limiting one).

Or worse, interviews and hiring are with group A and the organization has you now working with group B. Obviously A knows little about B. This happens at FAAMG companies.

FAANG, for Netflix. Microsoft does not matter.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#268

Post by vkou »

Diederich wrote: post #108

I've been interviewing with Google since 2006 or so, off and on, though I've never accepted an offer from them. I do this because I always learn several things from the rigorous on-site interviews, it's a lot of fun, and the machine that runs the process seems to not mind being turned down in the past. Back in the beginning of that time period, I used to ask (fairly jokingly) the same question: "How many servers do y…

> Of the dozens of Google interviewers I've spoken to over the years, only one responded with a number range, and the rest of the responses were largely grouped into either active playful discomfort.

That's because most employees don't know, and the ones who do, know that it's a company secret.

Re: Questions to ask a company during a job interview

#270

Post by flatline »

denton-scratch wrote: post #264
SamBam wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the nice thing about the "tell me about a time when..."-style questions is that it makes it harder to lie, or at least harder top lie believably. None of the interviewers will bat an eyelid answering "do you value developer growth" with a one-word lie "yes," but I think most interviewers would feel uncomfortable making up a story whole-cloth, and that would show. The risk, of course, is that you'll seem rude…

Yes. I love the table-turning style of these questions; but the fact is, they can always answer "No, we can't think of any such examples. Are you going to walk away from the job?" That is to say, hiring is usually a buyer's market.

In the tech industry it’s very cyclical. It’s hard to hire anyone right now.
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