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My Job Interview at Google (2008)

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Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#101

Post by koonsolo »

robinduckett wrote: post #34

I recently had an interview at a taxi firm that followed this format. One two three pre-interviews followed by a day of 5 grueling 1 hour interviews. I didn't get the role. Apparently the frontend guy I had the first interview of the days five was concerned about my technical skills. I mean, I find it insulting, having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer to be told that there were "concerns about your techni…

> having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer

I've done plenty of interviews, and the amount of years someone worked does not mean they are technically capable.

By chance, last week I interviewed a frontend JavaScript expert: couldn't explain 'scope', couldn't explain 'function context', didn't know what happens when setTimeout() is followed by an infinite loop ("After 10 seconds or so the browser will probably timeout the loop"). A junior cannot know everything, a senior should be able to pull a project and team.

Personal advice to you: if you are really good but cannot show it in an interview, try to land a job at companies with ex-colleagues, where they are able to vouch for your technical skills.

If a colleague that I respect vouches for someone (s)he worked with, (s)he is practically already hired.

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#103

Post by JoeSmithson »

apta wrote: post #20
Rockslide wrote: post #8

Reading that stuff always makes me feel incredibly stupid (or rather clueless). I wouldn't be able to answer most of those questions off the top of my head. Including this weird clock hand question (which is probably some trivial math that might or might not have been taught to me more than a decade ago and which I never ever actually applied since). Then I probably have to remind myself that I'm (halfway successfull…

It's established that the Google-style interview questions bear no semblance to real world performance or software engineering skills. All they test is the ability to memorize leetcode style questions and regurgitate them during interviews.

Is this established? What I've heard is that while it bears no relation to the actual job, it does correlate with real world performance at that job.

I've only heard this anecdotally, but it is their best hiring indicator which is why they persist with it, despite it being very expensive.

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#104

Post by shakopeeant »

koonsolo wrote: post #101
robinduckett wrote: post #34

I recently had an interview at a taxi firm that followed this format. One two three pre-interviews followed by a day of 5 grueling 1 hour interviews. I didn't get the role. Apparently the frontend guy I had the first interview of the days five was concerned about my technical skills. I mean, I find it insulting, having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer to be told that there were "concerns about your techni…

> having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer I've done plenty of interviews, and the amount of years someone worked does not mean they are technically capable. By chance, last week I interviewed a frontend JavaScript expert: couldn't explain 'scope', couldn't explain 'function context', didn't know what happens when setTimeout() is followed by an infinite loop ("After 10 seconds or so the browser will probab…

"didn't know what happens when setTimeout() is followed by an infinite loop"

You're part of the problem.

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#105

Post by chrisseaton »

MaxBarraclough wrote: post #87
chrisseaton wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google told me I should try doing some open source projects. I had about a hundred thousand lines in a major open source project at the time.

Did they not like that it wasn't wholly your project?

> Did they not like that it wasn't wholly your project?

No idea - the feedback in full was 'we're not sure you have enough practical experience programming - maybe try working on an open source project'. Then they literally showed me the door at that point lol.

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#106

Post by mrslave »

MattGaiser wrote: post #61
thom wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the trick that some people think it’s zero or something?

You need to remember that the hour hand slightly moves.

Clearly the interviewing Googler with a 250k salary doesn't value a decent wrist watch where whole minutes and hours tick over nicely in a single movement. ;-)

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#107

Post by [deleted] »

onion2k wrote: post #69
chrisseaton wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Maybe Google scale isn't for me. Google employs the very elite of the elite. If you're working there you're probably at the very top of your field. Obviously not every can meet that standard and there's no shame in not being the absolute best.

Google employs the very elite of the elite. I feel a little sorry for Google's developers. They're told they're brilliant but asked to write software to deliver adverts and track people. They could literally be curing cancer and putting people on Mars if they wanted, and yet they sit in Mountain View working out new things to do with the data about what I clicked on today. It's a huge waste of talent.

[deleted]

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#108

Post by how_gauche »

Lewton wrote: post #47
chrisseaton wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Maybe Google scale isn't for me. Google employs the very elite of the elite. If you're working there you're probably at the very top of your field. Obviously not every can meet that standard and there's no shame in not being the absolute best.

> Google employs the very elite of the elite I needed that laugh, thank you!

I mean, they definitely do. They also deploy an army of muppets! (6-yr ex-muppet here)

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#109

Post by s1k3s »

koonsolo wrote: post #101
robinduckett wrote: post #34

I recently had an interview at a taxi firm that followed this format. One two three pre-interviews followed by a day of 5 grueling 1 hour interviews. I didn't get the role. Apparently the frontend guy I had the first interview of the days five was concerned about my technical skills. I mean, I find it insulting, having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer to be told that there were "concerns about your techni…

> having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer I've done plenty of interviews, and the amount of years someone worked does not mean they are technically capable. By chance, last week I interviewed a frontend JavaScript expert: couldn't explain 'scope', couldn't explain 'function context', didn't know what happens when setTimeout() is followed by an infinite loop ("After 10 seconds or so the browser will probab…

> didn't know what happens when setTimeout() is followed by an infinite loop

I'm not some JS guru but I've done a few and I'm wondering why would I need to know this? To me this looks like the type of question that is there specifically because people answer it wrong, they know they answer it wrong and you know they know they answer it wrong so it makes them lower their demands in terms of pay rate.

Re: My Job Interview at Google (2008)

#110

Post by zozbot234 »

koonsolo wrote: post #101
robinduckett wrote: post #34

I recently had an interview at a taxi firm that followed this format. One two three pre-interviews followed by a day of 5 grueling 1 hour interviews. I didn't get the role. Apparently the frontend guy I had the first interview of the days five was concerned about my technical skills. I mean, I find it insulting, having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer to be told that there were "concerns about your techni…

> having worked for the last 12+ years as a developer I've done plenty of interviews, and the amount of years someone worked does not mean they are technically capable. By chance, last week I interviewed a frontend JavaScript expert: couldn't explain 'scope', couldn't explain 'function context', didn't know what happens when setTimeout() is followed by an infinite loop ("After 10 seconds or so the browser will probab…

> try to land a job at companies with ex-colleagues, where they are able to vouch for your technical skills.

That gets him a foot in the door alright, but I don't think it'd let him avoid those interviews?

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