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An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

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Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#161

Post by CharlieDigital »

Rustwerks wrote: post #134
emseetech wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

| distinct lack of focus on code reviews as part of the assessment "Writing code is easy, reading code is hard" An interview based on reading, explaining and critiquing complicated code would give a better window into a candidate's skills than having them solve the kind of coding challenge that can be completed in a short interview. Also, being able to identify which algorithms would be useful in solving a unique pro…

I tried this and found that there are a set of potentially good candidates who simply cannot bring themselves to criticize anything in front of an interviewer due to the power dynamics of the interviewer/interviewee relationship.

You have to set them up for it.

    "Imagine that this code was written by a junior dev; review it and tell me how it can be improved, where the problems are, and other feedback".
Or

    "We just hired a new intern and he pushed this PR.  I need you to help me review this code for issues and make sure it's production ready".

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#162

Post by CharlieDigital »

whimsicalism wrote: post #138
CharlieDigital wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've recently been studying leetcode (for reasons) and went through an interview process. It was, by far, the most boring interview I've ever had to participate in. The leetcode problem was easy (detect if two strings are anagrams; solved with O(n) solution in talk about non-functional requirements -> write some API routes -> draw a load balancer (because of course, there's always a load balancer) -> draw a service -…

sounds like you interviewed for too easy a job, the anagram question you described would be significantly easier than interviews i have or give

It was exceedingly easy but it was for probably one of the highest level IC positions at a large, public BNPL. The entire technical part of the interview could only be described as "boring" and un-engaging.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#163

Post by dahart »

stego-tech wrote: post #119
dingnuts wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this does NOT match my experience as an interviewer. Our company went through piles of candidates who were not qualified and it took us months to find a good fit after going through hundreds of resumes and scores of interviews. I hope the folks we hired are paid enough to retain because there were was absolutely no glut of talent. It was hard to find the folks we wound up hiring. There was a glut of applications, yes…

So you're confusing your specific requirements with my generalization of "talent". Depending on your specifics, there might not be a glut of talent in that specific field or expertise, but there's still a surplus of domestic college grads unable to find work in their chosen fields, and companies who refuse to pay domestic graduates what they're worth when they can outsource to contractors, MSPs, or offshore work enti…

> we can’t fix it

Applicants don’t have to apply to Google or Facebook for jobs they’re not qualified for, and if they stopped, the mess you’re referring to would disappear. At least at Google and Facebook’s doors, anyway. It might move somewhere else simply because there are a lot of people (literally everyone) looking for jobs that pay well.

It’s funny to tell someone on the other side of the interview table that they’re confused, when they’re giving you information that can help you. Knowing that there is an abundance of low quality applications is useful information. Mismatch of expectations might be an accurate generalization, but arguing the expectations of applicants isn’t part of the problem is not accurate at all. Applicants definitely aim high and spam companies with resumes for jobs they’re not qualified for. I even tell new grads to aim a little higher than the exact job description, but within reason. To be fair, a lot of people don’t know what’s reasonable and don’t know how competitive their cohort is and they have little to lose by taking their chances.

The lore about having to job-hop has always existed, it was true 30 years ago, and it’s still a story people tell today. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. Don’t get confused by hearing stories. Neither the number of stories you hear, nor the story-teller’s confidence in their take, proves anything about how the business world works. You need more first-hand knowledge of how many people don’t have to job hop. Companies do promote people, and some companies do respect loyalty. Instead of insisting it’s a fight and wallowing, go find the good jobs at good companies working for good managers and figure out how to stand out from the applicants who are less qualified than you.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#164

Post by CharlieDigital »

pintxo wrote: post #159
emseetech wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

| distinct lack of focus on code reviews as part of the assessment "Writing code is easy, reading code is hard" An interview based on reading, explaining and critiquing complicated code would give a better window into a candidate's skills than having them solve the kind of coding challenge that can be completed in a short interview. Also, being able to identify which algorithms would be useful in solving a unique pro…

It’s my personal interview approach, I have a some 60 lines of code example I will ask questions about. What does it do, if I wanted to change x, where would I need to do this, etc. Seniors will take 30 seconds for the first two questions. I‘ve had junior applicants where I had to stop after 15 minutes of trying.

I think this format is very conducive to leveling because there are some tells that are really obvious. Like input validation, error handling, database indices, database column types, race conditions, etc. You can't fake these easily, but with experience, they surface quickly.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#165

Post by jdlshore »

ttyprintk wrote: post #78
wojciechpolak wrote: post #50

How often do doctors have to prove they can still recall every obscure medical fact when changing hospitals? When a lawyer moves to a new firm, do they have to retake the bar or answer weird hypothetical cases all over again? Aren't their credentials, past cases, and reputation usually enough? Why do we in tech keep forcing experienced professionals to jump through these puzzle-like hoops instead of trusting their tr…

New doctors, conventional engineers, and lawyers only come with analytical status, though. That hiring process focuses on what you’re like to work with as a person. I recommend that formula because those domains know how to layout a firm which can avoid malpractice. Those firms compete on problem solving, where 10x skill or availability might eventually mean 10x salary. Firms which associate disruption with profit ar…

There’s a lot of doctors in my family. They all carry malpractice insurance. I’m told that malpractice lawsuits have a lot more to do with bedside manner than actual performance.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#167

Post by emptiestplace »

OutOfHere wrote: post #149
bartread wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d say chances of getting busted are high as well. The invisibility of the window to common interview software won’t do anything mask candidates’ own suspicious behaviour. I was doing a 45 minute screener interview with a guy the other day who I could see kept glancing over at another window or screen as he was typing in code. Every couple of characters or so he was pausing looking over, then he’d type a handful mor…

Given how poor and assumptive your logical reasoning is, the candidate is lucky for not working with you.

If it's so poor, it should be pretty easy to explain why.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#168

Post by vunderba »

qwer1234321 wrote: post #32

I might be calling obvious but if candidate uses something like this, is this not lying to potential employer? I'd rather be rejected than got job I'm not qualified to do, that's why I never prepare for interview above studying the actual company- and that is more to give me proper signal if I want to work for them, I want to be motivated to make move on more than just money. I also have never done leetcode, though I…

It's a 100% unethical and flagrant cheating.

It's no different than if you had a much more technically competent friend off-screen feeding you the answers.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#169

Post by kjkjadksj »

fitzn wrote: post #141
wojciechpolak wrote: post #50

How often do doctors have to prove they can still recall every obscure medical fact when changing hospitals? When a lawyer moves to a new firm, do they have to retake the bar or answer weird hypothetical cases all over again? Aren't their credentials, past cases, and reputation usually enough? Why do we in tech keep forcing experienced professionals to jump through these puzzle-like hoops instead of trusting their tr…

Doctors, lawyers, teachers and other licensed professionals do continuing education every two or three years. Software engineers are not licensed professionals, so there is no legal standard of quality that all software engineers are guaranteed to have met (and continue to meet). Hence, the interview is an assessment along with all other parts of the application.

“Continuing education” for doctors could mean someone lectured in the university lecture hall for 45 minutes while you nodded off, then you got your free slice of pizza while signing your name on the continuing education form circulating around the room. It’s a farcry from school.

Re: An invisible desktop application that will help you pass technical interviews

#170

Post by vunderba »

Great job on further eroding the trust from a prospective employer.

Require a formal degree in CS? That's gatekeeping.

Need to pass a whiteboard exam? Not representative of the actual work.

Live coding session? Biased against people who don't perform well under pressure.

Take home project? It's too much work to do for free.

Showcase a personal portfolio? Not fair to people with families or other obligations.

Either you enforce a minimal level of competency upfront in the form of an academic degree, industry-standard exams such as a PE Exam, etc. OR you push the entire responsibility of vetting prospective applicants downstream to the employer—which is exactly why interviews are multiple week long gauntlets.

The tech world likes to complain about all of this but other occupations 100% DO have high standards - it's just that it's paid up-front.

Want to become a lawyer? - You've got to pass the LSAT, get into law school, and pass the bar.

Want to become a doctor? - You've got to pass the MCAT, get into medical school, and do residency.

Want to become a pilot? - You've got to get your PPL, pass your check ride, do your IFR, multi-engine, commercial rating, ATP

God there are some days that I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS INDUSTRY.

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