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Or
c) Start as contractor(some jobs hire over phone) / Join a IT consulting/staff augmentation firm.
This doesn't answer your question, but that's because I think that your question is unreasonable: I get that tech interviews can be long and thorough and at times opaque, but would you want to hire a programmer after you've just had "a coffee and discuss how we can work together"? I've worked with a lot of people that can talk the talk really well but couldn't write code to save their life and it sucks to manage them…
> but would you want to hire a programmer after you've just had "a coffee and discuss how we can work together" I would understand that in Europe, where it can be difficult to fire people, but in the U.S.? (In my country, we have like 3 months notice period, but also 3 months test period, during which employment can be terminated at will from both parties.) And in fact, I got my first job - at larger American company…
This doesn't answer your question, but that's because I think that your question is unreasonable: I get that tech interviews can be long and thorough and at times opaque, but would you want to hire a programmer after you've just had "a coffee and discuss how we can work together"? I've worked with a lot of people that can talk the talk really well but couldn't write code to save their life and it sucks to manage them…
> but would you want to hire a programmer after you've just had "a coffee and discuss how we can work together" I would understand that in Europe, where it can be difficult to fire people, but in the U.S.? (In my country, we have like 3 months notice period, but also 3 months test period, during which employment can be terminated at will from both parties.) And in fact, I got my first job - at larger American company…
Don't complain about a system when you can game that system to your advantage!
Also, tech questions are a filter, you can only pass a tech interview in two ways:
1) Actually be competent, know and understand all that stuff, or be able to work it out really quickly without having heard the question before (which is much preferable!).
2) Be willing to take some time to prepare for a tech interview, even if you don't agree with how that interview is being done.
Either way, it says something about you. #2 tells me that at least you're willing to spend a bit of your own time preparing for that interview and that you probably, actually, want to work in this business.
If you're not even willing to do that, stop wasting my damn time.
With iOS development I've typically had the interviews that you are seeking. I show them my apps over coffee and then I do a few hours (or a feature) of contract work (paid) for them and it usually works out and I continue onwards :) I am not sure that this works for all situations though; maybe I've been lucky too... I tend to work for smaller startups.
As an employer i think there is nothing better than to be able to verify beforehand if a candidate will be able to do what you actually plan to pay him for. I would just change that "few hours" with few weeks and favor interaction with other employees (that will then be able to assess the candidate).
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> but would you want to hire a programmer after you've just had "a coffee and discuss how we can work together" I would understand that in Europe, where it can be difficult to fire people, but in the U.S.? (In my country, we have like 3 months notice period, but also 3 months test period, during which employment can be terminated at will from both parties.) And in fact, I got my first job - at larger American company…
Some or most countries in Europe also have probation period of up to a few months during which either party can simply terminate the employment. That should be enough to weed out bad hires.
Be famous in your field, nobody will ask you a tech interview any more.
Grab the book named "Cracking the coding interview". After you've finished with it and done all the coding questions (without cheating) all this crap will be a breeze for you. Plus you will learn some neat tricks which are invaluable for your day job. When I was planning to interview for a job I've done a research for such books and this was the most useful. Please note that I am not the author of the book nor an aff…
Might want to look up that author again ;)