Ask HN: As an employer, what do you wish applicants did more often?

From a startup company's perspective (hiring a web developer):

- Any effort you make to show interest in the company goes a long way. Use the software, come prepared to talk about what you did/didn't like, and have questions for me. Are you interested in working here? Then you should be full of questions!

- Have a personal home page. Doesn't have to be flashy, but it should suit its purpose. An appealing website is nice (it says, I have some design taste, and I can do basic design tasks on my own), a sparse website can also communicate something (here is a list of my impressive projects, I am very technically knowledgeable). If you can combine both, even better! :)

- Work on cool stuff. This is the #1 differentiator (and it's all about differentiation). If you have 3 links to something really neat you worked on in the last 3 years, that places you well above most other candidates -- it shows that you love what you do.

- Be excited! I know you're probably nervous (most people in interviews are, and hey, your interviewer might be too), but get yourself excited about the job, and show it. Startups need enthusiasm and commitment, and this is a great way to show that you're going to be someone who ups the energy level.

You'd be surprised how many people fail here on some basics. Getting hired is a differentiation game. Your resume doesn't get you an interview (it can only prevent you from getting one). A short email along the following lines places you in the top 90% of candidates who apply:

"Hi [company person],

Josh [mutual friend] sent me your job listing for a web developer, and as I was reading it I kept thinking that it sounded like a perfect match.

I'll be graduating from [school name] this spring and am currently looking for a full-time position. I've been following [company name] for a while and love what you guys do.

I've attached my resume, but even more importantly, you might want to check out some of the projects I've been working on recently: [really cool project 1], [really cool project 2], [really cool project 3].

Feel free to call me anytime at [cell], or email me back.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

[name]"

Here are some of my standbys, if I'm stuck:

* What would you consider the average size of a working team, here? (You'd be surprised- sometimes the answer is '1', sometimes it is '50', and the discussion this generates is usually worthwhile. )

* What kind of kid buys Armor Hot Dogs? (Fat kids. Skinny kids. Kids who climb on rocks. )

* (to a developer) Tell me about what _YOU_ do. Could you describe your day-to-day routine to me? (It's open-ended, and certain answers, like 'rock back-and-forth, in the corner, in the fetal position, cradling a rifle' or 'ASP.NET programming' are sure signs that you might want to stay clear. Good answers include 'something different every day' and 'sneaking into homes to steal pens'.)

* What would you imagine that I would be doing, here? ("Mopping.")

* What are your opinions and policies on ongoing education, here? Do you have resources? Do employees attend conferences? (Some companies will laugh you out of the office, and/or point at their tiny 'reference shelf', many others support this sort of initiative. It's best to gauge this before you ask the question.)

* Try to identify things that your interviewers seem especially proud of, and ask them about those things - even if you already know the answer, they will be happy to talk about them. (Say, for example, the HR person repeatedly mentions the innovative "80/20" policy. Despite that you know what an 80/20 policy is, like the back of your freaking hand... ask questions about it, to show interest. )

* Who, exactly, put the ram in the ramma-lamma-ding dong?

* What sort of source control do you use? (This is seriously important. You might get stuck using something vile like CVS or SourceSafe. On top of that, asking this question demonstrates that you are aware of the importance of source control, a point that you could always drive home.)

A couple of more-precise but ultimately not-that-useful technical questions can help, too. If a company is doing web technology, ask them what sort of hosting arrangement that they have, whether or not they have a dedicated sysadmin, whether or not they have a development/production split, how changes get moved from development to production, if they do code reviews, what development methodology they prefer, etcetera, etcetera.

And you must always, always blow on the pie. I mean, ask at least one question. You must always ask at least one question.

On the first point, you have to remember that the larger a company grows, the more impersonal it becomes. Interviewing in most large companies is usually seen as a chore, the outcome of which does not have a huge impact on the interviewer. This is different in a startup, where hiring someone may significantly impact your own work. Of course, if the interview is conducted as though it is a chore, then it just sucks and you have to start thinking about how badly you need the job.

On questions, you can always ask about -

* the team you'll be joining

* if it's a small company / startup ask about their business and competition. An engineer who shows that he understands how his work fits into the larger picture is far more valuable than one who is happy to just write code.

* learning opportunities - large company or small, dig into what it is you can take away from the job

Of course, there's no point in making it a formality. What would you like to know about something you might be doing for the next few years of your life?

What bothers me most is when a candidate gives off a "this is below me vibe". I tend to start with quick, easy questions and work toward much more difficult ones. Candidates often act as if answering these easier questions is below them... And then choke on the hard questions.

To me, acting haughty is a good indication that you're going to be a pain to work with. You're going to make a fuss when asked to do easy work, rather than just getting it done and moving on to the more interesting things.

That's my pet peeve and the pet peeve of several others I know, so apparently it's fairly common.

Like many of us, I read the recent article along the lines of You're a Small Business, Now Act Like One. I've been hiring a lot lately so here's how I think that parlays into applying for a job.

You're a job candidate yes, but you're an interesting person with tastes and opinions, so act like one. Don't be overly formal in dress or manner, be ready to ask the interviewer tough questions of your own, and indicate that you are not your average candidate. The candidates I like best are the ones who act like they are sitting on the stool next to you at the bar, and keep it friendly and open rather than playing into the interviewer-interviewee roles.

I think aaron swartz summed it up pretty well too: http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/hiring