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I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

uxdesign.cc

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Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#111

Post by allenu »

H1Supreme wrote: post #70
ahoka wrote: post #48

Actual Google app: https://www.wareable.com/media/images/2017/03/google-fit-app... WTF Google?

OP's design is much nicer than this. Maybe the "3-5 hours" requirement was hinting that it needed to be as "material design generic" as possible. Which, this design clearly does.

I disagree. The OP's app is hard to read and has way too many visual elements that are distracting. Initially it has a "wow" factor but after repeated use, those aesthetics are going to be ignored and all your left with is hard to read text and distracting images.

Google's app tends towards the bland, but I don't think OP's designs are a huge improvement.

Also OP's app is targeting the gym nut. Google's is targeting the average person who is looking to just do any type of physical activity.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#112

Post by amondal »

jordansmithnz wrote: post #39

This reminds me of a take home software engineering interview I was once given via email. Same deal, I was told about 5 hours. I’m an iOS developer, so I was expecting a pretty simple app. I opened the PDF to find not one, but three separate tasks. Completion of all three was expected, with an estimate of about two hours each. One of the tasks was to replicate Apple’s ‘Reminders’ app in its entirety, backend sync fun…

This happened to me too. A company reached out to me on Angel with their coding "challenge" - create a facebook timeline clone with an API, enzyme + selenium tests, documentation, and deploy everything to AWS. fortunately i have enough experience to say no to this kind of thing, but I do feel that some more junior folks are being exploited into thinking this sort of project is normal for an interview

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#113

Post by wpietri »

Is this common?

> I was told it was extremely close and that I should reapply in 12 months,

It seems really weird to me to put this burden on the applicant. If someone is above the hiring bar but just got edged out, shouldn't they go into the bucket of people to contact as soon as there's an opening? And for designers at a place the size of Google, wouldn't that be much sooner than 12 months?

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#114

Post by bryanrasmussen »

Zenbit_UX wrote: post #108
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a general rule when I'm given a programming task that takes 4 hours to do then - IF everything I will need for the task is already installed on my computer and all dependencies bugs and so forth have already been taken care of in these things - it will take 4 hours. Maybe the same situation applies in Design somehow? I mean yeah it takes 4 hours to make the product if you happen to have all the graphical elements…

Unfortunately not. Coding is like math homework. When your doing the math homework you know when your done, it's very obvious and anyone can check your work and clearly see it's either right or wrong. Design is like a book report for English class, it's bottomless and can always be improved given more time, albeit with diminishing returns. Design challenges are evil and bullshit, you can poor hundreds of hours into a…

well that is sort of the point of my example - I am done with my math homework if the math works = I am done with my programming assignment if the program does what was asked.

But people complain that I am not done with the programming assignment if I have not made it DRY enough, or put in tests, or done a readme outlining more advanced than run npm install then do npm run start.

Programming assignments may not be infinitely improvable but they can often be improved, I just don't consider it worth the effort to improve the work before submitting

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#115

Post by allenu »

albertgoeswoof wrote: post #93

This is a really great marketing example! The creator has combined a top page HN post with a PH launch at the same time with really polished looking apps & landing pages. Essentially this will give them a huge traction boost on the app stores and a bunch of new users. Super impressive.

It's definitely good marketing, so kudos to the creator. I will say though that so many Medium articles I read now are essentially marketing pieces. They'll cover some topic very, very lightly and have a call to action at the end to view the author's product or company.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#116

Post by wpietri »

andy_ppp wrote: post #86
ubercow13 wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A two day take-home coding test is absurd regardless of whether it's the weekend

I read the grandparent as: The task should take 2-4h and be done within 2-4 days is how I read it. I’m still not sure why people expect it’s easy to fit this in and it’s the last thing you want to do after a hard day of work. I’ve just started taking a full day off for programming exercises I do when interviewing. It allows me to give well thought through and tested solutions even if I make some small mistakes or mis…

Except that they said it should take 2 days.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#117

Post by hobs »

comboy wrote: post #76
swish_bob wrote: post #47

I once completed the task sent to me by a prospective employer, and then thanked them and said I wouldn't be submitting it, as it told me enough about the way they worked to know I wouldn't enjoy it. Never forget that the interview process is two way ...

Those few big companies probably have more than enough candidates. If you have too many candidates you need to adjust interview difficulty to still hire only as much as you need. I don't think these companies care that the task is too difficult for 99% of people, or that there are smart people who are not motivated enough to complete it as long as they can get as many smart and motivated people as they want. That sai…

Simply put, no.

If you have "too many people" you dont make the quality of your hiring "better" by making the process worse.

Being more selective about who you hire is not related to making a stupid test.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#118

Post by wpietri »

dawnerd wrote: post #9
aloisdg wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't spend half a day in your building without being paid. At home, I can split the task. Beside, 4 hours task is a bad joke. I interview at a lot of different companies. I have no time for this.

My policy, before finding a place I like and plan to stick around at, is no programming tasks. There's plenty of companies desperate to hire than you can be picky if you know your stuff. I also will walk out if they start up with those 'clever' programming questions that have nothing to do with the job.

I think you're totally right to walk out on puzzle questions. But if you avoid companies that make sure you can program, aren't you worried about the skills of your colleagues?

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#119

Post by onlydeadheroes »

Zenbit_UX wrote: post #100
ScottFree wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't think I'd have the guts to walk out of an interview either, especially for a job I applied to first. Have you no common courtesy? I terminate the process as soon as I find out I'm not a good fit for the company or vice versa, no matter who initiated first. Continuing with an interview when I'm sure I'm going to decline is just wasting everybody's time.

Maybe, but from a self serving standpoint acquiring multiple offers drastically helps your negotiating position.

Not really in this case. If you go to the job you like saying that the shitjob offered you 2x the salary... and they call your bluff? Now what? Take the shit job you are not going to take? For that you could have bluffed with an empty hand anyway.

Re: I turned my interview task for Google into a startup

#120

Post by andy_ppp »

wpietri wrote: post #116
andy_ppp wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read the grandparent as: The task should take 2-4h and be done within 2-4 days is how I read it. I’m still not sure why people expect it’s easy to fit this in and it’s the last thing you want to do after a hard day of work. I’ve just started taking a full day off for programming exercises I do when interviewing. It allows me to give well thought through and tested solutions even if I make some small mistakes or mis…

Except that they said it should take 2 days.

I think it’s badly worded and you can read how I parsed it in my comment, it’s a guess, but otherwise the rest of the comment makes zero sense.
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