Can you have the computer draw a red line in blue ink?
Worst interview questions for software developers
41–50 of 253 posts
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#424. Why do you change jobs so often (so rarely)? How does that matter? If I am a match for the company in terms of qualifications and personal qualities, how will my job history and reflection help? I changed jobs every year or so. Is that “often” or “rarely”? What’s wrong with changing jobs frequently? It is actually important to ask this of a candidate who seems to frequently change jobs. A hiring manager may not wa…
"I actually come prepared for this question, and have a line to explain each and every job I've departed in reverse chronological order. And I'd be happy to read them off if you'd like. You do? Okay... - VCs merged us with a Chinese acquisition and sent our work overseas - Manager ignored my memos for 5 years and then said "you have no new ideas" to my face in a review - Sales team demanded an emergency prototype and…
While I agree all of these scenarios are good reasons to leave, I have a feeling (based on being an American for all 30 years of my life now), these answers would be classified as "TOO REAL" and as a result you might be filtered for "culture fit" aka manager doesn't think he/she can control you.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#434. Why do you change jobs so often (so rarely)? How does that matter? If I am a match for the company in terms of qualifications and personal qualities, how will my job history and reflection help? I changed jobs every year or so. Is that “often” or “rarely”? What’s wrong with changing jobs frequently? It is actually important to ask this of a candidate who seems to frequently change jobs. A hiring manager may not wa…
"I actually come prepared for this question, and have a line to explain each and every job I've departed in reverse chronological order. And I'd be happy to read them off if you'd like. You do? Okay... - VCs merged us with a Chinese acquisition and sent our work overseas - Manager ignored my memos for 5 years and then said "you have no new ideas" to my face in a review - Sales team demanded an emergency prototype and…
Lol, after 3 small companies, I joined a large systemic bank. It's less exciting but I can see projects to their completion without being surrounded by bumbling idiots barely out of business school barking nonsensical orders.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
"I actually come prepared for this question, and have a line to explain each and every job I've departed in reverse chronological order. And I'd be happy to read them off if you'd like. You do? Okay... - VCs merged us with a Chinese acquisition and sent our work overseas - Manager ignored my memos for 5 years and then said "you have no new ideas" to my face in a review - Sales team demanded an emergency prototype and…
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Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've laughed in potential employers' faces when they said they expect 50 to 60 hour weeks from their hires. It just reeks of entitlement.
> I've laughed in potential employers' faces when they said they expect 50 to 60 hour weeks from their hires. Quant finance companies expect employees to work 60-80 hours per week. But then again, they pay 400-500K USD to 22 year old new grads.
Attention any quant firms-- I'll do it for 250k, 80 hours a week, 24/7 on call, fire me if I don't deliver satisfactory results.
10 years of experience in Cpp, Java, Javascript, Python, SQL, the last 5 of which as a lead (aka designing the data model and optimizing slow parts of the code base through better ds and algo implementations).
Only catch is I won't show up physically in NY or Philly or Chicago, etc.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#46Depending on where you are, questions 1 and 3 are just straight up illegal. No interviewer in the US would dare ask about vices or your family situation unless they don’t mind shelling out lawsuit settlements to everyone they interview and decline to hire.
Question #3 offers a great opportunity to make the interviewer feel very uncomfortable. Tell them your bad habit is sticking boogers on your keyboard.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#47I would much rather have these questions than go thru the LeetCode grinder. Without spending significant prep time, you can’t get through the grinder. For most software developers, the grinder isn’t actually representative of how we work.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#48> How do you see yourself in five years?
Man, this question.
I was asked this question in an interview for a startup. I gave the regular answer that was expected of me. The interview went well, and at the end when the interviewer (who was the co-founder) asked if I had any questions, I turned this around on him: "where do you see [company x] in five years?"
He laughed and talked about finding product-market fit and getting a certain amount of funding, and having so many employees, and that kind of thing. In other words, the things you're expected to say in that position. I was impressed, and took the position when it was eventually offered to me.
18 months later, the company was on fire, most of the staff were laid off, the product I had been working on was shelved, and the company pivoted to a completely different product. I put in my notice just before that co-founder left the company completely, and eventually took a salaried position in a different industry, and moved across the country.
So, we both just said the right things, but had absolutely no fucking idea where we'd be in even two years. If either of us had any idea, we wouldn't have told the other person anyway. Questions like this have no answer, but a trivially correct response, and so are meaningless wastes of time.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#49#10 is a measurement of ability to mentally model and estimate problems. Relevant to engineering ability. #8 measures self-awareness. Many people can answer this question with "I know I could be much better at X and I am working on it" which is what it's about.
Indeed. When I was a high school teacher, I saw kids fail estimation skills like #10 badly. You don't want technical teams doing that.
I've also seen people fail #8 in interviews for junior positions. They can't introspect. It sounds impossible but it happens.
Re: Worst interview questions for software developers
#50Worst one I got recently was "What is your perfect number of working hours per week?" I said 40 and the interview process was ended early after the CEO said "oh we put in 50 per week because we know it takes extra effort for a startup". I expanded on how 40 is what works for me, interview got very cold after that. I felt pretty incredulous after that. Especially when the recruiter asked if 40 was a hard requirement.…
You never put a ceiling: otherwise it makes them believe you work the hours, not the job (I mean, if you care to "win" the job offer).
A good response is "there s no hour limit: as long as there s work and the client isnt satisfied, we work. I think it's important to sleep a bit between work day sto stay coherent, otherwise as long as I can".
Doesnt matter true or not :D