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The worst job interview I ever had

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Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#481

Post by minimaxir »

drrob wrote: post #465
gobdovan wrote: post #173

I always wanted to tell the story of my weirdest interview. It's bad in a different way from OP's. This was for a "Machine Learning Engineer" contractor position. - Hi, I'm gobdovan. How are you? says I. The interviewer doesn't bite: - How many prompting techniques do you know? (ok?..) After a couple confused seconds, I respond with 2-3 techniques and ask if I should explain them, but the interview engine is already…

It's a good job I wasn't being interviewed for this job, as I have not one iota of a smidge of a clue what PEFT and LORA are. And I have no idea what varieties of prompting technique there are.

PEFT is more niche as it's a specific library (https://github.com/huggingface/peft) that creates LoRAs, but for a machine learning engineer working with LLM models outside of just prompting an API, it's within scope to know why/how a LoRA should be used.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#482

Post by burnte »

Aurornis wrote: post #404
gobdovan wrote: post #173

I always wanted to tell the story of my weirdest interview. It's bad in a different way from OP's. This was for a "Machine Learning Engineer" contractor position. - Hi, I'm gobdovan. How are you? says I. The interviewer doesn't bite: - How many prompting techniques do you know? (ok?..) After a couple confused seconds, I respond with 2-3 techniques and ask if I should explain them, but the interview engine is already…

> I ask if he is the ML team lead. Turns out this absolute Chad is a mobile dev the client asked to interview candidates for the MLE role. Some times I run into companies like this: The people you talk to are so visibly inexperienced that you can't comprehend how the company functions, let alone makes money. Some times it's a zombie company. They received funding or got a windfall from some early business moves, hire…

I've had very few bad interviews, I've had very few interviews that didn't lead to offers, but I've declined a few. One was semi-recent and it was in in-person in-office interview but the CEO joined remotely. We chatted for a few minutes, then the COO came into the room and we began the interview. The CEO asked one question in the beginning, then the COO asked all the questions. The CEO sat on the screen like a lump. I felt weird, and asked him directly a few times if he had questions, he'd shake his head and gesture to the COO.

Later I got a call from the recruited saying the CEO was unhappy, that he felt "he couldn't get a word in edgewise" but he was willing to "give the interview another chance." I said I was sorry to hear that, and that if the CEO didn't feel he could speak up freely in a 3 person meeting then I wasn't the right fit for that environment.

The COO called me later, the truth was that everything I had said about future planning aligned with their previous CIO who had left after long disagreements with the CEO but that the board liked the plans and my resume. I said no thanks, that the CEO isn't someone I want to work with. If everyone has to constantly cater to the CEO and make sure he feels included, that's not a workplace, that's a kindergarten.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#483

Post by robocat »

hluska wrote: post #69
robocat wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you being glib or unrealistic? You're going to find many red flags for any job, perhaps severe flags. But you need a job. Or you have to roll the dice because you have deep knowledge of the red flags for your current job. Who finds 10/10 perfect jobs via an application process? Note: I probably shouldn't be commenting since I don't need to apply for jobs and conditions here are likely different from yours.

Wacky question. But if you shouldn’t be commenting, why did you? Or was that one of those fake ‘I shouldn’t say anything’ that people do when they’re being jerks and don’t want to get called out? I’d like some clarity. :)

Because I find it interesting how people make judgements: I found the comments enlightening.

I hoped to avoid anyone wasting effort trying to help me.

But yes, you can always be unaware of being a jerk.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#484

Post by complianceowll »

gobdovan wrote: post #173

I always wanted to tell the story of my weirdest interview. It's bad in a different way from OP's. This was for a "Machine Learning Engineer" contractor position. - Hi, I'm gobdovan. How are you? says I. The interviewer doesn't bite: - How many prompting techniques do you know? (ok?..) After a couple confused seconds, I respond with 2-3 techniques and ask if I should explain them, but the interview engine is already…

I'm sorry, but that doesn't sound like an absolute Chad. That, sir, is a Giga Senior Alpha Chadus Maximus.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#485

Post by bilekas »

tshaddox wrote: post #480
gobdovan wrote: post #173

I always wanted to tell the story of my weirdest interview. It's bad in a different way from OP's. This was for a "Machine Learning Engineer" contractor position. - Hi, I'm gobdovan. How are you? says I. The interviewer doesn't bite: - How many prompting techniques do you know? (ok?..) After a couple confused seconds, I respond with 2-3 techniques and ask if I should explain them, but the interview engine is already…

I kinda wish that the industry norms changed such that it wasn't so taboo to just name and shame these companies.

I do think sometimes the interview process can be weird as hell, but if one is to name and shame it doesn't help really, they could change their processes and even take feedback but if there's a constant record of the oddities it can turn off potential perfect fits. I've been shocked how many people will base their approach off of Glassdoor reviews from 5 years ago for example. I think it's fair for a company to improve, plus it makes for funny posts like this!

Also I'm not sure it's such a tabboo as it is a stigma on the applicant!

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#486

Post by ksd482 »

complianceowll wrote: post #484
gobdovan wrote: post #173

I always wanted to tell the story of my weirdest interview. It's bad in a different way from OP's. This was for a "Machine Learning Engineer" contractor position. - Hi, I'm gobdovan. How are you? says I. The interviewer doesn't bite: - How many prompting techniques do you know? (ok?..) After a couple confused seconds, I respond with 2-3 techniques and ask if I should explain them, but the interview engine is already…

I'm sorry, but that doesn't sound like an absolute Chad. That, sir, is a Giga Senior Alpha Chadus Maximus.

LOL! My knee jerk reaction was going to be "dude, it's sarcasm". But you are way ahead of me :)

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#487

Post by Tangurena2 »

mojo74 wrote: post #435
gobdovan wrote: post #173

I always wanted to tell the story of my weirdest interview. It's bad in a different way from OP's. This was for a "Machine Learning Engineer" contractor position. - Hi, I'm gobdovan. How are you? says I. The interviewer doesn't bite: - How many prompting techniques do you know? (ok?..) After a couple confused seconds, I respond with 2-3 techniques and ask if I should explain them, but the interview engine is already…

"The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping."

Dude, we got this gig from the app Turtle Flipper.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#488

Post by sjducb »

dieselgate wrote: post #458
SenHeng wrote: post #418

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My friend has been contracting at $STARTUP for a couple of years now with a revolving 2 month contract. His managers have not attempted to hide the fact they would likely end his contract once they've managed to hire a full timer into the team. Sadly, their CEO has veto-ed every single full time hire they've tried to bring on for past 2 years now.

I never understand this dynamic, why not hire the friend after like 6 months of contract or whatever?

Because that would be a big pay cut for the friend. Contract day rates are higher than FTE day rates.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#489

Post by nekusar »

Ive had a few stinkers of interviews.

One when I was 19 was for a 3rd shift stocker at a "family business". Guy straight up asks "Are you married?". Sure, its illegal to ask. Not like a jobless 19 year old could do anything.

Ive had a few jobs claim "pay band was from x to y. And surprise it was x-20000 to y-50000.

One interview (an HN company) did the interviews. Got back round 2, seemed interesting. The "third round" was do like 20 hours of github work to prove me. Told them my going rate was $100/hr. Never heard back, surprise surprise. Cant remember the company.

Applied to Oxide. They want a whole litany of crap filled out. And what do you get? A form letter 2 months later. Should have slop'ed it. I guess this doent really count, since it wasnt EVEN an interview.

Re: The worst job interview I ever had

#490

Post by Dusseldorf »

cdud3 wrote: post #454
nsxwolf wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't want to pass an interview like that.

Its an effective way to sort out those candidates who are not able to leave private stuff at home.

Also a great way for candidates to filter out employers who play bizarre mind games and think personal trick questions are appropriate in an interview.
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