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We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

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Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#61

Post by gt_ »

chirau wrote: post #9

I disagree with this article, to some extent at least. Perhaps it's specific for trendy companies and startups. Most of which are just looking for the next shiny object, true. However, when you look at companies that move the needle in different industries, companies that have repute, market share and profitability, they couldn't care less what is trending these days. They look for domain expertise and excellence. I…

You seem to be not exactly disagreeing with the article, but maybe tightening the slack on what we would call a “trendy company.” The author did not specify any successes of the “trendy companies” being discussed(I’m not including fundraising as a success of the company), but they did speecify some failures, and left the options open for more. The author, like you, praised Google for not hiring on basis of “trendiness.” I think you’re in more agreement than disagreement.

The article’s title/headline could be adjusted to more accurately represent the claims made in it.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#62

Post by teknologist »

arethuza wrote: post #48
lmm wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would be bothered that someone dressing excessively formal might act excessively formally - after all, dressing formally is normally a deliberate display of conformity.

How can be it be an act of conformity to dress formally in an environment where it isn't the done thing?

Suits often all look very similar for one.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#64

Post by deepGem »

CydeWeys wrote: post #52
Boothroid wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I want to believe this is true.

Most SWE interviews at Google take place in either Java or C#. These aren't sexy, trendy languages. They're boring line-of-business languages that just work. And the frameworks you already know matters very little.

I think you have the option of taking the test in Java, C++ or Python. I hadn't heard of the C# option. Thank you for mentioning the same.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#65

Post by JepZ »

Yeah hiring seems to be something hard. I mean it is not as simeple as writing a value to every candiate, sort them and choose the best, but instead you have to individually rate each candidate while considering the effect it will have on your existing company.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#66

Post by dx034 »

protomyth wrote: post #54
dx034 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can be important for anyone with client contact. Even if you don't care what people wear, external clients will react differently depending on what you wear. It could be that you specifically don't want to wear suit to give the impression that you're a dynamic start-up but in the end clothing always matters.

Depending on your position it might also be different for different clients. My friend kept a suit at work in case they had to meet with the feds or a bank. If I ever wore a suit to work, my coworkers would be wondering what was wrong or who was visiting.

Exactly, being overdressed can be as bad as underdressed. If everyone expects you to wear jeans and t-shirt, a suit can be as damaging as not wearing one when you're expected to.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#67

Post by arkadiytehgraet »

a13n wrote: post #12

Does anyone else find full-width text hard to read? I had to actually turn my head. Instantly closed the page.

It is truly funny how first people want 4k monitors but when an application actually uses the given size at full, they cry about "oh, it is too wide", and we end up with disgusting design of web pages with ultra-narrow column of content and wide empty (or ads-filled) columns by both sides.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#68

Post by danpalmer »

bertil wrote: post #32
danpalmer wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did exactly the same thing for Thread (a fashion/tech startup) - wore the cheapest most unfashionable suit possible, because I was a poor student and needed to wear something that would work for multiple interviews in one trip to London. No one at Thread cared, no one at most of the other places cared, but I got the impression one more corporate place cared. I ended up taking the Thread offer, and despite working w…

Impostor syndrome is one thing — but you might want to know a bit of how fashion is structured if you work at Thread! I got a ton of points during an interview at a similar company by mentioning my uncle’s fashion brand as something “they might not have heard about”. Instant braggadocious “try me” from the interviewer. Turns out, my uncle’s sneakers are genuinely cool.

Oh completely, I believe I showed significant (genuine) interest in the product, and I've learned a lot about the industry from working here.

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#69

Post by zem »

deepGem wrote: post #64
CydeWeys wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most SWE interviews at Google take place in either Java or C#. These aren't sexy, trendy languages. They're boring line-of-business languages that just work. And the frameworks you already know matters very little.

I think you have the option of taking the test in Java, C++ or Python. I hadn't heard of the C# option. Thank you for mentioning the same.

ruby too; it's not a language used at google, but it's available as an option to interview in

Re: We only hire the best means we only hire the trendiest (2016)

#70

Post by astura »

brightball wrote: post #38
tobyhinloopen wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is also finding a balance of course. All these technologies you mention are good for most webdevelopment projects. No point in writing everything in a different language

True but it does show exploration and curiosity to at least try another language or two. If you’ve been doing .NET or PHP for 5+ years without even trying something else I’d treat it as a red flag too. Level of interest is the #1 quality in the great programmers I’ve been around. If you aren’t exploring even a little that’s a concern.

How silly. Level of interest [in doing unpaid work] doesn't mean a damn thing as far as skill level and work ethic are concerned. Some of the best programmers I've ever met were the 9-5 types and the absolute worst of the worst programmer I've even known spent all his free time writing code.

Once you get past 30 it's difficult to spend all your free time doing unpaid work even if you wanted to.

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