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Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

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Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#61

Post by codegeek »

JohnFen wrote: post #50
codegeek wrote: post #30

As a hiring manager, I would appreciate if the candidate can let me know quickly if it is a show stopper for them. Quickest disqualification for both sides.

How can an applicant know in advance if the position involves an OS they won't be willing to use? This seems like a case where clear communication in both directions is desirable. You as a hiring manager should disclose if a particular OS is required, so the applicant can tell you if that's acceptable or not. (Maybe you personally do this -- I'm really using a generic "you" in this comment.)

As a hiring manager, I don't believe choice of OS is critical to join a team and make an impact. So I may not bring that up. If it is really critical to YOU as a candidate, then candidate needs to bring it up as soon as possible in a conversation.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#62

Post by codegeek »

afjeafaj848 wrote: post #6

No I care more about if the job involves solving interesting/novel problems Languages/OSs are just implementation details to me, I don't get why software engineers (especially junior ones) are so obsessed with them To me algorithms/systems in the abstract sense are the actual interesting part of the job

Good to see responses like these. The only correct answer in my opinion.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#63

Post by sshine »

codegeek wrote: post #62
afjeafaj848 wrote: post #6

No I care more about if the job involves solving interesting/novel problems Languages/OSs are just implementation details to me, I don't get why software engineers (especially junior ones) are so obsessed with them To me algorithms/systems in the abstract sense are the actual interesting part of the job

Good to see responses like these. The only correct answer in my opinion.

There is nothing correct or incorrect about preferences.

You choose industries as a matter of preference, too.

Is it correct or incorrect to work in healthcare?

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#64

Post by sshine »

deadfece wrote: post #55
afjeafaj848 wrote: post #6

No I care more about if the job involves solving interesting/novel problems Languages/OSs are just implementation details to me, I don't get why software engineers (especially junior ones) are so obsessed with them To me algorithms/systems in the abstract sense are the actual interesting part of the job

That's kind of my take on it as well. I don't care what it is, I can make it work. If I couldn't make it work, I would be the wrong guy for my job. At this point you could give me a FreeDOS machine and I'd be like "Well this initially looks super inconvenient, but I realize you won't be able to VOIP call me through the device, and it looks like I can get enough stuff installed to SSH to our dev environment. We're goo…

> it looks like I can get enough stuff installed to SSH to our dev environment

I felt the same way about my Windows laptop:

It looks like I can get enough stuff installed to boot up Arch Linux.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#65

Post by sshine »

swatcoder wrote: post #44

Most artisans have tools that they've come to know especially well and work most efficiently with. They do better and more efficient work with those tools than tools they haven't committed themselves to as much. Their tools feel good and seamless; others' tools feel alien and jerky. It's inevitavle, universal, and often doesn't even have much to do with the theoretical or consensus quality of tools themselves. Your m…

I'm quite agnostic about editors and keyboard layouts.

I'll use Vim, Emacs and VSCode every week, whichever is at hand. I'll even use nano if I have to.

I'll switch between Qwerty, Dvorak and Pinyin, no flinching. Azerty? I can adapt.

Windows, however? No thanks.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#66

Post by JohnFen »

codegeek wrote: post #61
JohnFen wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How can an applicant know in advance if the position involves an OS they won't be willing to use? This seems like a case where clear communication in both directions is desirable. You as a hiring manager should disclose if a particular OS is required, so the applicant can tell you if that's acceptable or not. (Maybe you personally do this -- I'm really using a generic "you" in this comment.)

As a hiring manager, I don't believe choice of OS is critical to join a team and make an impact. So I may not bring that up. If it is really critical to YOU as a candidate, then candidate needs to bring it up as soon as possible in a conversation.

But again, how would a candidate know?

In any case, this is all pretty academic. When I've been applying for positions, a tour of the office is always involved when interviews happen, and I can see for myself what OS the devs are using (as well as other working conditions).

That's how I knew my current position would require me to use Windows, and I was able to take that into account when deciding whether or not to take the job.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#67

Post by codegeek »

sshine wrote: post #63
codegeek wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good to see responses like these. The only correct answer in my opinion.

There is nothing correct or incorrect about preferences. You choose industries as a matter of preference, too. Is it correct or incorrect to work in healthcare?

Preference is not the same thing as "I wont take the job if you do Windows" etc. We all prefer things of course. I prefer Macs for example. But will I refuse a job because it uses Windows ? Naah. I will look at everything else that is more important to me which are the team, the work, the goals, whats in it for me, do I see a career path here etc.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#68

Post by codegeek »

JohnFen wrote: post #66
codegeek wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a hiring manager, I don't believe choice of OS is critical to join a team and make an impact. So I may not bring that up. If it is really critical to YOU as a candidate, then candidate needs to bring it up as soon as possible in a conversation.

But again, how would a candidate know? In any case, this is all pretty academic. When I've been applying for positions, a tour of the office is always involved when interviews happen, and I can see for myself what OS the devs are using (as well as other working conditions). That's how I knew my current position would require me to use Windows, and I was able to take that into account when deciding whether or not to t…

They don't have to know. But if you won't take a job because of OS, you should ask upfront in the interview. Better to end it right there instead of continuing further. Heck, ask before the interview through email and get it over with.

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#69

Post by 000ooo000 »

Not in a hot-enough job market at the moment for it to be a dealbreaker for me. I'm currently using an underspecced laptop to RDP to a workstation in another state. Both Windows machines. It stinks big time, so much so that I feel genuine physical relief at the end of the day when I get on my personal PC and experience zero latency. It's not all that surprising given how conservative they are in most aspects of tech and how little trust in developers there is. I'm aiming to leave as soon as the job market improves, and I'll avoid anything that is BS like this, or Mac only (grew up on Macs, took one through Uni, not a fan).

Re: Is primary OS a dealbreaker for you (when taking a new job)?

#70

Post by Volundr »

codegeek wrote: post #68
JohnFen wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But again, how would a candidate know? In any case, this is all pretty academic. When I've been applying for positions, a tour of the office is always involved when interviews happen, and I can see for myself what OS the devs are using (as well as other working conditions). That's how I knew my current position would require me to use Windows, and I was able to take that into account when deciding whether or not to t…

They don't have to know. But if you won't take a job because of OS, you should ask upfront in the interview. Better to end it right there instead of continuing further. Heck, ask before the interview through email and get it over with.

> But if you won't take a job because of OS, you should ask upfront in the interview.

If working the job requires a specific OS you should mention it right upfront in the interview, or better yet the job description. Why is it the candidates job to telepathically guess at what hard requirements might exist? You have a requirement, state it.

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