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Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
71–80 of 83 posts
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've had software engineering interviews that started with a written exam on general math, linear algebra, pseudocode and a little system design. It was quite enjoyable and refreshing compared to most verbal interviews.
It's amazing how what can be "enjoyable and refreshing" to one can be the zenith of horror to another...
Yeah! Ask me in a few years and I'm sure feel equally horrified. This stuff is very fresh in my mind at the minute, but it'll fade :-)
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#73>Cramming may get a candidate a job. But they won’t succeed at the job if they don’t have the skills and experience needed. This is a fallacy, you'll encounter things that you are not "qualified" to do on the job all the time, not to mention that if you are applying for an engineering job, or any other job that effectively requires you to solve problems; then learning new things, performing studies and research and f…
Using a mountain or pile of stuff as a metaphor (and ignoring its potential lopsidedness for now): At the base, you've got some knowledge that might be kind of dusty, but that you can reacquaint yourself with quickly. Then you've got a mass of experience, layered on top of that knowledge, that further colors how you'll approach problems, the solutions you'll choose, etc. You can reach further from there by doing a little research, and put another layer of experience on the pile you already have.
If the job doesn't require any reach, it's "burger flipping". If the job requires more reach than you can get, even from the top of your experience-pile, and building the pile up to extend your reach enough to achieve the goal will take more time than you have, then you're unqualified for the job. So, you want something in the happy middle: not trivial for you, but not out of your grasp.
Your reach should be small, compared to your experience, unless you're just starting out.
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#74His main argument seems to be: >But preparing for an interview by cramming/studying material that is supposedly needed for the job makes no sense. A candidate should have the experience to do the job well. I think it is a good ideological stance. However, what about the scenario when you are applying for a junior position and don't have that much experience? Moreover, as it has been demonstrated time and again, techn…
> technical hiring is broken
This was my first thought also. There are two issues here: One is: do you need to cram to prepare for the job? But the other is: does the interview measure your job preparation?
Most technical interviews don't. Even good ones that discern strong candidates often depend on knowledge and memorization way outside the actual job scope. (Often, way below the job scope. O(N) palindrome search is not a professional skill.)
So it's great to say that you should know what you need for the job, but conflating that with what you need for the interview is an unproven leap.
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
>is not able to ask meaningful questions Why does this matter?
It matters to us, because we are a very small studio where teams are given a high degree of freedom. In our experience, lack of inquisitiveness or interest in the business is a good predictor for a bad fit. Also, I believe interviews should be a two way street, so I expect to be challenged by a candidate, because it's also up to them to decide if they want to work with us. I do have to note that I mostly do the last…
Why shouldn't it matter? I don't know! I don't know why it should either. What kind of bad fits are you talking about?
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#76I don't prepare, either. I figure if I can't get hired on my natural abilities, what's the point?
I did make it to an in-person at Google. I failed the interview. The recruiter did encourage me to prepare, though.
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#77I feel like part of preparing candidates for interviews is so that they feel calmer during the interview and know what to expect. I doubt you get a very clear picture of someone's capabilities in a short interview if they freeze up from stress.
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#78I don't prepare either, except to learn about their product and vision.
Why? Because I am the prize.
They should be happy talking to me, let alone kicking ass for them (and getting owned on taxes, working in some shitty open office, and regularly dealing with deadbeats).
Man I love remote consulting.
All results focused, much higher pay, tax savings (I'm incorporated), and can tell any client to fuck off whenever I want.
Working as an employee is like having a parent dictate your life.
Catered lunches, hackathons, useless toys and shit in the office, telling me how often I can go out, telling me how many "days off" I get.
I had a mother do that stuff for me as a child, which was lovely at the time.
You're a 30+ year old man, and you still need/want someone to feed you, dry clean, and bless you with X days vacation that you have to communicate upfront. Please.
I don't need anyone's permission to fly to an all-inclusive resort to swim in the ocean, eat great food, and kick ass everyday on my commitments.
Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#79Re: Why I Don't Prepare for Job Interviews
#80Earlier quoted context omitted.
That objection could be seen as compatible with the original thesis in the title, though. Equate the need to work with unexpected things on the job, with improvising a job interview. In both cases, you need to expand beyond your knowledge, but you also need a baseline of knowledge and ability to even get started.
At a job interview you're typically not allowed to use the web and also typically expected to answer a question within seconds instead of within days, so the environment is very different from working with unexpected things on the job. You could design an interview process where neither of these were true, but I think it's pretty hard and comes with its own downsides.
I have done live coding exercises with candidates, allowing them to use the web, etc. This is actually even more enlightening... you should see some of the things people google, copy-and-paste, etc.