How to Hire a Programmer

#1

Post by Terhorst » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 7:05 AM UTC

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#2

Post by yef » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 10:52 AM UTC

VB Tech Journal? I don't know, man, this sounds like a personal friend test of the author or something.

Have them program something in the interview. Watch them use their chosen text editor as they work through your problem. Have them run their program and watch them iterate through a few code/test/debug cycles. Once it's working, ask them for a minor but logical improvement, and watch their reaction. Dread at having to go back to the code, or gusto in making it better? How fast can they go back and edit their own code?

For whatever job you're hiring for, have them do the job as part of the interview process.

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#3

Post by joshuaxls » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 11:01 AM UTC

yef wrote: post #2

VB Tech Journal? I don't know, man, this sounds like a personal friend test of the author or something. Have them program something in the interview. Watch them use their chosen text editor as they work through your problem. Have them run their program and watch them iterate through a few code/test/debug cycles. Once it's working, ask them for a minor but logical improvement, and watch their reaction. Dread at having…

Did you notice /humor/ in the URL?

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#4

Post by DanielBMarkham » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 11:08 AM UTC

For the last couple of months I've been giving a short presentation to some of my software teams. At the end, I have a slide with "42" on it. I usually say, "And for the answer to everything else, here it is."

Interestingly enough, the analysts don't get it, the PMs sometimes get it, but the programmers most always get the allusion. I should start putting something about cats in there...or perhaps parrots pining for the fjords.

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#5

Post by yef » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 11:09 AM UTC

joshuaxls wrote: post #3

yef wrote: post #2

VB Tech Journal? I don't know, man, this sounds like a personal friend test of the author or something. Have them program something in the interview. Watch them use their chosen text editor as they work through your problem. Have them run their program and watch them iterate through a few code/test/debug cycles. Once it's working, ask them for a minor but logical improvement, and watch their reaction. Dread at having…

Did you notice /humor/ in the URL?

Nope :) I tend to read very quickly, and since this is a topic I'm truly interested, I guess I hoped that the author was serious. Thanks for the callout.

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#6

Post by joshuaxls » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 12:16 PM UTC

yef wrote: post #5

joshuaxls wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you notice /humor/ in the URL?

Nope :) I tend to read very quickly, and since this is a topic I'm truly interested, I guess I hoped that the author was serious. Thanks for the callout.

Welcome! I had a similar reaction, until I saw what was in the URL. I was very pissed since I'm a dog person.

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#7

Post by learninglisp » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 1:28 PM UTC

joshuaxls wrote: post #6

yef wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope :) I tend to read very quickly, and since this is a topic I'm truly interested, I guess I hoped that the author was serious. Thanks for the callout.

Welcome! I had a similar reaction, until I saw what was in the URL. I was very pissed since I'm a dog person.

Man, and I was thinking I was one of the "good" programmers....

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#8

Post by pavelludiq » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 1:42 PM UTC

Im not good in programming, but i love cats, i love monthy python and the hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy and i love music and photography. I guess some of those stuff are just signs that you have some qualities that good hackers have. They don't make you good, practice and hard work makes you good. Something that's been troubling me is that my weirdness is much bigger than my actual programming skills and i felt like i haven't earned my privilege to be that kind of person. So I've been working on my coding skills harder lately and i hope to earn my right to be weird and arrogant an annoying to people that bore me, now im just some confused kid :D "attitude is no substitute for confidence" said someone wise(don't remember where I've read it) So if you think that you can go to an interview and act like some weirdo cat lover, you better be able to back up your self with some mad skills :D

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#9

Post by sofal » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 1:54 PM UTC

I like cats, percussion, and certain kinds of absurd humor. Even humor as absurd as Ren and Stimpy sometimes. I'm curious if anyone else enjoyed Ren and Stimpy back in the day, since I've found it to be somewhat polarizing (you either loved it or you thought it was the most disgusting crap you'd ever seen).

Re: How to Hire a Programmer

#10

Post by pchristensen » Tue, Jun 10, 2008, 4:15 PM UTC

sofal wrote: post #9

I like cats, percussion, and certain kinds of absurd humor. Even humor as absurd as Ren and Stimpy sometimes. I'm curious if anyone else enjoyed Ren and Stimpy back in the day, since I've found it to be somewhat polarizing (you either loved it or you thought it was the most disgusting crap you'd ever seen).

Loved it, even owned the music CDs "You Eediot" and "Crock of Christmas"