Re:I took a job at Amazon, only to leave after 10 months
by ummonk on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @07:58PM
(#29817643)
I’ve experienced interviews that could be described this way. Nearly impossible problems where the interviewer hints at the right (or preferred) solution and I’m stuck doing a guessing game that’s highly unrepresentative of real life software engineering (since no one in actual work drops hints while holding back their knowledge unless they’re jerks). It’s a terrible experience.
I assume you do a much better job given your positive feedback, but it’s not something that every potential interviewer will replicate well if they try to follow your description.
Re:I took a job at Amazon, only to leave after 10 months
by brookside on Wednesday January 05, 2022 @10:13PM
(#29818835)
I completely agree and see red flags in how the parent describes their interview technique.
Interview questions with one solution "that’s pretty clever" are IMO, bad. Even cliche "easy" fizzbuzz. Ok...so you know modulo.
Rationing out hints towards that "one weird trick" sounds slightly like a cat toying with a struggling mouse.
I wouldn’t use automated screening tools. These tools select for irrelevant criteria in my opinion, and are mostly useful if as an interviewer you’re too lazy or too incompetent to formulate your own questions that tell you whether a person can solve problems and interact well in a group problem solving situation. But I’m an oldster so YMMV.