Re:Lessons from a Silicon Valley job search
by skybrian on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @10:04PM
(#7433370)
re: do you know how to actually name functions and variables well (unbelievably important)
It's also subjective and can be taught. If I asked people to name some functions in an interview, what would I really learn?
Similarly, the other things you mention, while important, don't seem particularly testable. They don't give me anything I can give to the hiring committee to back up my answer.
Actually learning something real about a stranger in 45 minutes is pretty hard. Asking them to solve a problem means you can have a technical conversation in front of a whiteboard. It doesn't answer much but it does let me know whether it will be worthwhile asking the candidate to help me solve a tricky problem, or whether they'll be coming to me for help all the time. After all, ideally I'm looking to hire someone smarter than me.
It's also subjective and can be taught. If I asked people to name some functions in an interview, what would I really learn?
Similarly, the other things you mention, while important, don't seem particularly testable. They don't give me anything I can give to the hiring committee to back up my answer.
Actually learning something real about a stranger in 45 minutes is pretty hard. Asking them to solve a problem means you can have a technical conversation in front of a whiteboard. It doesn't answer much but it does let me know whether it will be worthwhile asking the candidate to help me solve a tricky problem, or whether they'll be coming to me for help all the time. After all, ideally I'm looking to hire someone smarter than me.