Re: Interview with a Programmer

"Of course I know what use strict is DAMMIT! What, am I an idiot?!?"

Don't worry so much about insulting their ego, but if they get set off by simple questions, "Do you really want to work with them?"

Working with people is more than knowing your stuff, it's about working with people. Many companies have questions just to see how the interviewee responds to insulting questions.

My latest interview had some questions on a rather broad area and they also sent a screening test over to me. According to them, I got a good percentage correct, though some of the answers were open to interpretation. The face to face interview had a few technical questions, but there were more that tested my tolerance or what my procedures would be. I seem to have done OK since I start next tuesday.

Update: I should of phrased better. I don't like the obviously insulting questions any better. I had one interview where I had up front said I didn't know the specifics of Solaris for Intel having just dealt with Sparc based. I was then harrassed with questions that only dealt with Intel. Annoying.

However, if you get insulted if a question is simple, then you might have a problem.

Comment on Re: Interview with a Programmer

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Re: Re: Interview with a Programmer
by andye (Curate) on Jan 04, 2002 at 15:52 UTC

Working with people is more than knowing your stuff, it's about working with people. Many companies have questions just to see how the interviewee responds to insulting questions.

imho this is pretty hateful. I'm getting very tired of interviews where they're trying to find out about my personality by asking trick questions.

I agree 100% that there's no use knowing your stuff if you can't work with other people, but if they want to find out what I'm like as a person, why can't they just take me out to lunch! >G<

At least in a (fairly) genuine social situation, a potential employer would get to know me. Trick questions in a technical interview just mean I have to guess the answer they're looking for - for example, some interviewers are testing your assertiveness, and want you to stand up for yourself, whereas others just want you to agree with them.

Oh for better trained interviewers.

andy.

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Re: Re: Re: Interview with a Programmer

by poqui (Deacon) on Jan 05, 2002 at 02:37 UTC

"That that is, is... for what is that but that? and is but is?" Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act IV, Scene 2

"Yet THAT which is not neither is nor is not That which is!" Frater Perdurabo (pseud. Aleister Crowley), Liber CCCXXXIII, The Book of Lies

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