Technical Interview/Test for Rusty Skills

[d000hg]

You know how it is, you can work with technology X for 3 solid years, know the API inside out, etc. But then you work on another project using other technology and 3-6 months later you could damn well still work in X but would have to have a short period to get back up to speed.

For an interesting position I found, the client wants to give a technical test to remote applicants... 30min to actually write code in X. Now I know full well I can do the work but 30min is a hard call if you are rusty... you could spend all the time trying to remember how the config files work or looking up the name of the class you want to use!

I think both of us agree with Joel Spolsky's view "pick the best developer, not the one who can recite the API by memory" but I'm not sure how to play it. Since it's remote/freelance work I guess I could make some short-term concession on rate to get my foot in the door since the project and normal rate are pretty attractive - this is not uncommon in the freelancing, non-agent-based world although I'm sure it sounds odd.

Any advice?

[JoJoGabor]

I've had this myself, but see it from the interviewers point of view;

Interviewers have to base their decision on something. Its too easy for anyone to say "I know it really well and can be up to speed in next to no time and I'm really good" THey need to test soemthing

You have 2 options:

1. Explain how you used to be really good before the latest contract, take the test, but you will look unconfident which will go against you.

2. Just take the test and see what happens and pray!

[MPwannadecentincome]

set yourself a practise test beforehand?

how is the client going to time you - email you the test and expect the response back 30 min later?

[d000hg]

set yourself a practise test beforehand?

Guess so, if I decide it's worth investing the time... to really brush up skills before-hand.

how is the client going to time you - email you the test and expect the response back 30 min later?

Something like that.

[thelace]

Just spend a couple of hours practicing/reviewing one of the last pieces of work you did?

that'll give you a heads up to where you were?

[swamp]

Sounds like they want to get some coding done for free.

[MPwannadecentincome]

Sounds like they want to get some coding done for free.

They are not going to get much in 1/2 an hour!

There used to be a metric, the average developer can write between 20 to 30 lines of error free code per day - I don't know what the figure is these days - so in 1/2 hour you'll need to do quite a few interviews to get something useful.

It is more likely to be a standardised test with a template answer for someone to be able to easily check against.