Originally posted by suityou01
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The feedback was quite woolly really. This was a 2 step interview process, and the on site second stage was to be a "working interview". I thought some pairs programming or something.
In fact it was them firing technical questions at me for 1hr, then a test with some post it notes.
Apparently I aced the technical test (as did the previous unlucky candidate), and we both slipped up with the post it note test.
The post it note test involved them putting post it notes on the table in a random fashion, with words written on them like "fruit", "banana", "apple", "knife", "person", "cut".
Then I was told that they wanted to build an app to cut fruit, and I should arrange the post it notes "logically". So I asked if they were referring to an object hierarchy. The said this would do.
So I arranged the post it notes, and was then asked to embellish the object model so they could also juice fruit, as well a cut it. I was also asked to model it in such a way that would cause a "compilation error" if a fruit that was not cuttable, or juicable was passed to the person object for cutting or juicing.
I did this, and shan't bother you with the technicalities, but it involved interfaces.
Then some more questions, and I asked them how they would prefer it to be implemented, either by use of another interface, or by other means, and asked some questions to try and tease this out. At this point the guy puts his hands up in a "stop right there" fashion and says "we're not technical remember, we're the customer". I pointed out that as the customer they had already been discussing compilation errors, interfaces and object models so must be fairly technical as we're already 20 minutes into discussions.
So the feedback was that my presentation skills were lacking, ie that I'm the classic propeller hat wearing nerd that should never go near the customer. Odd that as a consultant I have to deal with customers all day long, but this seems lost on them.
I do feel that unless they give some better feedback, or come up with a less subjective test, they will be looking for Mr/Mrs right for longer than needs be.
Ho hum.
In fact it was them firing technical questions at me for 1hr, then a test with some post it notes.
Apparently I aced the technical test (as did the previous unlucky candidate), and we both slipped up with the post it note test.
The post it note test involved them putting post it notes on the table in a random fashion, with words written on them like "fruit", "banana", "apple", "knife", "person", "cut".
Then I was told that they wanted to build an app to cut fruit, and I should arrange the post it notes "logically". So I asked if they were referring to an object hierarchy. The said this would do.
So I arranged the post it notes, and was then asked to embellish the object model so they could also juice fruit, as well a cut it. I was also asked to model it in such a way that would cause a "compilation error" if a fruit that was not cuttable, or juicable was passed to the person object for cutting or juicing.
I did this, and shan't bother you with the technicalities, but it involved interfaces.
Then some more questions, and I asked them how they would prefer it to be implemented, either by use of another interface, or by other means, and asked some questions to try and tease this out. At this point the guy puts his hands up in a "stop right there" fashion and says "we're not technical remember, we're the customer". I pointed out that as the customer they had already been discussing compilation errors, interfaces and object models so must be fairly technical as we're already 20 minutes into discussions.
So the feedback was that my presentation skills were lacking, ie that I'm the classic propeller hat wearing nerd that should never go near the customer. Odd that as a consultant I have to deal with customers all day long, but this seems lost on them.
I do feel that unless they give some better feedback, or come up with a less subjective test, they will be looking for Mr/Mrs right for longer than needs be.
Ho hum.
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