Coding interview on paper

[europetractor]

I was shocked to find out this permie employer interviewer running a coding test on interviewees asking us to write on piece of paper .... asking to remember the syntax of a SQL query which involves pulling top items and calculating the re-occurrence of a string ( Name ) in the column. They also expected me to write down on paper an html page with an html form and also ajax call to some webapi ( so I guess some JQuery )

Apparently even the noobs they hire having 2 - 4 years of experience can do that...

I mean sure I could do it if it were all I have been doing over the last 2 - 4 years over and over. And apparently they have applicants that can do this on paper ... But not me. I mean this is just mortifying to have to know so much coding in your head, when on the job you will obviously be using stackoverflow and api references and intellisense and not just a flippin piece of paper.

[tomtomagain]

So did you hand in a blank piece of paper?

[northernladuk]

So did you hand in a blank piece of paper?

Don't be silly. They asked him to create a tool to cut the company workload.



He's waiting for the phone to ring any minute.

[LondonManc]

So you're not good enough. Ho hum.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

I was shocked to find out this permie employer interviewer running a coding test on interviewees asking us to write on piece of paper .... asking to remember the syntax of a SQL query which involves pulling top items and calculating the re-occurrence of a string ( Name ) in the column. They also expected me to write down on paper an html page with an html form and also ajax call to some webapi ( so I guess some JQuery )

Apparently even the noobs they hire having 2 - 4 years of experience can do that...

I mean sure I could do it if it were all I have been doing over the last 2 - 4 years over and over. And apparently they have applicants that can do this on paper ... But not me. I mean this is just mortifying to have to know so much coding in your head, when on the job you will obviously be using stackoverflow and api references and intellisense and not just a flippin piece of paper.

I've had this a lot but not so much recently.

It weeds out all the people trying to wing it off the back of a less than truthful CV.

And there's lots of them around.

Wish more interviews were like this other than asking the standard questions that the wingers learn parrot fashion e.g. explain SOLID principles, the difference between an inner join and an outer join etc.

[nucastle]

Had to do this for a gig at the home office last autumn, after I spent 200 quid on a return train ticket to London.

Mind went blank, felt completely taken aback which just exacerbated things. Were really pressing on a load of pointless details about various ways to achieve the same thing which bore nothing in relation to the actual day to day activities of the gig, but would no doubt be the topic of a stimulating lunchtime discussion between civil service geeks.

Point blank refuse to do anything like that ever again. If the method of assessment is not directly related to the outcome they desire, it stinks of permies trying to make it difficult for contractors, as opposed to business outcomes.

Plus I'm getting old, and refuse to look even more stupid than i do usually, in front of someone who wasn't alive when the first Gulf war was kicking off.

[original PM]

Select * from whatevertable

Dump into excel and manipulate as required

[LondonManc]

Select * from whatevertable

Dump into excel and manipulate as required

[Big Blue Plymouth]

Had to do this for a gig at the home office last autumn, after I spent 200 quid on a return train ticket to London.

Mind went blank, felt completely taken aback which just exacerbated things. Were really pressing on a load of pointless details about various ways to achieve the same thing which bore nothing in relation to the actual day to day activities of the gig, but would no doubt be the topic of a stimulating lunchtime discussion between civil service geeks.

Point blank refuse to do anything like that ever again. If the method of assessment is not directly related to the outcome they desire, it stinks of permies trying to make it difficult for contractors, as opposed to business outcomes.

Plus I'm getting old, and refuse to look even more stupid than i do usually, in front of someone who wasn't alive when the first Gulf war was kicking off.

Amen to that.

[greenlake]

I mean sure I could do it if it were all I have been doing over the last 2 - 4 years over and over. And apparently they have applicants that can do this on paper ... But not me.

So did you hand in a blank piece of paper?