Interviews - The other side...

[shoes]

But before an interview I memorize the syntax for the relevant database, because they often ask about it. One just has to play the game their way.

This is the point. You can argue over the merits of asking obscure technical questions till the cows come home. Remember that the point of the interview, if it is a contract, is to get an offer. If that means remembering something obscure and pointless due to the interviewers personal problems then so be it. They are your customer. Butter them up! Pretend to be like them!

[Churchill]

You are fooling yourself here. We realise that you are using these tests to masturbate your ego, to impress the management, to convince others that you actually have something that many others do not have. Why pretend otherwise - why tell us of this event ?

But what do you really have ?

A few cheap tricks, a stack of CVs and the conceit of a fool.

"Computer programming has been traditionally seen as something that is beyond most people - it's only for a special group with technical expertise and experience," said Professor Mitchel Resnick, one of the researchers at the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT.

Get f*cked, again!

[TheOmegaMan]

With respect it is not the point. I agree that one has to play the game.

The point is that doggie-doo and many other chumps like him base their interviews solely on technical syntax. I have been developing for 25 years and go from job to job learning and transferring skills. I don't keep the 100 best pointer tricks in my head because I don't need to. Neither does Churchill - I could easily reduce him to tears in an interview and he knows it.

[Churchill]

With respect it is not the point. I agree that one has to play the game.

The point is that doggie-doo and many other chumps like him base their interviews solely on technical syntax. I have been developing for 25 years and go from job to job learning and transferring skills. I don't keep the 100 best pointer tricks in my head because I don't need to. Neither does Churchill - I could easily reduce him to tears in an interview and he knows it.

And how may I ask have you arrived at this conclusion?

Have we ever met or is this just another of your "2+2=5" deductions?

[AtW]

[tim123]

there _is_ an undeniable correlation between peoples' ability to answer geeky questions and their competence and analytical ability.

I don't agree with you. IMHO that's exactly what there isn't. There might be a correlation between the ability to answer geeky questions and churn out working code, but IME it's likey to be spagetti code that works in spite of the the geeks analytical ability, not because of it.

Some managers like their engineers to write spagetti code, but I think that these managers are fools.

tim

[tim123]

Churchill, I'm still waiting to find out what sort of money this job pays. I'm genuinely interersted (in the general sense)

tim

[HankWangford]

Churchill, I'm still waiting to find out what sort of money this job pays. I'm genuinely interersted (in the general sense)

tim

It doesn't pay, it's an open source OS volunteer project....but very serious

[Churchill]

Churchill, I'm still waiting to find out what sort of money this job pays. I'm genuinely interersted (in the general sense)

tim

47k plus the usual benefits(pension, bonus(up to 15%)), share save etc.

However, we're currently undergoing a competitive salary review with other companies in the Cambridge area so this is likely to increase.

[andy]

47k plus the usual benefits(pension, bonus(up to 15%)), share save etc.