Interview test......

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nicholls.Mark
  • Start date Start date
I recently interview for a job where they asked me how many gas stations
there are in America. I got to an answer (out loud) and the interviewer
sat and worked through my logic with me. Once we were done with that,
he asked me to do it again, but a different way. It actually led to
some pretty interesting conversation. He also asked me to design the
functionality of an elevator, and he wanted to see me write a version of
strrev() (just so he knew I wasn't wasting his time).

One of the more interesting interviews I've ever had.

BTW, there were roughly 121,000 gas stations in America in 2004. The
number I ended up with was 150,000...which wasn't the point, but I still
got pretty close!
 
D W said:
I recently interview for a job where they asked me how many gas stations
there are in America. I got to an answer (out loud) and the interviewer
sat and worked through my logic with me. Once we were done with that,
he asked me to do it again, but a different way. It actually led to
some pretty interesting conversation. He also asked me to design the
functionality of an elevator, and he wanted to see me write a version of
strrev() (just so he knew I wasn't wasting his time).

One of the more interesting interviews I've ever had.

BTW, there were roughly 121,000 gas stations in America in 2004. The
number I ended up with was 150,000...which wasn't the point, but I still
got pretty close!
Click to expand...

Haha, when I was reading this, I thought to myself..
- Hmm. maybe 150'000.

I'd be dead in the water at that interview,
as when he'd asked me how I came up with that number,
and I beleive it is a sin to lie, I'd had to reply
- Just guessed...

- Michael Starberg
 
Michael said:
I would never take a coding test.
If they want to hire me, then I ask for a offer.

If they ask for a code-example a la Joel,
we start out with a breach of trust, and per so,
I don't want the job.

This thread is stuck on hiring.
Real programmers don't get hired,
they pick where to work.
Click to expand...

If you can get all the jobs you want, then you are
either extremely skilled (let us call it "Anders Hejlsberg level")
or not very ambitious.

Most people even good people may want the job that pays
better of has this interesting project and are willing
to do a test to get it.

Arne
 
D said:
I recently interview for a job where they asked me how many gas stations
there are in America. I got to an answer (out loud) and the interviewer
sat and worked through my logic with me. Once we were done with that,
he asked me to do it again, but a different way. It actually led to
some pretty interesting conversation.
Click to expand...
BTW, there were roughly 121,000 gas stations in America in 2004. The
number I ended up with was 150,000...which wasn't the point, but I still
got pretty close!
Click to expand...

Actually it may not be a bad interview technique.

It will reveal whether the developer has the ability to think
about real problems.

It is not difficult to learn a programming a language or
an API.

The tricky part is to be able to go from problem to
solution.

Arne
 
If you can get all the jobs you want, then you are
either extremely skilled (let us call it "Anders Hejlsberg level")
or not very ambitious.
Click to expand...

I agree, master of the obvious.
Most people even good people may want the job that pays
better of has this interesting project and are willing
to do a test to get it.
Click to expand...

I agree, master of the obvious.
Arne
Click to expand...

- Michael Starberg
 
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