How to show them I am a fantabulous programmer?
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
The cover letter isn't for that - it's merely an introduction and an indication that you're interested in the job. Use your resume to highlight your strong points. If you know what the job will entail, try to find things in your skillset that are applicable an highlight them with an honest representation. When you're interviewing, look them in the eye when you speak to them. Tell the the truth about your skill level, and admit to weaknesses if the questioning starts to go that way. You don't want to get yourself buried in questions about stuff they think you know. You'll look like an idiot, and they'll be annoyed that you wasted their time. Bring a laptop to give some punch to your skill claims, I do it at every interview I go on. Bring a mix of stuff you've done - WinForms, ASP.Net, Silverlight, web services, etc. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CODE WORKS, and be prepare to show and discuss every line of code. This also means you should comment your code reasonably well. Don't leave anything to chance in this area because they will judge you by what they see. My interview laptop has a full suite of the latest development tools. I can fire them up at request and work the interview from a position of strength. I even have one app that is purposely defective so I can show them that I know how to use the debugger.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997 -
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
Include an uncompiled set of class files showing an application you have developed. Even better include several source files, one for each language you know of the same sample application with written comments explaining the differences. Bah, who am I kidding. H.R. only looks for keywords and most of them use a keyword search algorithm and then it is blindly handed off to the hiring manager. My résumé has one whole page devoted to keyword spamming with a nice descriptive header for the hiring manager explaining why it is there.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. I also do Android Programming as I find it a refreshing break from the MS. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost
-
The cover letter isn't for that - it's merely an introduction and an indication that you're interested in the job. Use your resume to highlight your strong points. If you know what the job will entail, try to find things in your skillset that are applicable an highlight them with an honest representation. When you're interviewing, look them in the eye when you speak to them. Tell the the truth about your skill level, and admit to weaknesses if the questioning starts to go that way. You don't want to get yourself buried in questions about stuff they think you know. You'll look like an idiot, and they'll be annoyed that you wasted their time. Bring a laptop to give some punch to your skill claims, I do it at every interview I go on. Bring a mix of stuff you've done - WinForms, ASP.Net, Silverlight, web services, etc. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CODE WORKS, and be prepare to show and discuss every line of code. This also means you should comment your code reasonably well. Don't leave anything to chance in this area because they will judge you by what they see. My interview laptop has a full suite of the latest development tools. I can fire them up at request and work the interview from a position of strength. I even have one app that is purposely defective so I can show them that I know how to use the debugger.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I even have one app that is purposely defective
Yes, and all the rest are "accidentally" defective cause their dev's *don't* know how to use the debugger!
¡El diablo está en mis pantalones! ¡Mire, mire! SELECT * FROM User WHERE Clue > 0 0 rows returned Save an Orange - Use the VCF! Personal 3D projects Just Say No to Web 2 Point Blow
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
Don't try to include everything in the coverage letter. You can't. And you shouldn't. Just put in enough that they will want to give you an interview. Include a personal story from your work history that illustrates how you are a skilled/hard worker and also gets a bit of your personality across. And it's always a good idea to research the company you are applying at and including something about the company in your letter, so they know you have looked them up.
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
If that translated into paper, you wouldn't have had all those horrible interviews and hiring issues you've experienced (when you've been on the other side of the process). I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a good interviewee, I get tense/uncomfortable and have horrible memory, but does that make me a bad employee, nope, just bad at interviews. Its almost impossible to get a good sense of people until after a couple of month of working together.
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
Vixanna wrote:
Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls.
I'd say copy what these folks had on their resumes!
Craigslist Troll: litaly@comcast.net "I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson
-
The cover letter isn't for that - it's merely an introduction and an indication that you're interested in the job. Use your resume to highlight your strong points. If you know what the job will entail, try to find things in your skillset that are applicable an highlight them with an honest representation. When you're interviewing, look them in the eye when you speak to them. Tell the the truth about your skill level, and admit to weaknesses if the questioning starts to go that way. You don't want to get yourself buried in questions about stuff they think you know. You'll look like an idiot, and they'll be annoyed that you wasted their time. Bring a laptop to give some punch to your skill claims, I do it at every interview I go on. Bring a mix of stuff you've done - WinForms, ASP.Net, Silverlight, web services, etc. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CODE WORKS, and be prepare to show and discuss every line of code. This also means you should comment your code reasonably well. Don't leave anything to chance in this area because they will judge you by what they see. My interview laptop has a full suite of the latest development tools. I can fire them up at request and work the interview from a position of strength. I even have one app that is purposely defective so I can show them that I know how to use the debugger.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997I disagree to a certain extent. The purpose of the covering letter is to get them to read the resume! If you can catch the attention straight away, then the resume gets a good look. If you don't get the readers attention, the resume can go straight in the bin - they have plenty more where that came from!
Real men don't use instructions. They are only the manufacturers opinion on how to put the thing together. Manfred R. Bihy: "Looks as if OP is learning resistant."
-
I disagree to a certain extent. The purpose of the covering letter is to get them to read the resume! If you can catch the attention straight away, then the resume gets a good look. If you don't get the readers attention, the resume can go straight in the bin - they have plenty more where that came from!
Real men don't use instructions. They are only the manufacturers opinion on how to put the thing together. Manfred R. Bihy: "Looks as if OP is learning resistant."
Show them the head and shoulders of an apparently nude model in the letter, and then tell them there's more on the resume. That'll get 'em to at least lay eyes on your resume. :)
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997 -
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
Since you've sat in their shoes you'll know that a resume doesn't win you a job - a good interview does that. A good resume wins you an interview. So it sounds to me like you're putting the cart before the horse. Get the interview first, show them how you're a hard worker there. Prove it during your probation period once you've got the job. Cheers, Drew.
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
It depends on if you are going through a recruiter or straight to the company doing the hiring. If you are going to a recruiter, skip the letter completely. They don't care, they don't read them, they don't forward them, they hate them. If you are going straight to the hiring company then you should use one. If you are going through a recruiter they love the block of keywords at the top of the resume. Everyone but the hiring manager will probably only read the first 2.5 inches of the resume before putting in pile A versus pile B. If you do the keyword method; include every Acronym, and spell them out when not absolutely basic. Remember; an HR pro doesn't know the similarity between T-SQL and Transact SQL. The boss may have asked for one of those and if you don't have both then you get nixed for a job you were qualified for. Bring a portfolio in some form. John Simmons' method of bringing a laptop is great. I use a paper portfolio in a nice presentation binder. Even a few code samples or documentation samples without a binder is a step in the right direction. This lets you stand out from the other candidates you are up against, and gives you something to show-tell that engages more senses than the standard verbal back and forth. It also gives you something to do rather than fidget; "oh, I've done something sort of like that, let me show you..." Any portfolio is going to take a little time to put together so you should start one even if you don't have one for this attempt. If you are going to write a cover letter include elements of the job description in it. Best tip I know for a cover letter. "Your job as advertised indicates you are looking for someone who does x, I have done x before in my role as y." I'm not happy with my cover letters in terms of success so I'm not going to expand on that any more. At the end of the interview utter this phrase; "This seems like a very interesting job. I'd like this job." Sometimes an interviewee's body language has left the managers unclear as to whether they want the job or not. Say it even if it isn't true. You are more likely to get an offer. When you are done with the interview, when you get home send the hiring manager a thank you note for the interview (email will suffice). This is done rarely enough that it can help. "Thank you for your time today, I really appreciated the opportunity to interview with your company". Bring a notebook; any questions that they ask that you don't know the answer to- write it down-
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
Vixanna wrote:
How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker?
You don't. They won't believe you anyway. Look, a software engineer job pays $50/hr or more, and it takes 6-12 weeks to really figure out somebody is lying. That means a poser can make maybe $25k before you figure it out if they get past the interview. Is it any wonder that the professional job market brings out the fakers? It's your job as an interviewer to separate the posers from the real devs. Posers can memorize a line of patter. You have to ask them questions that they can't prepare for. Your resume stating you have experience and skills will get you in the door (maybe), but it's the interview that gets you hired. Stop worrying so much. Just list your skills, and then be ready to back it up on the interview. I've been interviewing a lot lately, and most interviews are coding tests. I hate coding tests, but they certainly are effective at separating out pretenders. If you haven't been responsible for screening candidate resumes yet, you will be amazed and apalled by the number of completely unqualified resumes you get. (I mean, can't they READ?) And you'll be amazed again to find that some of the good resumes are complete fabrications.
-
Since you've sat in their shoes you'll know that a resume doesn't win you a job - a good interview does that. A good resume wins you an interview. So it sounds to me like you're putting the cart before the horse. Get the interview first, show them how you're a hard worker there. Prove it during your probation period once you've got the job. Cheers, Drew.
I do some of the Interviewing for my company, I have never read a cover letter, I could care less about how well you can formulate a paragraph. Your time is best spent on your credentials and experience in your resume. Pointer: give some type of indication as to your level of experience with the technology for which your interviewing, as an interviewer the first red flag i try to find is just how blatently padded your resume is! Pointer: NEVER interview for position in language/technology x without having written a codeproject Article :-D ... No seriously if you haven't worked with the technology/language recently (within the last 3 months) open up you editer and whip out a little project using a new bit of learned info, that new panel, or graphichs widget etc... this will refresh the syntax in you mind for the interview, and give you a talking point.. "ohh I was playin arround with a rotating cloud tree widget this weekend." . .. makes for great small talk, and it shows your passionate about learning new Tech..
I'd blame it on the Brain farts.. But let's be honest, it really is more like a Methane factory between my ears some days then it is anything else...
-----
"The conversations he was having with himself were becoming ominous."-.. On the radio... -
It depends on if you are going through a recruiter or straight to the company doing the hiring. If you are going to a recruiter, skip the letter completely. They don't care, they don't read them, they don't forward them, they hate them. If you are going straight to the hiring company then you should use one. If you are going through a recruiter they love the block of keywords at the top of the resume. Everyone but the hiring manager will probably only read the first 2.5 inches of the resume before putting in pile A versus pile B. If you do the keyword method; include every Acronym, and spell them out when not absolutely basic. Remember; an HR pro doesn't know the similarity between T-SQL and Transact SQL. The boss may have asked for one of those and if you don't have both then you get nixed for a job you were qualified for. Bring a portfolio in some form. John Simmons' method of bringing a laptop is great. I use a paper portfolio in a nice presentation binder. Even a few code samples or documentation samples without a binder is a step in the right direction. This lets you stand out from the other candidates you are up against, and gives you something to show-tell that engages more senses than the standard verbal back and forth. It also gives you something to do rather than fidget; "oh, I've done something sort of like that, let me show you..." Any portfolio is going to take a little time to put together so you should start one even if you don't have one for this attempt. If you are going to write a cover letter include elements of the job description in it. Best tip I know for a cover letter. "Your job as advertised indicates you are looking for someone who does x, I have done x before in my role as y." I'm not happy with my cover letters in terms of success so I'm not going to expand on that any more. At the end of the interview utter this phrase; "This seems like a very interesting job. I'd like this job." Sometimes an interviewee's body language has left the managers unclear as to whether they want the job or not. Say it even if it isn't true. You are more likely to get an offer. When you are done with the interview, when you get home send the hiring manager a thank you note for the interview (email will suffice). This is done rarely enough that it can help. "Thank you for your time today, I really appreciated the opportunity to interview with your company". Bring a notebook; any questions that they ask that you don't know the answer to- write it down-
I second.. well almost all of this... and I'd like to elaborate on:
smcnulty2000 wrote:
Or the interview may have gone far better than you realized.
I (am sadistic and mean,) pride myself on "breaking" an intervewee :suss: I like to see how people behave underr fairly stessfull situations when unrealistic goals have been set, so i will often be in charge of the Coding portion of the interview and after a few plesantries will ask the interviewee to show me how to do X where X is Way outa their league in complexity. and sit back and watch them "handel" the situation. It is a good sign if they ask a few questions before getting started, and or check with me to see if they understand the question. Then once they start "coding" I look for things like simple code, reusable code, will it work, have they trapped all the edge conditions, without exceptions, are they tackeling the problem with the right approach to coding this type of problem, do they meet the requirements etc... I've only had the question answered correct twice!, one was hired the other wasn't. However, a large number of people couldn't answer the question, and some of them were hired... :cool:
I'd blame it on the Brain farts.. But let's be honest, it really is more like a Methane factory between my ears some days then it is anything else...
-----
"The conversations he was having with himself were becoming ominous."-.. On the radio... -
Vixanna wrote:
How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker?
You don't. They won't believe you anyway. Look, a software engineer job pays $50/hr or more, and it takes 6-12 weeks to really figure out somebody is lying. That means a poser can make maybe $25k before you figure it out if they get past the interview. Is it any wonder that the professional job market brings out the fakers? It's your job as an interviewer to separate the posers from the real devs. Posers can memorize a line of patter. You have to ask them questions that they can't prepare for. Your resume stating you have experience and skills will get you in the door (maybe), but it's the interview that gets you hired. Stop worrying so much. Just list your skills, and then be ready to back it up on the interview. I've been interviewing a lot lately, and most interviews are coding tests. I hate coding tests, but they certainly are effective at separating out pretenders. If you haven't been responsible for screening candidate resumes yet, you will be amazed and apalled by the number of completely unqualified resumes you get. (I mean, can't they READ?) And you'll be amazed again to find that some of the good resumes are complete fabrications.
Member 2941392 wrote:
you'll be amazed again to find that some of the good resumes are complete fabrications.
We have a recruiter who administers a general coding overview test... :laugh:
I'd blame it on the Brain farts.. But let's be honest, it really is more like a Methane factory between my ears some days then it is anything else...
-----
"The conversations he was having with himself were becoming ominous."-.. On the radio... -
The cover letter isn't for that - it's merely an introduction and an indication that you're interested in the job. Use your resume to highlight your strong points. If you know what the job will entail, try to find things in your skillset that are applicable an highlight them with an honest representation. When you're interviewing, look them in the eye when you speak to them. Tell the the truth about your skill level, and admit to weaknesses if the questioning starts to go that way. You don't want to get yourself buried in questions about stuff they think you know. You'll look like an idiot, and they'll be annoyed that you wasted their time. Bring a laptop to give some punch to your skill claims, I do it at every interview I go on. Bring a mix of stuff you've done - WinForms, ASP.Net, Silverlight, web services, etc. MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CODE WORKS, and be prepare to show and discuss every line of code. This also means you should comment your code reasonably well. Don't leave anything to chance in this area because they will judge you by what they see. My interview laptop has a full suite of the latest development tools. I can fire them up at request and work the interview from a position of strength. I even have one app that is purposely defective so I can show them that I know how to use the debugger.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
-----
You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
-----
"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
I even have one app that is purposely defective so I can show them that I know how to use the debugger.
I think I'll try using that excuse, too.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
The best responses I've gotten for a cover letter: When I've answered the experience required from their ad in my cover letter. They say, "We need A and B and C" and I respond I have done A on this project using these tools. I did B at this place and accomplished this. I have experience with C through these projects where I did this. If you can put a value to these types of statements (i.e. saving the company xx dollars, pounds, lire, hours, days, etc.) that also helps. Make sure all of these statements are backed up on your resume. Remember, they want to know how you're experience will fill their available position and how that experience will help their bottom line. Until they know that, they won't even consider you for an interview, and may do no more than skim over your resume. Best of luck!
-
Vixanna wrote:
How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker?
You don't. They won't believe you anyway. Look, a software engineer job pays $50/hr or more, and it takes 6-12 weeks to really figure out somebody is lying. That means a poser can make maybe $25k before you figure it out if they get past the interview. Is it any wonder that the professional job market brings out the fakers? It's your job as an interviewer to separate the posers from the real devs. Posers can memorize a line of patter. You have to ask them questions that they can't prepare for. Your resume stating you have experience and skills will get you in the door (maybe), but it's the interview that gets you hired. Stop worrying so much. Just list your skills, and then be ready to back it up on the interview. I've been interviewing a lot lately, and most interviews are coding tests. I hate coding tests, but they certainly are effective at separating out pretenders. If you haven't been responsible for screening candidate resumes yet, you will be amazed and apalled by the number of completely unqualified resumes you get. (I mean, can't they READ?) And you'll be amazed again to find that some of the good resumes are complete fabrications.
Member 2941392 wrote:
If you haven't been responsible for screening candidate resumes yet, you will be amazed and apalled by the number of completely unqualified resumes you get. (I mean, can't they READ?) And you'll be amazed again to find that some of the good resumes are complete fabrications.
Yes, they can read. But there is way too much advice out there that says something like, "If you like the job, apply even if you don't meet the qualifications. Most other applicants won't have all the qualifications either." So, they think, "Well, I have one or two of the 30 qualification, that should be enough!" I've seen some doozies myself. People applying for mid to advanced development positions who have never written a line of code, or have never used the required language. People who think that using Office means they know software development. Etc., etc. Some of these are from scheming types, but most of them show peoples' desperation to get a job, any job. :sigh: You have to feel sorry for these ones.
-
Member 2941392 wrote:
If you haven't been responsible for screening candidate resumes yet, you will be amazed and apalled by the number of completely unqualified resumes you get. (I mean, can't they READ?) And you'll be amazed again to find that some of the good resumes are complete fabrications.
Yes, they can read. But there is way too much advice out there that says something like, "If you like the job, apply even if you don't meet the qualifications. Most other applicants won't have all the qualifications either." So, they think, "Well, I have one or two of the 30 qualification, that should be enough!" I've seen some doozies myself. People applying for mid to advanced development positions who have never written a line of code, or have never used the required language. People who think that using Office means they know software development. Etc., etc. Some of these are from scheming types, but most of them show peoples' desperation to get a job, any job. :sigh: You have to feel sorry for these ones.
-
I am attempting to write a cover letter to apply for a job. My resume of course shows the standard here is what I know and what have I done. The problem I am having is I have sat in their shoes. I have reviewed resumes and interviewed candidates and have found that experience is not always reflected by the resume and cover letter. Some candidates state they are experienced with C# (for example) when questioned only had a class in it. Others that had the skills and were hired turned out to have no work ethic; always coming in late and leaving early; spending half the day on personal phone calls. How do I show them in a one page letter that I am a skilled, hard worker? Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated! Vix
Oh, I am so grateful to all false gods for my new job, so I don't have to sending new applications and going for another-looking-just-like-five-last-interviews. Bleh. How much times you have to saying why you left last company and what are your expectations from new employer. In my opinion worts interview question ever is 'Tell me your 3 advantages and disadvantages. :(
In soviet Russia code debugs You!
-
I second.. well almost all of this... and I'd like to elaborate on:
smcnulty2000 wrote:
Or the interview may have gone far better than you realized.
I (am sadistic and mean,) pride myself on "breaking" an intervewee :suss: I like to see how people behave underr fairly stessfull situations when unrealistic goals have been set, so i will often be in charge of the Coding portion of the interview and after a few plesantries will ask the interviewee to show me how to do X where X is Way outa their league in complexity. and sit back and watch them "handel" the situation. It is a good sign if they ask a few questions before getting started, and or check with me to see if they understand the question. Then once they start "coding" I look for things like simple code, reusable code, will it work, have they trapped all the edge conditions, without exceptions, are they tackeling the problem with the right approach to coding this type of problem, do they meet the requirements etc... I've only had the question answered correct twice!, one was hired the other wasn't. However, a large number of people couldn't answer the question, and some of them were hired... :cool:
I'd blame it on the Brain farts.. But let's be honest, it really is more like a Methane factory between my ears some days then it is anything else...
-----
"The conversations he was having with himself were becoming ominous."-.. On the radio...In a similar regard (but not as tough). I'd get people in who claimed they were expert SQL programmers. I'd ask them "please tell me the difference between UNION and UNION ALL". Amazingly, very few could answer. This was supposed to be the starter question to get them in the mode of answering and we were supposed to progress to hard questions from there. My boss, who considered herself an expert at SQL, said to me, "what is the point of asking an obscure question like this? You realize no one who currently works here can answer this, including me?" I said that I had no problem with someone who wasn't claiming sql not being able to answer this, but anyone who claimed expertise in sql should be able to answer it, without thinking hard. She hired people or didn't irrespective of my opinion. I finally did get two people to answer it, after going through about a dozen candidates. One did it nice and succint. She became my replacement. I wasn't fool enough to not know that's where this was headed, of course.
_____________________________ Give a man a mug, he drinks for a day. Teach a man to mug...
