What every programmer should know?
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Personally, I've always thought that interviewers that prepare technical questions ahead of time are missing the total point. You cannot do that and do much justice to the applicant. I mean yeah, you can discuss for loops, recursion, dynamic programming and sorting. Stick to the basics for your canned questions (if you are going to use them, I think canned questions stink). I have yet to be in an interview where the skills in question were not quickly observed or not. You need to look at the applicants resume. I'd go through it carefully. If after going through it carefully you still like the candidate you need to do some more research. If they indicate you can contact present/past employers do it. Don't ask the employers about the candidate ask the employers about the systems the candidate worked on. What challenges had to be overcome in writing the system? What philosophies were used to manage changes, bugs and new code. Start forming an idea in your head of the skills the developer should be bringing to the table after you've done some research. Then go in to the interview with a customized set of questions. Talk about former systems and the challenges. Get a feel for how the developer approaches solving problems. I've always believed a developers answers to solving problems are important but nothing in comparison to how he/she approaches solving problems. Get a feel for that. Get a feel for what it would be like to work with that developer. Most importantly, if your business frequently requires unusual hours or a heavy support burden after hours make that known up front. Developers will piss and moan until the cows come home about support rotation and trouble-shooting. If you make it known in the interview what the expectations are and they still accept the job then you have grounds for saying, "Hey, we told you up front. You accepted the job. Now cork it and get it done." My advice, don't can or script your interviews in an assembly line way. Take the time each applicant really deserves to prepare an interview that is customized for them. They've taken the time to select you as a company. If they are worth anything they have learned as much about your company as they could before coming there. It's your obligation to do the same about them. I think it establishes a healthy relationship from the beginning and it keeps everything in the proper context for an interview. You can talk about design patterns if you wish but if the developers experience has never involved the use of patterns then he/sh
Great points, c-f. I had written a similar post and the site ate it, but you said it extremely well. Cheers, Tom Archer - Visual C++ MVP Archer Consulting Group "So look up ahead at times to come, despair is not for us. We have a world and more to see, while this remains behind." - James N. Rowe
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feline_dracoform wrote: preferably including a few new ones for me to learn and use on those *really* bad days I can't speak more than English, but I can swear a little in 3 languages. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
yep, you are through to the second round of interviews :) zen is the art of being at one with the two'ness
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I am trying to come up with a set of questions that will form the initial screening round for all candiates at our company. Any thoughts about questions/concepts that should defintely be known by any programmer?
I always think that the idea of a compiler that compiles another compiler or itself is rather incestuous in a binary way. - Colin Davies My .Net Blog
To me it is more important their response to how they would solve a problem they know nothing about at the moment, providing they of course know the basics and are of a standard commensurate with the level of the job in question.
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't." - Anatole France
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I am trying to come up with a set of questions that will form the initial screening round for all candiates at our company. Any thoughts about questions/concepts that should defintely be known by any programmer?
I always think that the idea of a compiler that compiles another compiler or itself is rather incestuous in a binary way. - Colin Davies My .Net Blog
Location of the Coke machine. Location of the restrooms.
My god, you're a genius! - Jörgen Sigvardsson, The Lounge
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Personally, I've always thought that interviewers that prepare technical questions ahead of time are missing the total point. You cannot do that and do much justice to the applicant. I mean yeah, you can discuss for loops, recursion, dynamic programming and sorting. Stick to the basics for your canned questions (if you are going to use them, I think canned questions stink). I have yet to be in an interview where the skills in question were not quickly observed or not. You need to look at the applicants resume. I'd go through it carefully. If after going through it carefully you still like the candidate you need to do some more research. If they indicate you can contact present/past employers do it. Don't ask the employers about the candidate ask the employers about the systems the candidate worked on. What challenges had to be overcome in writing the system? What philosophies were used to manage changes, bugs and new code. Start forming an idea in your head of the skills the developer should be bringing to the table after you've done some research. Then go in to the interview with a customized set of questions. Talk about former systems and the challenges. Get a feel for how the developer approaches solving problems. I've always believed a developers answers to solving problems are important but nothing in comparison to how he/she approaches solving problems. Get a feel for that. Get a feel for what it would be like to work with that developer. Most importantly, if your business frequently requires unusual hours or a heavy support burden after hours make that known up front. Developers will piss and moan until the cows come home about support rotation and trouble-shooting. If you make it known in the interview what the expectations are and they still accept the job then you have grounds for saying, "Hey, we told you up front. You accepted the job. Now cork it and get it done." My advice, don't can or script your interviews in an assembly line way. Take the time each applicant really deserves to prepare an interview that is customized for them. They've taken the time to select you as a company. If they are worth anything they have learned as much about your company as they could before coming there. It's your obligation to do the same about them. I think it establishes a healthy relationship from the beginning and it keeps everything in the proper context for an interview. You can talk about design patterns if you wish but if the developers experience has never involved the use of patterns then he/sh
definitely sensible points. surely how someone thinks, if they fit in, and how well their working approach suits what you need is at least as important as their technical knowledge? i have the theory and belief that you can always learn new areas and skills, but if you don't have the right sort of mind set to begin with this will be the biggest problem. zen is the art of being at one with the two'ness
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definitely sensible points. surely how someone thinks, if they fit in, and how well their working approach suits what you need is at least as important as their technical knowledge? i have the theory and belief that you can always learn new areas and skills, but if you don't have the right sort of mind set to begin with this will be the biggest problem. zen is the art of being at one with the two'ness
feline_dracoform wrote: i have the theory and belief that you can always learn new areas and skills, but if you don't have the right sort of mind set to begin with this will be the biggest problem. I think that about 98% of us would confirm your theory thereby making it a fact. A former boss of mine used to say something to the effect of Aptitude = 200% Attitude. He'd go further to say that with the proper attitude and mind-set a person can be taught almost anything. His concern and his praise was rarely based on aptitude. His reviews always praised and focused on developing attitude. He rewarded very generously for attitude. He had a quip I really liked. "I can improve your aptitude and therefore I should get the raise. Only you can improve your attitude for which I will give you a raise." Good Philosophy and his mileage didn't vary. It was outstanding. To this day he continues to be a mentory. Smart Man he was, strong in the force was he. ;P (Did I really just type that? How embarrassing.)
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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Location of the Coke machine. Location of the restrooms.
My god, you're a genius! - Jörgen Sigvardsson, The Lounge
Shog9 wrote: Location of the Coke machine. Location of the restrooms. You obviously have never worked at a large company or you would know... Location of the best and least known parking spots is the knowledge that brings true power. The 3/4 mile daily walk to the car in 100+ degree or sub 20 degree temperatures got really old. Your coke was either boiling or frozen by the time you got to your car. LAME!;P
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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Location of the Coke machine. Location of the restrooms.
My god, you're a genius! - Jörgen Sigvardsson, The Lounge
My god, you're a genius! - Jörgen Sigvardsson, The Lounge ... gotta say it does seem faster ... Regards Ray "Je Suis Mort De Rire"
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Shog9 wrote: Location of the Coke machine. Location of the restrooms. You obviously have never worked at a large company or you would know... Location of the best and least known parking spots is the knowledge that brings true power. The 3/4 mile daily walk to the car in 100+ degree or sub 20 degree temperatures got really old. Your coke was either boiling or frozen by the time you got to your car. LAME!;P
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
Eh, i'm that idiot who's out skating in 100+F days, and relaxing in a snow bank on <0F days. I park in the front row or the back - either way, my car is left alone.
My god, you're a genius! - Jörgen Sigvardsson, The Lounge
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I am trying to come up with a set of questions that will form the initial screening round for all candiates at our company. Any thoughts about questions/concepts that should defintely be known by any programmer?
I always think that the idea of a compiler that compiles another compiler or itself is rather incestuous in a binary way. - Colin Davies My .Net Blog
A couple I'd ask would be: What is "const", and when should you use it, esp. in OOP? What is a "copy constructor", and when should you write one? Explain what is meant by "encapsulation" Explain your understanding of "structured exception handling" I'd probably through in a couple about STL too. Really, these are the question's I'd like to scream at the people who originally wrote the code I'm currently "maintaining". These basic's can go a long way, the lack of them can (and do!) make my head spin.
-Dy
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Eh, i'm that idiot who's out skating in 100+F days, and relaxing in a snow bank on <0F days. I park in the front row or the back - either way, my car is left alone.
My god, you're a genius! - Jörgen Sigvardsson, The Lounge
Gosh, I wish I could say that...:^)
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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A couple I'd ask would be: What is "const", and when should you use it, esp. in OOP? What is a "copy constructor", and when should you write one? Explain what is meant by "encapsulation" Explain your understanding of "structured exception handling" I'd probably through in a couple about STL too. Really, these are the question's I'd like to scream at the people who originally wrote the code I'm currently "maintaining". These basic's can go a long way, the lack of them can (and do!) make my head spin.
-Dy
-Dy wrote: What is "const", and when should you use it, esp. in OOP? What is a "copy constructor", and when should you write one? Explain what is meant by "encapsulation" Explain your understanding of "structured exception handling" I'd probably through in a couple about STL too. What if he's interviewing for an ASP .Net position?:)
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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Personally, I've always thought that interviewers that prepare technical questions ahead of time are missing the total point. You cannot do that and do much justice to the applicant. I mean yeah, you can discuss for loops, recursion, dynamic programming and sorting. Stick to the basics for your canned questions (if you are going to use them, I think canned questions stink). I have yet to be in an interview where the skills in question were not quickly observed or not. You need to look at the applicants resume. I'd go through it carefully. If after going through it carefully you still like the candidate you need to do some more research. If they indicate you can contact present/past employers do it. Don't ask the employers about the candidate ask the employers about the systems the candidate worked on. What challenges had to be overcome in writing the system? What philosophies were used to manage changes, bugs and new code. Start forming an idea in your head of the skills the developer should be bringing to the table after you've done some research. Then go in to the interview with a customized set of questions. Talk about former systems and the challenges. Get a feel for how the developer approaches solving problems. I've always believed a developers answers to solving problems are important but nothing in comparison to how he/she approaches solving problems. Get a feel for that. Get a feel for what it would be like to work with that developer. Most importantly, if your business frequently requires unusual hours or a heavy support burden after hours make that known up front. Developers will piss and moan until the cows come home about support rotation and trouble-shooting. If you make it known in the interview what the expectations are and they still accept the job then you have grounds for saying, "Hey, we told you up front. You accepted the job. Now cork it and get it done." My advice, don't can or script your interviews in an assembly line way. Take the time each applicant really deserves to prepare an interview that is customized for them. They've taken the time to select you as a company. If they are worth anything they have learned as much about your company as they could before coming there. It's your obligation to do the same about them. I think it establishes a healthy relationship from the beginning and it keeps everything in the proper context for an interview. You can talk about design patterns if you wish but if the developers experience has never involved the use of patterns then he/sh
code-frog wrote: Don't make it canned. Nobody likes a canned product. That's why my only fixed questions are philosophical. Anything programming is based on their resume. If they say they were involved as a group leader working on a communication project for xx company. I ask about the group dynamics, the processes of keeping up with the code base, delivery schedules, etc. If they did the work they say they did, then they can answer about the work they did, which means they know what they should know to get the job done. :) _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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I am trying to come up with a set of questions that will form the initial screening round for all candiates at our company. Any thoughts about questions/concepts that should defintely be known by any programmer?
I always think that the idea of a compiler that compiles another compiler or itself is rather incestuous in a binary way. - Colin Davies My .Net Blog
You might also ask: 1. Are you a known terrorist? If yes, which countries are you currently wanted in? Will we get a reward for turning you in? 2. Are you an aspiring terrorist? If yes, please provide us a list of names and addresses for your friends. We'd like to interview them to. ;) 3. Have you ever considered being a terrorist? If yes, please tell us what kept you from becoming one and please leave your briefcase at home when you arrive for your interview. 4. Have you ever built a bomb? Thought of using a bomb? Strapped a bomb to your body? If so when, where and how did you survive? Please note that due to discrimination laws in the U.S. we cannot preclude you from employment in our company. In fact in a few more years you'll probably be able to legally marry other terrorists and get health insurance. We will even allow you to adopt small terrorists or older ones who need a good home. We just like to know these things up front so we can keep with current national and state level requirements for making sure we are an equal opportunity employer. Have a nice day! {If you cannot read the above and appreciate the humor in it then I apologize. It was written in a spirit of humor that resulted from an IM session between myself and a peer on this topic.} - Rex
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
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A couple I'd ask would be: What is "const", and when should you use it, esp. in OOP? What is a "copy constructor", and when should you write one? Explain what is meant by "encapsulation" Explain your understanding of "structured exception handling" I'd probably through in a couple about STL too. Really, these are the question's I'd like to scream at the people who originally wrote the code I'm currently "maintaining". These basic's can go a long way, the lack of them can (and do!) make my head spin.
-Dy
good ones ... why the "esp. in OOP" for the const explaination ?
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1. Explain some difference between an abstract class and an interface 2. what is a virtual method 3. Explain some difference between in process and out of process 4. How big is a byte in bits 5. Describe the decorator design pattern Regards Ray "Je Suis Mort De Rire"
Lets not forget some of the 'soft skills' 6. How to run a 'productive' meeting. 7. How to talk to 'people' using a minimum of 3 buzz words per paragraph. 8. How to NOT respond to every problem with 'it runs fine on my test box'.
George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things." Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote: If the physicists find a universal theory describing the laws of universe, I'm sure the asshole constant will be an integral part of that theory.
My Blog[^]
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feline_dracoform wrote: preferably including a few new ones for me to learn and use on those *really* bad days I can't speak more than English, but I can swear a little in 3 languages. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Jeffry J. Brickley wrote: ...but I can swear a little in 3 languages. Is one of them Klingon? Qu'vatlh
George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things." Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote: If the physicists find a universal theory describing the laws of universe, I'm sure the asshole constant will be an integral part of that theory.
My Blog[^]
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You might also ask: 1. Are you a known terrorist? If yes, which countries are you currently wanted in? Will we get a reward for turning you in? 2. Are you an aspiring terrorist? If yes, please provide us a list of names and addresses for your friends. We'd like to interview them to. ;) 3. Have you ever considered being a terrorist? If yes, please tell us what kept you from becoming one and please leave your briefcase at home when you arrive for your interview. 4. Have you ever built a bomb? Thought of using a bomb? Strapped a bomb to your body? If so when, where and how did you survive? Please note that due to discrimination laws in the U.S. we cannot preclude you from employment in our company. In fact in a few more years you'll probably be able to legally marry other terrorists and get health insurance. We will even allow you to adopt small terrorists or older ones who need a good home. We just like to know these things up front so we can keep with current national and state level requirements for making sure we are an equal opportunity employer. Have a nice day! {If you cannot read the above and appreciate the humor in it then I apologize. It was written in a spirit of humor that resulted from an IM session between myself and a peer on this topic.} - Rex
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.
hehehhe Sad thing is that you would probably be sued for asking this :) Tends to lean a bit on the applicant's political affiliations and is not really allowed. It is kind of like asking an applicant if they are a Democrat or a Republican. You can do it after they are hired but not before.
George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things." Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote: If the physicists find a universal theory describing the laws of universe, I'm sure the asshole constant will be an integral part of that theory.
My Blog[^]
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1. Explain some difference between an abstract class and an interface 2. what is a virtual method 3. Explain some difference between in process and out of process 4. How big is a byte in bits 5. Describe the decorator design pattern Regards Ray "Je Suis Mort De Rire"
I think you should question how well their style meshes with the team. It is a lot easy to teach someone the definition of polymorphism than it is to teach yourself not to throttle some prat during crunch-time.
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hehehhe Sad thing is that you would probably be sued for asking this :) Tends to lean a bit on the applicant's political affiliations and is not really allowed. It is kind of like asking an applicant if they are a Democrat or a Republican. You can do it after they are hired but not before.
George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things." Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote: If the physicists find a universal theory describing the laws of universe, I'm sure the asshole constant will be an integral part of that theory.
My Blog[^]
Ray Cassick wrote: you would probably be sued for asking this There is that. But I imagine you would never get an honest answer from a real terrorist either. Which makes asking the question a bit of a waste of time unless you are the CIA/FBI/MVP/BOB/Etc... :laugh:
I know you can't become if you only say what you would have done and you'll miss a million miles of fun." - Len Work hard, play hard. Don't forget who you are and don't forget where you're from. Do all these things well and you won't have to wonder where you are going.