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Interview, Land a Job, and Get a Raise: An Unconventional Method for Programmers

15 points by evantai 10y ago

NotQuantum 10y ago
I'm not sure about anyone else but this guy's cocksure tone came off as really arrogant. I applaud him for being able to land a job with little programming experience, but playing that fast and loose isn't a good tactic for anyone in my opinion.
- Obi_Juan_Kenobi 10y ago
  I'd hope it's a writing issue, as I certainly agree that, should someone present themselves like this, it would seem very transparent. I think it's fine to strategize in such ways, but you have to be a savvy communicator to pull off this level of ... scheming?
  - evantai 10y ago
    haha possibly. I was never much of a writer. I wouldn't necessarily call it scheming though. It's just trying to increase your odds of success in a system that can be exploited.
    - NotQuantum 10y ago
      That's exactly the issue. If you go into the field of software development thinking that you can just "exploit" your way to the top you'll find yourself falling short. That kind of mentality leads to poor deliverable.
      - evantai 10y ago
        You can never just exploit your way to the top. You need more than just interview skills to do that. You need many many more skills. However, most developers that I have met that are fantastic programmers have a real issue interviewing and they never get a chance to demonstrate their true value at a company.
- evantai 10y ago
  Hi NotQuantum, thank you for reading the article. These methods may seem a bit brash, and frankly I agree that they are. However, from my experience I have found that if you don't stand out from the crowd when applying to jobs you lower your chances. At the end of the day, your work ethic and quality of work determines whether you are a successful employee or not, but most people don't even get the chance to show their true value because of the flawed and archaic hiring processes that we have currently in the industry.
martimoose 10y ago
I've been programming professionally for 15 years, I have been doing serious React/Redux for the past 6 months. I am far from considering me an expert "Reactor", or even an expert programmer for that matter. I wouldn't honestly be able to "express how much better I am than everyone else", because that is simply not true. And if anyone told me how better they are than anybody else, I'd probably see this as a big red flag. Now, this guy began learning code 6 months ago and is better than anyone else? Wow. Either a) he is much more intelligent and talented than I am (this is not sarcastic, it is entirely possible) or b) we have a case of the Dunning–Kruger effect.
- evantai 10y ago
  Thank you for the comment martinmoose. Please note that I never mention I am better than the other developers. As a matter of fact I specifically mention that is not the case in the conclusion of the article. What I do say is that with new tools such as React/Redux, you have the ability to become an expert because it is so NEW and long time programmers like yourself are also learning it at the same time as newbies. So in a year time, the difference between you and I when it comes to React/Redux might not be different, despite the difference in years at the job. That is what you should be convincing your interviewer: That your growth potential is higher than the rest.... plus all the other things beyond just technical experience.

15 points by evantai 10y ago

I'm not sure about anyone else but this guy's cocksure tone came off as really arrogant. I applaud him for being able to land a job with little programming experience, but playing that fast and loose isn't a good tactic for anyone in my opinion.

Obi_Juan_Kenobi 10y ago
I'd hope it's a writing issue, as I certainly agree that, should someone present themselves like this, it would seem very transparent. I think it's fine to strategize in such ways, but you have to be a savvy communicator to pull off this level of ... scheming?
- evantai 10y ago
  haha possibly. I was never much of a writer. I wouldn't necessarily call it scheming though. It's just trying to increase your odds of success in a system that can be exploited.
  - NotQuantum 10y ago
    That's exactly the issue. If you go into the field of software development thinking that you can just "exploit" your way to the top you'll find yourself falling short. That kind of mentality leads to poor deliverable.
    - evantai 10y ago
      You can never just exploit your way to the top. You need more than just interview skills to do that. You need many many more skills. However, most developers that I have met that are fantastic programmers have a real issue interviewing and they never get a chance to demonstrate their true value at a company.
evantai 10y ago
Hi NotQuantum, thank you for reading the article. These methods may seem a bit brash, and frankly I agree that they are. However, from my experience I have found that if you don't stand out from the crowd when applying to jobs you lower your chances. At the end of the day, your work ethic and quality of work determines whether you are a successful employee or not, but most people don't even get the chance to show their true value because of the flawed and archaic hiring processes that we have currently in the industry.

martimoose 10y ago

I've been programming professionally for 15 years, I have been doing serious React/Redux for the past 6 months. I am far from considering me an expert "Reactor", or even an expert programmer for that matter. I wouldn't honestly be able to "express how much better I am than everyone else", because that is simply not true. And if anyone told me how better they are than anybody else, I'd probably see this as a big red flag. Now, this guy began learning code 6 months ago and is better than anyone else? Wow. Either a) he is much more intelligent and talented than I am (this is not sarcastic, it is entirely possible) or b) we have a case of the Dunning–Kruger effect.

evantai 10y ago
Thank you for the comment martinmoose. Please note that I never mention I am better than the other developers. As a matter of fact I specifically mention that is not the case in the conclusion of the article. What I do say is that with new tools such as React/Redux, you have the ability to become an expert because it is so NEW and long time programmers like yourself are also learning it at the same time as newbies. So in a year time, the difference between you and I when it comes to React/Redux might not be different, despite the difference in years at the job. That is what you should be convincing your interviewer: That your growth potential is higher than the rest.... plus all the other things beyond just technical experience.