3 ms·

Or maybe you're more comfortable on your laptop compared to a random pc ?

EliRivers 10y ago
On a personal note, I'm far more comfortable with a proper keyboard and a big monitor (or two), and frankly, so long as the OS has a couple of standard editors and the standard build tools, surely everyone can start working pretty much instantly? How long does it take to find the terminal and start typing? If a candidate's laptop is some kind of security blanket, or they can't do anything without exactly their particular micro-choice of environment, that's not a good thing. Provide a desktop for the candidate to use. Make sure it's got vim, emacs, gedit, and whatever the cool kids use now (sublime?). Make sure it's got a recent set of tools for the technology at hand. GCC and build tools or the equivalent standard. Job done.
- deleted 10y ago
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- kaishiro 10y ago
  ...or just let them bring in their own laptop. Obviously making it a mandatory function of the interview isn't a good idea, but you can learn a lot from someone by seeing how they've setup their tooling.
- dkersten 10y ago
  "On a personal note, I'm far more comfortable with a proper keyboard and a big monitor (or two)" This is how I used my laptop for years (I still use big monitors, but I don't usually use an external keyboard now, although I'm thinking getting another cherry mx blue keyboard). When I'm working, I use the external monitors as the primary and the laptop screen for slack/documentation (since its not at nice eye-height). It works very well. I even know people who leave their laptops closed when they work, using purely external monitor and external keyboard/mouse. A laptop is just a portable desktop. But for programming, I'm much more comfortable in my environment using my tools and configuration (for example, I'm a colemak typist, vim is my preferred editor, etc). I mean, I think a machine should be provided in case the candidate doesn't bring one (or doesn't want to; or like you, prefers to use desktops), but allowing the candidate the option of using their own helps set them up for success as they can use their own familiar environment, while forcing people to use something unfamiliar may be setting them up for failure.
- jghn 10y ago
  It's a little more complicated than that. Maybe they're a Windows user and your machine is OSX, or vice versa. Maybe your keybindings are different than what they use. In my normal workday you're right, that wouldn't be a big deal. But in the high pressure situation of a timed interview environment it can freak people out. We tell candidates that we'll provide a laptop for them if they don't have one but also tell them to feel free to bring in their own. Also to turn your statement around a bit, perhaps one could claim that your need to have a big monitor (or two) is your own security blanket, and that you should be able to work without one. In my office some people have oodles of monitors. Some people just use their laptops. Some are a bit of both. Everyone has their preferences.
  - EliRivers 10y ago
    Also to turn your statement around a bit, perhaps one could claim that your need to have a big monitor (or two) is your own security blanket, and that you should be able to work without one. The day a job interviewer tells me to bring in my desktop and monitor selection with me, I'll be the first to complain. It was "just a personal note". My point is that telling people to bring their own laptop in for a job interview is odd enough to object to.

On a personal note, I'm far more comfortable with a proper keyboard and a big monitor (or two), and frankly, so long as the OS has a couple of standard editors and the standard build tools, surely everyone can start working pretty much instantly? How long does it take to find the terminal and start typing? If a candidate's laptop is some kind of security blanket, or they can't do anything without exactly their particular micro-choice of environment, that's not a good thing. Provide a desktop for the candidate to use. Make sure it's got vim, emacs, gedit, and whatever the cool kids use now (sublime?). Make sure it's got a recent set of tools for the technology at hand. GCC and build tools or the equivalent standard. Job done.

deleted 10y ago
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kaishiro 10y ago
...or just let them bring in their own laptop. Obviously making it a mandatory function of the interview isn't a good idea, but you can learn a lot from someone by seeing how they've setup their tooling.
dkersten 10y ago
"On a personal note, I'm far more comfortable with a proper keyboard and a big monitor (or two)" This is how I used my laptop for years (I still use big monitors, but I don't usually use an external keyboard now, although I'm thinking getting another cherry mx blue keyboard). When I'm working, I use the external monitors as the primary and the laptop screen for slack/documentation (since its not at nice eye-height). It works very well. I even know people who leave their laptops closed when they work, using purely external monitor and external keyboard/mouse. A laptop is just a portable desktop. But for programming, I'm much more comfortable in my environment using my tools and configuration (for example, I'm a colemak typist, vim is my preferred editor, etc). I mean, I think a machine should be provided in case the candidate doesn't bring one (or doesn't want to; or like you, prefers to use desktops), but allowing the candidate the option of using their own helps set them up for success as they can use their own familiar environment, while forcing people to use something unfamiliar may be setting them up for failure.
jghn 10y ago
It's a little more complicated than that. Maybe they're a Windows user and your machine is OSX, or vice versa. Maybe your keybindings are different than what they use. In my normal workday you're right, that wouldn't be a big deal. But in the high pressure situation of a timed interview environment it can freak people out. We tell candidates that we'll provide a laptop for them if they don't have one but also tell them to feel free to bring in their own. Also to turn your statement around a bit, perhaps one could claim that your need to have a big monitor (or two) is your own security blanket, and that you should be able to work without one. In my office some people have oodles of monitors. Some people just use their laptops. Some are a bit of both. Everyone has their preferences.
- EliRivers 10y ago
  Also to turn your statement around a bit, perhaps one could claim that your need to have a big monitor (or two) is your own security blanket, and that you should be able to work without one. The day a job interviewer tells me to bring in my desktop and monitor selection with me, I'll be the first to complain. It was "just a personal note". My point is that telling people to bring their own laptop in for a job interview is odd enough to object to.