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I once had to do a take home project... the spec said I could write either a console application or a GUI. Fast forward to the in person meeting, they go throu

I once had to do a take home project... the spec said I could write either a console application or a GUI. Fast forward to the in person meeting, they go through my solution and nitpick random things like "why use NuGet packages" or "why no test cases" (I had written them but they got mysteriously removed from the solution). Finally the CTO speaks up and asked why I didn't write a GUI, as many other candidates had (mind you this was an application that accepted inputs and ran a calculation). I responded, "it's less effort to write a console application and the assignment said it was acceptable". CTO then snarkily asks me "do you always do the minimum"? I should have snarkily responded "only when I'm asked to code for free". Thankfully did not get an offer...

sverige 10y ago
I think that situation calls for the candidate to preemptively make the decision that it's not a good fit. Who wants to work for a place that is obviously willing to waste your time and then insult you for it?
abawany 10y ago
My response to the 'why not GUI' question would have been different: 'console applications are more versatile, easier to run across multiple platforms, and can be invoked by build and automation tools. I also feel that they might be friendlier from an accessibility point of view than GUIs.' I am not BS-ing - I really like console apps. I agree with you that you dodged a bullet there. Any place that lays a false choice trap for you in this manner is not one that deserves the best candidates.
cwkoss 10y ago
"Does your company choose to do things the hard way over the easy way just because it's hard?"
Terr_ 10y ago
"Do you want your employees to divert their time to building functionality that you explicitly identified as unimportant in the requirements-gathering phase??"
namelezz 10y ago
ROFL. I would reply "You begin to sound like my gf, expecting me to magically know what she actually wants."
lacampbell 10y ago
CTO then snarkily asks me "do you always do the minimum"? I would have responded "Yes". The less we do, the less scope to go wrong, the less maintenance we have, etc etc. In fact I don't want to work with anyone who would answer "No" to that.
- moftz 10y ago
  If it was a company that does a lot of contracting, then doing the minimum (to spec) is pretty much required. Do anything more than what the customer asked for and you are wasting resources.

sverige 10y ago

I think that situation calls for the candidate to preemptively make the decision that it's not a good fit. Who wants to work for a place that is obviously willing to waste your time and then insult you for it?

abawany 10y ago

My response to the 'why not GUI' question would have been different: 'console applications are more versatile, easier to run across multiple platforms, and can be invoked by build and automation tools. I also feel that they might be friendlier from an accessibility point of view than GUIs.' I am not BS-ing - I really like console apps. I agree with you that you dodged a bullet there. Any place that lays a false choice trap for you in this manner is not one that deserves the best candidates.

cwkoss 10y ago

"Does your company choose to do things the hard way over the easy way just because it's hard?"

Terr_ 10y ago

"Do you want your employees to divert their time to building functionality that you explicitly identified as unimportant in the requirements-gathering phase??"

namelezz 10y ago

ROFL. I would reply "You begin to sound like my gf, expecting me to magically know what she actually wants."

lacampbell 10y ago

CTO then snarkily asks me "do you always do the minimum"? I would have responded "Yes". The less we do, the less scope to go wrong, the less maintenance we have, etc etc. In fact I don't want to work with anyone who would answer "No" to that.

moftz 10y ago
If it was a company that does a lot of contracting, then doing the minimum (to spec) is pretty much required. Do anything more than what the customer asked for and you are wasting resources.