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When you get stuck, start talking. You should not be silent at the whiteboard trying to flash out a complete solution all at once. Talk. Even if interviewers

by alexeiz 10y ago

When you get stuck, start talking. You should not be silent at the whiteboard trying to flash out a complete solution all at once. Talk. Even if interviewers are not saying anything or ask you any more questions. There are multiple advantages of talking while writing code at the whiteboard. Firstly, you show the interviewers the way you think and approach the problem. It is as important as actually solving the problem. Secondly, if you get stuck or start making unreasonable assumptions about the problem, the interviewers will have a chance to quickly correct you or give you a hint. Thirdly, it shows that you can communicate. Nobody wants to hire a person who can't communicate with other people.

meowlicious 10y ago
I don't find talking and thinking at the same time natural. 'Just think out loud' seems so unnatural to me, I never do it in daily life. I am used to thinking to deep house music not to interviewers staring at me like hungry wolves. Its hard to communicate with someone who already knows the solution to question because you are thinking together and feeding off of each others thoughts like in a normal work situation. I think the idea of modern open office is built on the same idea that people would be thinking, communicating and collaborating at the same time, but I hate open offices for this precise reason.
andersonmvd 10y ago
It's a band-aid for an unfixed root cause. Solving problems by talking doesn't work for all people. It astonishes me how broken interview processes are. They just need to see if the candidate will be able to do the daily job of a current employee in that position. It's that simple. It doesn't require whiteboards, puzzles, 10 interviews. Put the candidate to work on a project that you currently facing and see his performance. Doing something other than that is bullshit.
Apocryphon 10y ago
An interview process is inherently asymmetrical- the evaluated is in a vulnerable position. So it feels like Mark Twain's not-quote([0]) would apply - "It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt." What I'm saying is that there's an underlying fear of looking bad when spouting off your mental rough drafts, during an interview. What would be helpful if interviewers were clear about their expectations, as in, "You will be graded on your overall approach, not your initial ideas." or "We don't take points off for hints." [0] http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/17/remain-silent http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/17/remain-silent
pimlottc 10y ago
I think this is generally good advice but it's possible to overdo it. I noticed on my last round of interviews that I was vocalizing my internal thoughts so much that it was hard to concentrate and think deeply. I'm still working on finding a good middle ground.
y2kenny 10y ago
In my experience, as an introvert and an ESL (even after living in North America for 20+ year and been educated here from high school onward), the need to verbalize thoughts actually compound on the stress more. I understand why I should be talking (I am sure all your points are valid) but I just can't help it. I'd say the only comparable level of stress and anxiety is dating.

by alexeiz 10y ago

meowlicious 10y ago

I don't find talking and thinking at the same time natural. 'Just think out loud' seems so unnatural to me, I never do it in daily life. I am used to thinking to deep house music not to interviewers staring at me like hungry wolves. Its hard to communicate with someone who already knows the solution to question because you are thinking together and feeding off of each others thoughts like in a normal work situation. I think the idea of modern open office is built on the same idea that people would be thinking, communicating and collaborating at the same time, but I hate open offices for this precise reason.

andersonmvd 10y ago

It's a band-aid for an unfixed root cause. Solving problems by talking doesn't work for all people. It astonishes me how broken interview processes are. They just need to see if the candidate will be able to do the daily job of a current employee in that position. It's that simple. It doesn't require whiteboards, puzzles, 10 interviews. Put the candidate to work on a project that you currently facing and see his performance. Doing something other than that is bullshit.

Apocryphon 10y ago

An interview process is inherently asymmetrical- the evaluated is in a vulnerable position. So it feels like Mark Twain's not-quote([0]) would apply - "It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt." What I'm saying is that there's an underlying fear of looking bad when spouting off your mental rough drafts, during an interview. What would be helpful if interviewers were clear about their expectations, as in, "You will be graded on your overall approach, not your initial ideas." or "We don't take points off for hints." [0] http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/17/remain-silent http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/05/17/remain-silent

pimlottc 10y ago

I think this is generally good advice but it's possible to overdo it. I noticed on my last round of interviews that I was vocalizing my internal thoughts so much that it was hard to concentrate and think deeply. I'm still working on finding a good middle ground.

y2kenny 10y ago

In my experience, as an introvert and an ESL (even after living in North America for 20+ year and been educated here from high school onward), the need to verbalize thoughts actually compound on the stress more. I understand why I should be talking (I am sure all your points are valid) but I just can't help it. I'd say the only comparable level of stress and anxiety is dating.