In the interview you too can ask questions. For example, "Is this job mostly about slogging through poorly documented Java framework code?" Maybe you can phrase

In the interview you too can ask questions. For example, "Is this job mostly about slogging through poorly documented Java framework code?" Maybe you can phrase it more politely. But then again a manager should welcome candor. "I want to do __________, __________, and __________. I hope that there's not much _________, _________, and ________." Then again, you can't always trust the interviewer. Ideally you would somehow find people in that job at that company and ask them what it's like. I know it's odd, but a friend of mine who is a tech recruiter recommended it. Instead of waiting for a job posting, research which jobs and which companies you most want, and then try to network your way into them, job posting or not. Regardless, you are right, why don't interview questions better line up with jobs? I think I'm in the opposite boat. I like cleaning up code but would probably flunk a flurry of theoretical algorithm tests. Be sure that programming is what you most want to do, given that so many of the jobs are about keeping up old code. Is there anything that has some of the things you like about programming but less of the things you don't like?