3 ms·

Can't fully agree in quite a few points. I understand how the author got that feeling tho. Doing interviews is always eating away at one's confidence, no matter

by erikb 9y ago

Can't fully agree in quite a few points. I understand how the author got that feeling tho. Doing interviews is always eating away at one's confidence, no matter who you are. 1. no one believes anyone can actually code - I experience quite the opposite. People expect others to be able to code just because they are currently employed as software developer. That's not true at all. Sooo many people can't. 2. Coding interviews are not about findign the solution but about showing some skills, showing how you handle things under pressure, your ability to explain what you do etc. 3. homework assignments are not done in professional environments. 4. interviews matter more to you: I agree and really hate this. You need to give 120% before you even get to the point where you can choose what you want. And at this point you suddenly have 90% of the power and often not enough energy anymore to make anything good out of it. 5. And yes it's even part of the job of the company to NOT let you know why you weren't hired. Still, I think you often know after the interview how it seemed. Good feeling = chance, no good feeling = no chance, weird feeling = usually weird job as well. PS: One side note. A senior coding position might feel age discriminatory because senior is for talented ~28 year olds to mediocre ~40 year olds. A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs.

amorphid 9y ago
>> 1. no one believes anyone can actually code - I experience quite the opposite. People expect others to be able to code just because they are currently employed as software developer. That's not true at all. Sooo many people can't. It's fair to assess someone's ability to code. It's also fair to for the interviewee to expect the interviewer to demonstrate an ability to review code. >> 2. Coding interviews are not about findign the solution but about showing some skills, showing how you handle things under pressure, your ability to explain what you do etc. Until I have something better to go on, I assume the interview process is a good proxy for what it'd be like to work with you. If I think you're hazing me, even if I 100% ace your interview, I simply won't want to work with you. >> PS: One side note. A senior coding position might feel age discriminatory because senior is for talented ~28 year olds to mediocre ~40 year olds. A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. Is that a serious comment?
EnFinlay 9y ago
> PS: One side note. A senior coding position might feel age discriminatory because senior is for talented ~28 year olds to mediocre ~40 year olds. A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. In other words, it might feel like there's age discrimination because of the age discrimination?
- erikb 8y ago
  If you find the best way to describe the situation in 2 words then I have no problem if you say "age discrimination". But you shouldn't use it as excuse to not get what you want. E.g. you want to still code with 50? Then spend your 30s building a network, then go into consulting. (giving up some safety in return) E.g. you also don't want to bother with career? Join a big, strong company in your 20s and never switch jobs. (giving up some money in return) E.g. you rather want the flexibility and safety that comes from switching companies sometimes? Move up the ladder. (reducing the amount of time spent coding on the way up) There is always something that can be done, and even planned for.
smsm42 9y ago
> A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. Why? What's wrong with coding when you're 50 if you like doing it? That sounds like completely prejudiced and baseless claim.
- erikb 8y ago
  Well I don't create the rules. Think of someone who does Judo for 20 years and still only wears a yellow belt. It seems like this person has no skill. The first impression is already negative, if one has a 20 something and a 50 something competing(!) for the same position. Also the lowest level of each money-making hierarchy is usually where the unacceptable stuff happens. In IT it's this huge amount of new languages, new frameworks, new patterns that a 50 year old usually can't get into that easily anymore, to some degree because he knows it's just a hype that will be over soon. Even being 32 years old I get that feeling quite often already. And let's say you really want to just code. Why didn't you spend the last 25 years of your career building a network and now simply do consulting work for $300+/h instead of working as employee for less than half? Now that I said all of it, I have to say that I actually even agree with it. Everybody should have a plan how he builds and spends his career. And "I do the same thing for 30 years" is neither a plan nor a smart thing to do in IT. You could call it the disadvantage of individualism. You're free to do what you want, but that also means you are responsible yourself to find a way that works with the reality you face.
  - smsm42 8y ago
    > Think of someone who does Judo for 20 years and still only wears a yellow belt. This assumes developing software is somehow an inferior practice to management. Nothing could be further from the truth. > if one has a 20 something and a 50 something competing(!) for the same position. If a person with nearly no experience and a person with 30 years of practical experience compete for a position, you'd choose one with no experience? Odd decision. > Why didn't you spend the last 25 years of your career building a network and now simply do consulting work for $300+/h instead of working as employee for less than half Again, you are assuming than developing software is somehow inferior practice to management. Again, this is baloney. And why one would want to trade doing what one loves (development) to messing with contracts, bills, accounting, CRM, etc.? Of course, some people might, but presenting it as the only way to go is nonsense. > And "I do the same thing for 30 years" is neither a plan nor a smart thing to do in IT. Coding is not "the same thing". Developing software is an amazingly diverse profession. Of course, you don't have to stay with a profession if you don't like it anymore, but presenting it as if somebody who does is stupid and has no plan is a complete nonsense.

by erikb 9y ago

amorphid 9y ago

>> 1. no one believes anyone can actually code - I experience quite the opposite. People expect others to be able to code just because they are currently employed as software developer. That's not true at all. Sooo many people can't. It's fair to assess someone's ability to code. It's also fair to for the interviewee to expect the interviewer to demonstrate an ability to review code. >> 2. Coding interviews are not about findign the solution but about showing some skills, showing how you handle things under pressure, your ability to explain what you do etc. Until I have something better to go on, I assume the interview process is a good proxy for what it'd be like to work with you. If I think you're hazing me, even if I 100% ace your interview, I simply won't want to work with you. >> PS: One side note. A senior coding position might feel age discriminatory because senior is for talented ~28 year olds to mediocre ~40 year olds. A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. Is that a serious comment?

EnFinlay 9y ago

> PS: One side note. A senior coding position might feel age discriminatory because senior is for talented ~28 year olds to mediocre ~40 year olds. A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. In other words, it might feel like there's age discrimination because of the age discrimination?

erikb 8y ago
If you find the best way to describe the situation in 2 words then I have no problem if you say "age discrimination". But you shouldn't use it as excuse to not get what you want. E.g. you want to still code with 50? Then spend your 30s building a network, then go into consulting. (giving up some safety in return) E.g. you also don't want to bother with career? Join a big, strong company in your 20s and never switch jobs. (giving up some money in return) E.g. you rather want the flexibility and safety that comes from switching companies sometimes? Move up the ladder. (reducing the amount of time spent coding on the way up) There is always something that can be done, and even planned for.

smsm42 9y ago

> A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. Why? What's wrong with coding when you're 50 if you like doing it? That sounds like completely prejudiced and baseless claim.

erikb 8y ago
Well I don't create the rules. Think of someone who does Judo for 20 years and still only wears a yellow belt. It seems like this person has no skill. The first impression is already negative, if one has a 20 something and a 50 something competing(!) for the same position. Also the lowest level of each money-making hierarchy is usually where the unacceptable stuff happens. In IT it's this huge amount of new languages, new frameworks, new patterns that a 50 year old usually can't get into that easily anymore, to some degree because he knows it's just a hype that will be over soon. Even being 32 years old I get that feeling quite often already. And let's say you really want to just code. Why didn't you spend the last 25 years of your career building a network and now simply do consulting work for $300+/h instead of working as employee for less than half? Now that I said all of it, I have to say that I actually even agree with it. Everybody should have a plan how he builds and spends his career. And "I do the same thing for 30 years" is neither a plan nor a smart thing to do in IT. You could call it the disadvantage of individualism. You're free to do what you want, but that also means you are responsible yourself to find a way that works with the reality you face.
- smsm42 8y ago
  > Think of someone who does Judo for 20 years and still only wears a yellow belt. This assumes developing software is somehow an inferior practice to management. Nothing could be further from the truth. > if one has a 20 something and a 50 something competing(!) for the same position. If a person with nearly no experience and a person with 30 years of practical experience compete for a position, you'd choose one with no experience? Odd decision. > Why didn't you spend the last 25 years of your career building a network and now simply do consulting work for $300+/h instead of working as employee for less than half Again, you are assuming than developing software is somehow inferior practice to management. Again, this is baloney. And why one would want to trade doing what one loves (development) to messing with contracts, bills, accounting, CRM, etc.? Of course, some people might, but presenting it as the only way to go is nonsense. > And "I do the same thing for 30 years" is neither a plan nor a smart thing to do in IT. Coding is not "the same thing". Developing software is an amazingly diverse profession. Of course, you don't have to stay with a profession if you don't like it anymore, but presenting it as if somebody who does is stupid and has no plan is a complete nonsense.