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The other thing is that these interviews almost always enforce no Internet access. If I was in a position to hire, I'm looking for people who can solve problems

The other thing is that these interviews almost always enforce no Internet access. If I was in a position to hire, I'm looking for people who can solve problems, not those who can remember the Java API in their head. If their first instinct is to open Javadoc, then my reaction should be "good, they know where to look for to make sure it's correct" not "God, why can't they just do this [arbitrary task]?" I'm hoping to finish my PhD and become a professor in Computer Science. My plan, given university constraints, is to never once offer a written final. I've not once taken an exam where I was confident just writing code down. It doesn't make sense. Offer them a final on a computer with Internet access, but with a sufficiently difficult problem that it can't just be Googled for a complete answer. Their web access logs are turned in with their exam, so I can see if they copied something if it looks suspect, or if they're borderline I can give extra credit for going through a mental process that shows promise.

Someone 16y ago
"If I was in a position to hire, I'm looking for people who can solve problems, not those who can remember the Java API in their head" That is what makes the whiteboard such a good tool: when working on a whiteboard, you can focus on the problem, not on pesky details. A whiteboard will never complain about API issues, function naming, etc. Not even by using squiggly underlines.
- matwood 16y ago
  I agree and think people are getting caught up with writing complete running code on a whiteboard which should not be what the whiteboard is for. A whiteboard is for writing pseudocode to quickly build algorithms, work on design or solve other 'thinking' type problems. It's not for testing if someone knows obscure syntax issues (there are actual tests for that!). In school we were taught to work through algorithms and other design using pseudocode and pencil and paper. Doing this also helped reenforce that languages are very interchangeable using the same algorithms and designs. I wonder if that is simply not done anymore in school?

Someone 16y ago

"If I was in a position to hire, I'm looking for people who can solve problems, not those who can remember the Java API in their head" That is what makes the whiteboard such a good tool: when working on a whiteboard, you can focus on the problem, not on pesky details. A whiteboard will never complain about API issues, function naming, etc. Not even by using squiggly underlines.

matwood 16y ago
I agree and think people are getting caught up with writing complete running code on a whiteboard which should not be what the whiteboard is for. A whiteboard is for writing pseudocode to quickly build algorithms, work on design or solve other 'thinking' type problems. It's not for testing if someone knows obscure syntax issues (there are actual tests for that!). In school we were taught to work through algorithms and other design using pseudocode and pencil and paper. Doing this also helped reenforce that languages are very interchangeable using the same algorithms and designs. I wonder if that is simply not done anymore in school?