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The majority of my successful senior programmers do not have any private code to show off. Reasoning and ability to think abstract is important and impossible t
by hvidgaard 7y ago
The majority of my successful senior programmers do not have any private code to show off. Reasoning and ability to think abstract is important and impossible to judge from code they have written. I need programmers that can do those thing in a reasonable time frame and in a group.
Most junior programmers have code to show, and most of the time I don't use it for anything. I'd rather do some FizzBuzz level whiteboard that we spend some time discussing and extend on. It gives a far better picture of their future as a developer. I know this excludes some, but that's the trade off I'm making.
I call references every time, but calling around willy nilly is not a good idea. Apart from the fact that it's not legal, most of the time I get "Yes I've worked with X as a developer for Y years" and nothing more.
- irq11 7y ago”The majority of my successful senior programmers do not have any private code to show off.” You’re exaggerating or you are an extreme exception. Given the number of qualifiers (“successful senior programmers”, “private code”) I strongly suspect you’re just trying to find a reason to justify your opinion. What I see in your comment is someone who has decided the answer, and refuses to consider alternatives.
- hvidgaard 7y agoMore than half have no code "they own" or OSS contributions they would show off to an interview (the last part is important). That's neither an exaggeration nor trying to find a justification. They are fathers, amateur musicians, or like to restore old cars. Just to mention a few things. Could they spend 5-10 hours weekly writing code and hacking things together? Yes, but that would be a significant chunk of their spare time, so understandably they do not.