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> I posit that software engineering is probably the most egalitarian method of socioeconomic mobility, because the only real barrier is time, a laptop, the inte

> I posit that software engineering is probably the most egalitarian method of socioeconomic mobility, because the only real barrier is time, a laptop, the internet and motivation, while all the other methods require an upper-middle class background and expensive schooling (law, medicine, finance) or just plain luck (business, celebrity art & sports) As much as we all hate the tech interview process, it's a relatively level playing field as far as hiring goes. It's not perfect, of course, but we have to select on something. As engineers we have a level of free access to study tools and material that my friends in other professions envy. The alternative to skills testing is to rely more on credentials, references, and background. People who come from elite universities or lucked into prestigious jobs early in their career tend to prefer this type of interview process because it benefits them the most while excluding those who are trying to break into the industry. The benefit of skills-based testing, however imperfect, is that it opens the door for people who have skills but not the right background or credentials to skip through the ranks and get a foot in the door.

collyw 6y ago
> it's a relatively level playing field as far as hiring goes I am not sure that is true at all. People with family or basically any commitments outside of work don't have anywhere near as much time to practice for this sort of thing and why should they need to practice for an interview? You do the job every day, if that isn't enough then the interview is clearly testing for the wrong thing.
- chillacy 6y ago
  Relative to going to med school, law school, or a top 10 business school, I can’t see how it’s not true even for those with families or commitments.
  - kingnothing 6y ago
    You go to med school or law school generally before you have had children. After you've done those things, you don't study for weeks leading up to an interview. Instead, you have a piece of paper that proves what you know and the interviews are more a decision of "do we want to work together" rather than "is this personal qualified".
    - chillacy 6y ago
      I see, so among the audience which has been prescreened, life is good. I can see that being nice, if you're in that class of people. However as someone without a CS degree who is nonetheless able to get jobs as a software engineer because there isn't a process of credentialing, I am glad much of the industry works the way it does.
- fatnoah 6y ago
  >People with family or basically any commitments outside of work don't have anywhere near as much time to practice for this sort of thing and why should they need to practice for an interview? I've done this rodeo in my thirties and forties, complete with a very busy existing job, family, long commute, etc. The bottom line is that the time investment wasn't terribly large as it was more refreshing than learning things from scratch. Putting the 20 hours in over a couple weeks for a 2x raise felt like a worthwhile expenditure of my free time, and worth prioritizing over some of my every day commitments.

collyw 6y ago

> it's a relatively level playing field as far as hiring goes I am not sure that is true at all. People with family or basically any commitments outside of work don't have anywhere near as much time to practice for this sort of thing and why should they need to practice for an interview? You do the job every day, if that isn't enough then the interview is clearly testing for the wrong thing.

chillacy 6y ago
Relative to going to med school, law school, or a top 10 business school, I can’t see how it’s not true even for those with families or commitments.
- kingnothing 6y ago
  You go to med school or law school generally before you have had children. After you've done those things, you don't study for weeks leading up to an interview. Instead, you have a piece of paper that proves what you know and the interviews are more a decision of "do we want to work together" rather than "is this personal qualified".
  - chillacy 6y ago
    I see, so among the audience which has been prescreened, life is good. I can see that being nice, if you're in that class of people. However as someone without a CS degree who is nonetheless able to get jobs as a software engineer because there isn't a process of credentialing, I am glad much of the industry works the way it does.
fatnoah 6y ago
>People with family or basically any commitments outside of work don't have anywhere near as much time to practice for this sort of thing and why should they need to practice for an interview? I've done this rodeo in my thirties and forties, complete with a very busy existing job, family, long commute, etc. The bottom line is that the time investment wasn't terribly large as it was more refreshing than learning things from scratch. Putting the 20 hours in over a couple weeks for a 2x raise felt like a worthwhile expenditure of my free time, and worth prioritizing over some of my every day commitments.