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"Describe the difference between Java and Javascript" is actually one of the first technical questions I ask when hiring developers (or otherwise evaluating the
by aasarava 15y ago
"Describe the difference between Java and Javascript" is actually one of the first technical questions I ask when hiring developers (or otherwise evaluating the skills of anyone in a technical, Web-related position.)
When I first tried it, years ago, I was a little embarrassed for having asked, because I figured everyone would know the correct answer. Then several candidates totally blew the response, and I realized just how good of a filter the question really is -- and continues to be.
- Joeri 15y agoTry asking them to explain the difference between GET and POST. It can be enough to know exactly how good the person sitting in front of you is.
- gmac 15y agoWhat do you expect as an answer here? Just a basic grasp of what they're for, or a deep computer-sciencey appraisal of the sorts of languages they are? (If the former, you'd really hope those people wouldn't be making it to interview...)
- aasarava 15y agoI should clarify that I ask this during an initial phone screening. (Having HR personnel ask the question never seems to work because they don't know how to evaluate the response, which can vary and still be correct.) What I'm looking for is mention of the fact that Java is fully object-oriented and, these days, primarily used on the server side. (Though some mention of the history of -- and problems with -- applets is good too.) For JavaScript, some mention of AJAX, jQuery, Node.js, etc., are all helpful. Essentially I want to know if the person truly understands the pros and cons of each and when to use each, as opposed to just having a shallow understanding that "they're different languages". I'm still shocked at how many Web developers can't offer more than the the latter.