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It is possible, I believe, to test first and then interview. I think the greatest example of this is ITA Software's puzzles [1] I find it almost impossible not

It is possible, I believe, to test first and then interview. I think the greatest example of this is ITA Software's puzzles [1] I find it almost impossible not to stop what I'm doing and try to solve a few, because they are both interesting and difficult (even the more mundane ones). In this case these tests before interview would actually attract me to ITA, if everyone there has solved those problems you'd know you'd be working with pretty smart programmers, and your work would probably be pretty interesting. The Deviant Art test however is something I would consider a dull day of work. If you want me to prove my worth by challenging me to an interesting combinatorial optimization problem, I'll bite. However if you want me to prove my worth by testing my ability to perform the kind of task that usually makes programmers think they should be looking for more challenging work, then good luck to you. 1. http://www.itasoftware.com/careers/work-at-ita/hiring-puzzles.html http://www.itasoftware.com/careers/work-at-ita/hiring-puzzle...

kemayo 15y ago
We do worry a bit about the "dull day of work" aspect to it. But what it's testing for is important, and attention to detail in a messy little webapp is likely a better predictor for success than the ability to throw out a flawless algorithm exercise.
- Homunculiheaded 15y ago
  I can see your point, and obviously DA isn't actually solving combinatorial optimization problems while ITA is. The problem is that this problem will likely only attract devs actively looking for work. DA is a well known site, and I have no doubt that there are many good and happily employed devs who have peaked at the job description, but as you can see in the comments here this test is off-putting. If you're not in serious need of work, this doesn't seem to be worth your time (and in my experience good devs are rarely in serious need of work). I think the reason for the low P(we hire you) is that you may be accidentally skimming off the cream here. At the very least try getting people on the phone first so they can say "hey these DA guys are pretty cool and interested in me, it's worth jumping through a few hoops", or make the test seem interesting/fun/challenging

kemayo 15y ago

We do worry a bit about the "dull day of work" aspect to it. But what it's testing for is important, and attention to detail in a messy little webapp is likely a better predictor for success than the ability to throw out a flawless algorithm exercise.

Homunculiheaded 15y ago
I can see your point, and obviously DA isn't actually solving combinatorial optimization problems while ITA is. The problem is that this problem will likely only attract devs actively looking for work. DA is a well known site, and I have no doubt that there are many good and happily employed devs who have peaked at the job description, but as you can see in the comments here this test is off-putting. If you're not in serious need of work, this doesn't seem to be worth your time (and in my experience good devs are rarely in serious need of work). I think the reason for the low P(we hire you) is that you may be accidentally skimming off the cream here. At the very least try getting people on the phone first so they can say "hey these DA guys are pretty cool and interested in me, it's worth jumping through a few hoops", or make the test seem interesting/fun/challenging