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list.reverse() Hey ChatGPT how to reverse a list? Why are you hiring the guy if the job is that easy? Just because someone can do leetcode questions doesn’t m

by water9 3y ago

list.reverse() Hey ChatGPT how to reverse a list? Why are you hiring the guy if the job is that easy? Just because someone can do leetcode questions doesn’t mean that they can design a system or even design an API. That actually requires creativity not memorization.

HarHarVeryFunny 3y ago
I wouldn't recommend hiring someone (except perhaps for an entry level job) based on ANY kind of whiteboard test. For a senior person it's their experience that counts, which is why the interview should be around what's on their resume. The list reverse (or anything similar - count word occurrences in a list) doesn't qualify someone for the job, but is a good way to quickly tell if someone is lying about their experience, which unfortunately some do, especially for low paying contractor jobs. For stuff this simple I'd expect people to just write it down in 30 sec once they've asked any clarifying questions (such as can I use list.reverse() - no).
- water9 3y ago
  I completely agree with you, but it seems like even for senior or staff software positions they still whiteboard interview you. Here’s the problem though: most software development is done alone and most software engineers are introverts. They do not like to be put on the spot and be the center of attention. When you ask them to do things under pressure (which basically means your company is always having fires to put out - management problem) they can’t think straight because half their mind is focused on how you’re judging them because the interview matters to them much more than it matters to you. You’re not giving them a fair test.
  - HarHarVeryFunny 3y ago
    I don't think it's fair to give any kind of challenging test in an interview, but something really simple like this is different - they are not really being asked to solve anything, just to show that they can indeed use the language they've got listed on their resume.

by water9 3y ago

HarHarVeryFunny 3y ago

I wouldn't recommend hiring someone (except perhaps for an entry level job) based on ANY kind of whiteboard test. For a senior person it's their experience that counts, which is why the interview should be around what's on their resume. The list reverse (or anything similar - count word occurrences in a list) doesn't qualify someone for the job, but is a good way to quickly tell if someone is lying about their experience, which unfortunately some do, especially for low paying contractor jobs. For stuff this simple I'd expect people to just write it down in 30 sec once they've asked any clarifying questions (such as can I use list.reverse() - no).

water9 3y ago
I completely agree with you, but it seems like even for senior or staff software positions they still whiteboard interview you. Here’s the problem though: most software development is done alone and most software engineers are introverts. They do not like to be put on the spot and be the center of attention. When you ask them to do things under pressure (which basically means your company is always having fires to put out - management problem) they can’t think straight because half their mind is focused on how you’re judging them because the interview matters to them much more than it matters to you. You’re not giving them a fair test.
- HarHarVeryFunny 3y ago
  I don't think it's fair to give any kind of challenging test in an interview, but something really simple like this is different - they are not really being asked to solve anything, just to show that they can indeed use the language they've got listed on their resume.