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Since I'm in the process of seeking a job, I would like to share a somehow related experience in one technical interview, this time for a senior DevOps role. So

Since I'm in the process of seeking a job, I would like to share a somehow related experience in one technical interview, this time for a senior DevOps role. So, after the initial introductions and talking a bit about infra as code with Terraform, they interviewer asked a question: "What would you use if you cannot use Terraform for a project?" To which I initially answered, since it was a SENIOR position, with a warning about mixing Terraform and non-Terraform managed infra because it can lead to unforeseen issues, especially if there are less visible dependencies between the 2. I then mentioned anyway it could be done with Python + boto3, with AWS CLI + bash, with Pulumi, with CDK and then after some extra talk, also with Ansible. They didn't want a long answer with lessons learned in real prod, they wanted a oneliner answer: Ansible. They told me then to be shorter in next answers and proceeded to ask like 30 questions in a row involving bash, Linux, Terraform and Kubernetes knowledge, to which I answered all correctly (and with the one-liner answer). The result: discarded, because I chaotically answered to that first question. Although I was somehow offended because I don't like to be discarded, I think I dodged a bullet in this case.

bhaney 2y ago
> Although I was somehow offended No somehow to it, that's just offensive.
- darkwater 2y ago
  Yeah, indeed. I gave my feedback to the TA that was managing the position, although with little hope it would be of any use.
- thebruce87m 2y ago
  I’m no master of English, but I think “somewhat” is more commonly used here rather than “somehow”. Edit: I’m no master of replying to the correct person either.
  - darkwater 2y ago
    GP here, thanks for the correction!
em-bee 2y ago
are you sure it was the answer for the first question? i went through a fast paced interview recently. i was told that it would be fast paced and the interviewer did cut me off when i gave an answer like that for a different question, but i can't imagine that that would be the reason to reject me. (i didn't know all the answers so it was fair in my case)
- darkwater 2y ago
  Yes, they explicitly mentioned it in the rejection mail. I quote: "the answers regarding terraform vs Ansible were overcomplicated". Obviously I'm biased towards myself, but I've been an interviewer as well and if someone develops on their own an answer like I did, they would pass the interview with flying colors, because they would have shown me that they understand what's behind the thing. Again, it's my side of the story, they probably have another version, but still I think I dodged a bullet.
  - em-bee 2y ago
    nah, it's pretty clear, they shared their side of the story in what you quoted. damn, that's got to hurt. it feels like failing a test in school because the teacher is pedantic, not because the answer is wrong. maybe they were looking for an excuse but at least you are not left guessing otherwise. that's the only thing i can think of that would be worse.
    - whstl 2y ago
      I interviewed every engineer in my previous company for three years, often together with a lead dev. It's amazing how the less experienced interviewers take it personally when a candidate answers with something that's unknown beyond their skill level.
pas 2y ago
Maybe there's something in the air recently? Last year I had a similar experience. Senior Infrawhatever position, "take home assignment" manipulating the firewall on a standard Linux box, in the rejection mail I got negative points for having permissions checks, and my solution being too complicated for supporting both iptables and nftables, and so on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
wrs 2y ago
Yes, it’s nice to get paid, but I probably wouldn’t enjoy working with people who think Ansible and Terraform are interchangeable.
nrr 2y ago
I've had a lot of experiences like this, and I wound up ducking out of the industry entirely in 2021 after having had my skillset reduced to dogmatic use of the infrastructure buzzword of the day.
- ornornor 2y ago
  What are you doing for money now?
  - nrr 2y ago
    Nothing.
    - ornornor 2y ago
      That sounds nice
Lord_Zero 2y ago
Yeah I you dodged too. What work environment would you want to be in where there's no architecture discussion and you're expected to just have the answers?

bhaney 2y ago

> Although I was somehow offended No somehow to it, that's just offensive.

darkwater 2y ago
Yeah, indeed. I gave my feedback to the TA that was managing the position, although with little hope it would be of any use.
thebruce87m 2y ago
I’m no master of English, but I think “somewhat” is more commonly used here rather than “somehow”. Edit: I’m no master of replying to the correct person either.
- darkwater 2y ago
  GP here, thanks for the correction!

em-bee 2y ago

are you sure it was the answer for the first question? i went through a fast paced interview recently. i was told that it would be fast paced and the interviewer did cut me off when i gave an answer like that for a different question, but i can't imagine that that would be the reason to reject me. (i didn't know all the answers so it was fair in my case)

darkwater 2y ago
Yes, they explicitly mentioned it in the rejection mail. I quote: "the answers regarding terraform vs Ansible were overcomplicated". Obviously I'm biased towards myself, but I've been an interviewer as well and if someone develops on their own an answer like I did, they would pass the interview with flying colors, because they would have shown me that they understand what's behind the thing. Again, it's my side of the story, they probably have another version, but still I think I dodged a bullet.
- em-bee 2y ago
  nah, it's pretty clear, they shared their side of the story in what you quoted. damn, that's got to hurt. it feels like failing a test in school because the teacher is pedantic, not because the answer is wrong. maybe they were looking for an excuse but at least you are not left guessing otherwise. that's the only thing i can think of that would be worse.
  - whstl 2y ago
    I interviewed every engineer in my previous company for three years, often together with a lead dev. It's amazing how the less experienced interviewers take it personally when a candidate answers with something that's unknown beyond their skill level.

pas 2y ago

Maybe there's something in the air recently? Last year I had a similar experience. Senior Infrawhatever position, "take home assignment" manipulating the firewall on a standard Linux box, in the rejection mail I got negative points for having permissions checks, and my solution being too complicated for supporting both iptables and nftables, and so on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

wrs 2y ago

Yes, it’s nice to get paid, but I probably wouldn’t enjoy working with people who think Ansible and Terraform are interchangeable.

nrr 2y ago

I've had a lot of experiences like this, and I wound up ducking out of the industry entirely in 2021 after having had my skillset reduced to dogmatic use of the infrastructure buzzword of the day.

ornornor 2y ago
What are you doing for money now?
- nrr 2y ago
  Nothing.
  - ornornor 2y ago
    That sounds nice

Lord_Zero 2y ago

Yeah I you dodged too. What work environment would you want to be in where there's no architecture discussion and you're expected to just have the answers?