I find this amusing because I went through this same ordeal last week. The problem was to code up a small interpreter. The interviewer seemed to be suffering f

I find this amusing because I went through this same ordeal last week. The problem was to code up a small interpreter. The interviewer seemed to be suffering from either a cold or allergy based upon the constant sniffling. Anyway, here I am explaining how I would go about it and there seemed to be a sense of irritability from the interviewer. As I try to figure it out, he somewhat guides me to the solution. In the end, I worked it out with his guidance but the obvious frustration and my three cups of coffee had me a bit uneasy during the process. He ended it with a "thanks...good luck" <click> On reflecting the interview, my thoughts were "after coding for almost 12 years, what is going on?" I want to know the validity in these problems in regards to hiring. I never put any interviewees through this. My goal when interviewing people is to have a conversation to discuss how they think, how passionate they are in their work, get an idea of their personality, and, most of all, do they know enough to do take on the job they will fulfill. This all revolves around the relevant technologies they claim to know. As I am a few years to 40, my worries are getting worse about where I will be in the future. I am slowly accepting the idea that project management will be my next destination.