It's a tough market. It can take years to hone your problem-solving skills. And years after that to hone your technical-phone-screen-on-shared-document skills.

It's a tough market. It can take years to hone your problem-solving skills. And years after that to hone your technical-phone-screen-on-shared-document skills. This takes deliberate practice. When I'm ready to advance to the next stage, I will. There is a serious point: companies often aren't forthcoming about day-to-day working conditions. But the response you get to your puzzle solving activities can be telling.