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"Provide evidence." For better or for worse, that's what's so frustrating about hiring/interviewing. I pay my taxes. I drive the speed limit. I never cheate

"Provide evidence." For better or for worse, that's what's so frustrating about hiring/interviewing. I pay my taxes. I drive the speed limit. I never cheated in high school or college. I signed up for the Selective Service. When I see trash on the ground, I pick it up. I keep off the grass. Yet when talking to a potential employer, I magically become this shifty-eyed drifter, whose every word is suspect. "Interviewer: But how many years of walnut do you have? Carpenter: Gosh, I really don't know -- was I supposed to be counting the walnut?" (http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa6506e2f35eaac http://www.jasonbock.net/jb/News/Item/7c334037d1a9437d9fa650...) The "carpenter" thought he was just doing work. What he didn't realize was that a career in technology means always preparing for when you're next put on trial. I get it, of course. Programmers are expensive and have a ramp-up time, firing is hard so it pays to be cautious when hiring, etc. But the net effect, the defaulting to the conclusion that an interviewee is lying or stupid, is toxic.

ColinWright 12y ago
So, taking that to its logical conclusion, your application would read: I can do anything you need. That would be it. You don't need to provide evidence, I'm expected to take you at your word. Of course not. Of course you expect to provide evidence, you just might not think of it like that. You might think of it as showing me your github repo, or listing your previous jobs and/or contracts, or listing your credentials and/or qualifications. That's evidence. But I don't want to see all of the things you could list. I want to see the things that support your statements of what you can do, because like it or not, I'm not going to take your word for it if all you do is say: I can do anything you want.
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ColinWright 12y ago

So, taking that to its logical conclusion, your application would read: I can do anything you need. That would be it. You don't need to provide evidence, I'm expected to take you at your word. Of course not. Of course you expect to provide evidence, you just might not think of it like that. You might think of it as showing me your github repo, or listing your previous jobs and/or contracts, or listing your credentials and/or qualifications. That's evidence. But I don't want to see all of the things you could list. I want to see the things that support your statements of what you can do, because like it or not, I'm not going to take your word for it if all you do is say: I can do anything you want.

deleted 12y ago
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