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Being able to talk about past projects is not passion, it is simple professionalism. How can you work in a field for long without being able to talk intelligent
by eikenberry 11y ago
Being able to talk about past projects is not passion, it is simple professionalism. How can you work in a field for long without being able to talk intelligently about it.
I also don't find testing for actual coding skills to be a problem as most candidates don't make it to the interview if they don't have some sort of portfolio of code samples.
- robbrit 11y agoA portfolio of code samples is not always available. Juniors often don't have code samples; neither do people who have only really worked on proprietary projects. I don't like to discount potential good developers just because they spend their free time doing things other than coding.
- deedubaya 11y ago> spend their free time doing things other than coding This is a valid point. A good work/life balance is critical. But to counter it, don't you want to look at candidates who _want_ to get hired, so they've spent a little extra time writing something for potential employers to look at? A developer who gives up at "I don't have code samples" isn't someone I would want to hire.
- robbrit 11y agoIf they didn't want to get hired, they wouldn't have applied for the job. Assuming that "I don't have code samples" is equivalent to "I don't care" is a silly assumption, and one that I've found is completely false in reality. Some of the developers I've hired have years of experience but no code samples, and after hiring them I discovered I had made the right choice. They just have other priorities on the side (children are often a big one).
- eikenberry 11y agoCode is art and artists have portfolios. Not having at least a minimal portfolio shows a lack of professionalism. Would you hire a graphic artist, a writer, a painter, etc. without previewing their work first.