The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

I, for one, find that job description extremely informative. I often decide whether or not to take a job based on the quality of the water from the water cooler. And if I can't taste it myself, an assurance that it's good from the HR department is all I need to hear.

pitchingchris · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Jay:
2. I would put out a call for a million volunteers. Each volunteer would be instructed to bring a spoon from home. Then I would direct them to each take a spoonful of dirt from the mountain, carry it to the desired destination, and drop it. Repeat until the mountain is moved.

Good luck scooping a spoonful of hot lava

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Lazlo:
Foobar:
The Mt Fuji answer was perfect.

No it wasn't. The correct answer is to modify the latitude/longitude indices until the position of Mt. Fuji is where you want it. For a programming job, any other answer would make me very hesitant.

But it was an interview for a sysadmin position. The right answer has to take into account that even if you move it you're going to be asked to move it back tomorrow and by next week told that "The business would like to see moving Mt Fuji happen every Thursday morning before six."

alegr · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

The Guru:
You haven't seen the key point at the offer: not just seeing me code, and learn from just my outstanding, but you'd have a stainless steel spouted water dispenser at your disposal.

You mean, a bidet?

alegr · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Kolin:
"One does not simply move a volcano."
I can imagine Borromir saying this. =)

I guess the customer just wanted to drop a ring to the Mt. Fuji, but thought that it would not be possible to simply go up there.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Yes, a hundred times yes. Hari's company is the real WTF.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

The first has obviously been translated from Polish on GoogleTranslate

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Jellineck:
For the Mt. Fuji answer I would also want to find out is moving Mt. Fuji a business requirement or an implementation thrust upon you by the users.
It could be that they don't really want Mt. Fuji moved, they'd just like to find cheaper airline tickets for a trip there and thought that moving the mountain was a better solution than going to Expedia.com

It should not matter from the implementer's standpoint. You have to trust that the requirement has been properly vetted before making it to you. I would not have hired Grig for his answer. I want the mountain moved. Don't make me justify my reasons. I represent the business, and I say this is what the business wants. Why is this so difficult to comprehend?

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

The one that wants me to work indecently should have listed my assets in "nice to have"

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

geoffrey:
Jellineck:
For the Mt. Fuji answer I would also want to find out is moving Mt. Fuji a business requirement or an implementation thrust upon you by the users.
It could be that they don't really want Mt. Fuji moved, they'd just like to find cheaper airline tickets for a trip there and thought that moving the mountain was a better solution than going to Expedia.com

It should not matter from the implementer's standpoint. You have to trust that the requirement has been properly vetted before making it to you. I would not have hired Grig for his answer. I want the mountain moved. Don't make me justify my reasons. I represent the business, and I say this is what the business wants. Why is this so difficult to comprehend?

If you're applying to be a code monkey, sure. You're not being paid to think, you're being paid to code. But then, if you're interviewing to be a code monkey, why in the world would the interviewer ask this sort of question?

If you're interviewing to be a lead/senior developer, then yes, you should question the validity of seemingly ridiculous requirements. You should have the experience and knowledge to know that what you're being asked to do is insane/impossible, and be able to ask the right questions in order to arrive at a more plausible solution that accomplishes the same goal, which you would then hand down to your team of code monkeys.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

[quote user="Leo"]The Mt Fuji one is pretty great. I've never been asked any of those Job Interview 2.0 questions, but next time I'm up for interviewing I'll have to remember that.[/quote]

Grig is a wiseass who I wouldn't hire either. Can you imagine working with someone who tried to sidetrack their instructions at every opportunity? Just answer the question.[/quote]

He's got a point. How can you properly come up with a solution to moving Mt. Fiji if you don't know the requirements or the problem the customer has in the first place?

And quite frankly, asking such stupid questions should get you ridiculed by a wise ass.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

airdrik:
I don't think I'd really want to work for one of the Flashest companies out there. I'd much prefer one which uses a more open standard, like Silverlight.

Aha ha ha ha ha. Is funny because Silverlight is extremely closed standard!

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Schnapple:
But in this situation you're the one who needs a job and it's not in your interests to be a shithead about it

No, I don't. I currently have a job. I might desire another job, but I certainly don't NEED one. You have to appease me just as much as I'm supposed to impress you. Clearly the company did not impress her, so she didn't care what they thought.

java.lang.Chris; · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

The poop of DOOM:
I once had an interview where they asked the same questions over and over... within the same interview! The whole thing pretty much existed of:
Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Response Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Response Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Reformulated response (aka response v1.2) Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Response v1.2 Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Reformulated response (aka response v1.3)

And so on for an hour or so. God knows what was wrong with that woman...

Oh, you've been interviewed by those timewasters at Gamesys as well.

C-Octothorpe · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

s73v3r:
Schnapple:
But in this situation you're the one who needs a job and it's not in your interests to be a shithead about it

No, I don't. I currently have a job. I might desire another job, but I certainly don't NEED one. You have to appease me just as much as I'm supposed to impress you. Clearly the company did not impress her, so she didn't care what they thought.

Regardless, burning bridges is never a good idea. If you did that, then the recruiter who sent you in there would likely never work with you again, nor would anybody that they talked to in regards to your bad attitude.

Being rude only serves one purpose: to make you feel better now. It's ironic that getting a job when you have one is easy, however it's an entirely different storey when you've already been out of work for seven weeks and don't have any interviews lined up... Add to it that you have intentionally sabotaged yourself by removing at least one person from your network because you were a dick during an interview.

Addendum (2012-03-13 16:45): I have to admit that on at least one occasion, I've been tempted to take a shit in their fake planter and walk out with a grin on my face. It's tempting, but being the bigger person will always serve you better.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

pkmnfrk:
A Gould:
Raedwald:
I don’t know. Maybe get everyone in a room instead of having me jump from person to person?

I'd hire someone who asked that question. We programmers are meant to have some understanding of efficient and inefficient processes. And make suggestions for improving things.

Unless the point was to test how well they put up with customers, upper management, and idiots. But I repeat myself.

On internal projects, those three are often the same group!

Ya Think?????

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

geoffrey:
Jellineck:
For the Mt. Fuji answer I would also want to find out is moving Mt. Fuji a business requirement or an implementation thrust upon you by the users.
It could be that they don't really want Mt. Fuji moved, they'd just like to find cheaper airline tickets for a trip there and thought that moving the mountain was a better solution than going to Expedia.com

It should not matter from the implementer's standpoint. You have to trust that the requirement has been properly vetted before making it to you. I would not have hired Grig for his answer. I want the mountain moved. Don't make me justify my reasons. I represent the business, and I say this is what the business wants. Why is this so difficult to comprehend?

Yes and no. As someone previouls said, the business (in all likelihood) does not want the mountain moved, but rather wants to achieve something else where they see the simplest solution as moving the mountain. While it may be true that business objectoves aren't necessarily IT's business, it is (to a greater degree than many people might think) IT's responsibility to ensure that the Customer/Business gets what they want, not what they say they want.

Also, "I want the mountain moved" is an insufficient requirement (too vague). Please submit a requirements document (based on the template attached) on exactly what you want.

Oh....you were being Sarcastic!!!

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

pauly:
thatguy:
Raedwald:
I don’t know. Maybe get everyone in a room instead of having me jump from person to person?

I'd hire someone who asked that question. We programmers are meant to have some understanding of efficient and inefficient processes. And make suggestions for improving things.

^^^I concur, not to mention that it clearly shows a lack of communication between those doing the interviews. Had they all asked separate questions it could be understandable to have multiple tiered interviews, but asking the same thing over and over expecting different results...SERIOUSLY. I feel obligated to quote Mr. Al

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

^^^I concur, not to mention that it clearly shows a lack of communication between those doing the interviews. Had they all asked separate questions it could be understandable to have multiple tiered interviews, but asking the same thing over and over expecting different results...SERIOUSLY. I feel obligated to quote Mr. Al

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

lol...I see what you did there. I figured someone would get it :D

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Jaybles:
geoffrey:
Jellineck:
For the Mt. Fuji answer I would also want to find out is moving Mt. Fuji a business requirement or an implementation thrust upon you by the users.
It could be that they don't really want Mt. Fuji moved, they'd just like to find cheaper airline tickets for a trip there and thought that moving the mountain was a better solution than going to Expedia.com

It should not matter from the implementer's standpoint. You have to trust that the requirement has been properly vetted before making it to you. I would not have hired Grig for his answer. I want the mountain moved. Don't make me justify my reasons. I represent the business, and I say this is what the business wants. Why is this so difficult to comprehend?

If you're applying to be a code monkey, sure. You're not being paid to think, you're being paid to code. But then, if you're interviewing to be a code monkey, why in the world would the interviewer ask this sort of question?

If you're interviewing to be a lead/senior developer, then yes, you should question the validity of seemingly ridiculous requirements. You should have the experience and knowledge to know that what you're being asked to do is insane/impossible, and be able to ask the right questions in order to arrive at a more plausible solution that accomplishes the same goal, which you would then hand down to your team of code monkeys.

I think this is a result of Software Engineering (as an industry) being backward. The most valuable resources are the code monkeys - and if they don't have to think, then they're redundant. If design documents are providing them sufficient information to simply code without thinking, then the end result is already a subset of the design document and the coding has (or at least could have) already been done (probably the guy who wrote the design document has created a working prototype as he wrote the document).

As a corollary: Entry Level recruits should not immediately be code monkeys - leave the coding to the people who understand what is going on. What if Entry Level people started in Design instead? Learn the high level before we let you loose on the low level. Additionally, the more experienced Code Monkeys could guide/mentor/correct/review the designs of the n00b...

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Jay:
On the slightly serious side: What would the interviewer consider a good answer to the Mt Fuji question? If this comes from a book of clever interview questions, I'd like to know what they consider the "right" answer. Unless the applicant is incredibly brilliant or has god-like powers, any solution proposed is likely to be wildy expensive and/or impractical. Is the idea to present a virtually unsolvable problem and then expect a solution?
It tangentially reminds me of an interview I saw years ago with a candidate running for vice president. The interviewer asked him what he would do if the president died and he had to assume his office. The candidate replied that he would call a meeting of top advisors and officials and prepare a transition plan. The interview then ripped him for giving a vague, general answer. But it was a vague, general question! How much more specific could the poor guy be? Just for starters, if the president died after a long illness, I'd expect the next logical step would be very different than if the president was among the millions killed in a surprise nuclear attack by a hostile foreign nation.

You can't ask a general question and expect a specific answer. You can't ask a bizarre question and expect a down-to-earth answer.

The answer is, "One rock at a time." It is obviously supposed to be how someone takes a large unsolvable problem and solves it by breaking it down into smaller solvable problems. If they are reading questions from a script, if you want the job, you just need to show you know the scripted answers.

The key question is whether or not you want that job. Obviously, they either don't have the time, or possibly, ability to think independently. This either means you can play "big fish in a small pond" or keep looking for a different competitive/fulfilling place of employment.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Jay:
thatguy:
^^^I concur, not to mention that it clearly shows a lack of communication between those doing the interviews. Had they all asked separate questions it could be understandable to have multiple tiered interviews, but asking the same thing over and over expecting different results...SERIOUSLY. I feel obligated to quote Mr. Al
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein

Inanity: Repeating the same quote over and over again and expecting people to be equally impressed with every repetition. -- Me

Inanity: Repeating the same quote over and over again and expecting people to be equally impressed with every repetition. -- Jay

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Jay:
xorsyst:
Schnapple:
But in this situation you're the one who needs a job and it's not in your interests to be a shithead about it

If you treat an interview as "you trying to impress them enough to give you a job", then you are doing it wrong. An interview is a 2-way process where both parties are trying to determine if you are a good fit for the job. In general, both parties should reach the same decision one way or the other. This is much easier if you are applying while already in a secure job.

RE "An interview is a 2-way process", etc: Sure. But how do you get from there to, "So it's a good idea to be rude and unco-operative with the company's interview process"? Sure, I don't go on a job interview like a hobo begging for a handout, I'm looking for a two-way, mutually beneficial relationship. But the company must likewise conclude that this will be a mutually beneficial relationship, so I have to make some effort to persuade them that my services are of value. A good start would be to not be a jerk.

You're assuming that, up until this point, the company has actually demonstrated that they are a place worth working at.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

George:
Leo:
Hari's company is the real WTF. I'd say the woman lucked out. Multiple interviews are fine, but if the interviewers are asking redundant questions, they need to be organized better.

I agree. The first interviewer could have taken a few notes and shared them with the second interviewer. That way the questions could have been framed like this "My collegue mentioned you did X and I have a specific question about it." then go on. It just shows the interviewee a little respect. It really is a waste of everyone's time to ask the exact same questions.

Leo:
The Mt Fuji one is pretty great. I've never been asked any of those Job Interview 2.0 questions, but next time I'm up for interviewing I'll have to remember that.

Grig is a wiseass who I wouldn't hire either. Can you imagine working with someone who tried to sidetrack their instructions at every opportunity? Just answer the question.

Are you joking? I would love to have more developers that get to what people want instead of what they say. It saves tons of time and scope creep.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

C-Octothorpe:
Regardless, burning bridges is never a good idea. If you did that, then the recruiter who sent you in there would likely never work with you again, nor would anybody that they talked to in regards to your bad attitude.

Either you haven't worked with many recruiters or your resume suuuuuuuucks. I'll assume it's the former.

Technical recruiters, by and large, are like realtors. They don't care about you at all and they only care about their client companies as it relates to getting their big fat commissions.

I'm more "user friendly" than most technical people. It's just a fact. But even I have my days. I can think of 3 specific occasions where I've been on interviews with folks who were self-important, oblivious to what I do (and therefore what they would want me to do), and/or disrespectful. In each of those cases I ended the interviews and told them, "Let's stop now, it's not going to work out. This really isn't someplace I want to work" and in two of the cases, I told them that they wasted my time and the time of any candidates who the try to make jump through their hoops and treat them like chattel.

In all 3 cases, the recruiters were bugging me in less than 2 weeks trying to pitch me more jobs and apologized for my experiences.

You're thinking of it backwards. It's not I who risked burning bridges, it's they.

If people act like they're a commodity to be treated however someone wishes, that's what they'll get. But we aren't commodities, we're talent.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

My Name:
True story (summarized dialog):
HH: Hello, would you be interested in working for Google as a software engineer? ME: Yes, but I happen to know that Google Germany hires software engineers only in Munich. I live in Hamburg and I'm not willing to move. HH: Google has great working conditions ... blabla ME: I know that, but I don't want to move to Munich. HH: You can also work on your own projects one day per week. ME: I've heard of that, but I doubt they let me work from Hamburg. HH: Probably not. What are your salary expectations? ME: I doubt they'd pay me enough so that I would be willing to move to Munich. HH: You don't know that. Just say a number. ME: 100k. HH: That's a lot. Do you expect them to pay that? ME: No, but I don't want to move to Munich. HH: So I understand that generally you could imagine to work for Google, and the main reason you don't want is that you would have to move to Munich?

Finally...

We agreed he'd call again when Google is looking for SEs in Hamburg.

I had the same phone interview:

(I posted my resume with clear instructions that I would not move and wanted to work in Orange County or South LA County California.) HER: We have a great opportunity at Intel! ME: That's great! Tell me about it. HER: Are you willing to relocate to Phoenix? ME: No, I'm looking for something in Southern California. HER: Ooh, wrong answer... ME: Did you read my Monster.com status page? HER: Yes. ME: Ooh, wrong question... HER: So, Intel has a world-class benefit package and... ME (Interrupting): I'm not moving to Arizona. HER: You really should hear about this opportunity... ME: OK. HER: Blah-blah-blah about the position. So, what do you think? ME: What does it pay? HER: ($10K less than my current job) ME: Did you read my salary requirements? HER: Yes. ME: Why are we still talking?

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

geoffrey:
Jellineck:
For the Mt. Fuji answer I would also want to find out is moving Mt. Fuji a business requirement or an implementation thrust upon you by the users.
It could be that they don't really want Mt. Fuji moved, they'd just like to find cheaper airline tickets for a trip there and thought that moving the mountain was a better solution than going to Expedia.com

It should not matter from the implementer's standpoint. You have to trust that the requirement has been properly vetted before making it to you. I would not have hired Grig for his answer. I want the mountain moved. Don't make me justify my reasons. I represent the business, and I say this is what the business wants. Why is this so difficult to comprehend?

Because often you actually don't know what the business wants. And we like to understand the why behind things too. Saying, "Do this, monkey!" not only makes you a first class asshole, it's a way to ensure that the only people who actually work for you are monkeys. People who aren't going to be able to do anything more than exactly what you tell them.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Geoff:
Right but the time to raise that issue is most likely not at the interview. You might want to you know get the job, and then after you have been there a week or so, bring it.

If this person would end up being your manager, you ABSOLUTELY want to bring it up during the interview...

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

C-Octothorpe:
s73v3r:
Schnapple:
But in this situation you're the one who needs a job and it's not in your interests to be a shithead about it

No, I don't. I currently have a job. I might desire another job, but I certainly don't NEED one. You have to appease me just as much as I'm supposed to impress you. Clearly the company did not impress her, so she didn't care what they thought.
Regardless, burning bridges is never a good idea. If you did that, then the recruiter who sent you in there would likely never work with you again, nor would anybody that they talked to in regards to your bad attitude.

Being rude only serves one purpose: to make you feel better now. It's ironic that getting a job when you have one is easy, however it's an entirely different storey when you've already been out of work for seven weeks and don't have any interviews lined up... Add to it that you have intentionally sabotaged yourself by removing at least one person from your network because you were a dick during an interview.

Addendum (2012-03-13 16:45): I have to admit that on at least one occasion, I've been tempted to take a shit in their fake planter and walk out with a grin on my face. It's tempting, but being the bigger person will always serve you better.

People put far, far too much value on not burning bridges.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Christopher:
C-Octothorpe:
Regardless, burning bridges is never a good idea. If you did that, then the recruiter who sent you in there would likely never work with you again, nor would anybody that they talked to in regards to your bad attitude.

Either you haven't worked with many recruiters or your resume suuuuuuuucks. I'll assume it's the former.

Technical recruiters, by and large, are like realtors. They don't care about you at all and they only care about their client companies as it relates to getting their big fat commissions.

I'm more "user friendly" than most technical people. It's just a fact. But even I have my days. I can think of 3 specific occasions where I've been on interviews with folks who were self-important, oblivious to what I do (and therefore what they would want me to do), and/or disrespectful. In each of those cases I ended the interviews and told them, "Let's stop now, it's not going to work out. This really isn't someplace I want to work" and in two of the cases, I told them that they wasted my time and the time of any candidates who the try to make jump through their hoops and treat them like chattel.

In all 3 cases, the recruiters were bugging me in less than 2 weeks trying to pitch me more jobs and apologized for my experiences.

You're thinking of it backwards. It's not I who risked burning bridges, it's they.

If people act like they're a commodity to be treated however someone wishes, that's what they'll get. But we aren't commodities, we're talent.

It's true. On several occasions, I've convinced recruiters to stop working with places, because of the quality of the environment, or the ridiculousness of the hiring process.

They want to make quick and easy money. If I'm confirming what they already suspected about some difficult hiring situations or bad environments, they sometimes decide it's not worth their resources.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

George:
Grig is a wiseass who I wouldn't hire either. Can you imagine working with someone who tried to sidetrack their instructions at every opportunity? Just answer the question.

No..

If some manager asked me to emulate Windows on an iPhone (like moving Mt Fuji), I'd probe deeper and ask questions.

I wouldn't spend 6 months writing an emulator, when all they wanted to do was open xlsx files.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

xorsyst:
If you treat an interview as "you trying to impress them enough to give you a job", then you are doing it right.

FTFY

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Lazlo:
Foobar:
The Mt Fuji answer was perfect.

No it wasn't. The correct answer is to modify the latitude/longitude indices until the position of Mt. Fuji is where you want it. For a programming job, any other answer would make me very hesitant.

Indices...you database programmers are all alike. Just find a register big enough to contain Mt Fuji and issue a MV.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Regarding the Fuji Problem. So the interview was for a sysadmin position, yes? Now, any competent sysadmin would know scripting, which is to say he can program. Any competent programmer will know about recursive algorithms, yes? Keep that in mind, and the solution should become blindingly obvious! Details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_Hanoi#Recursive_solution

What Grig ought to have explained, is that: a) this is a known problem with a known solution; b) two pegs are to be erected, one at intended destination, one at arbitrary temp location; c) the project is then to proceed according to established rules, in full agreement of sound engineering practices, moving the bulk one slab at a time.

ps. when taking a Rorschach, do not insist on calling your county planning board.

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

Reading today's first entry, I can't help but hear it in my head with an Indian accent.

oheso · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

pitchingchris:
After hiring her, you might ask her a question again to get clarification. Her response would be: (scoff) I already answered that question yesterday, weren't you taking notes so I wouldn't have to repeat myself ?

Well, you were, weren't you?

What? Why not?

oheso · 2012-03-13 Reply Admin

StarLite:
[...] The latest UI innovations for navigation (trees) [...] Cus your application NEEDS a tree, or the navigation will definately suck...

Preferably a Cedar of Lebanon!

2012-03-13 Reply Admin

A more coding centric way of answering the Mt. Fuji problem:

Draw a crude map with Mt. Fuji labeled on a piece of paper.
Move said paper
Ergo - Mt. Fuji moved.
Spend the rest of the interview talking about the difference between call by value and call by reference and how it impacts language semantics.

BC

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Mount Fuji questions were basically the software industry's version of the voting literacy test. A ritual to kill time in the interview before making a decision based on the guy's resume and whether he seemed like the "right sort." It was a bad day when someone assumed they were more than that.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

In my experience, you can get a feel for the potential of getting hired just by how they treat you in the interview. Every job I have ever gotten, I have spoken directly to the person making the hiring decision. The most I have ever had to go through was two interviews, and the person from the first interview sat in and explained what we had already gone over.

Anything else is just filling HR requirements to look at more than one person.There was no way she was going to get the job to begin with. Personally I would have just walked out.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Your experience has been my experience. There is a vast difference between someone actually looking to hire a candidate and someone just going through an interview process so they can say that they looked at multiple candidates.

If they don't take the time to understand what you have said previously, then you simply aren't a serious candidate. Trust me, if they are really interested in you, they pay attention.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Mount Fuji?

Easy, get a good ad company.

As long as people think it has moved, the physical location is irrelevant :)

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Leo:
Hari's company is the real WTF. I'd say the woman lucked out. Multiple interviews are fine, but if the interviewers are asking redundant questions, they need to be organized better.

Yea, like maybe a list of questions asked that you can hand off between interview sessions. Hari is TRWTF for not knowing he is the problem.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Kolin:
"One does not simply move a volcano."
I can imagine Borromir saying this. =)

Now that I think about it, knowledge of memes should be on my interviewing checklist.

Severity One · 2012-03-14 Reply Admin

If you had to move Mount Fuji, how would you do it?

Subcontract it to India. It's a hardware problem anyway.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Others said it before: The "Multiple Frustrations from Hari" is the RWTF indeed. Anyway, you could have phrased the woman's legitimate complaints less blunt way.

If a company can't be bothered to organize interviews including the communication between interviewers, well, it's probably an unorganized company; apparently they don't even care how they're hiring new staff.

Sometimes the hiring favors companies (when there are plenty candidates per job), sometimes the candidates (their know-how is in high demand). Frankly I don't known with is worse… Anyway, hiring is always two way and I've seen as many companies fail (miserably) as candidates.

As so often it boils down to: If you want to get something done and done well, go do your homework.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Leo:
The Mt Fuji one is pretty great. I've never been asked any of those Job Interview 2.0 questions, but next time I'm up for interviewing I'll have to remember that.

I agree with the interviewee's comments though, it's a pretty stupid question if asked without any context. For example if I had to move Fuji my solution would involve a fair bit of lithium-6 deuteride in a sloika design, which is relatively cheap to source. The downside is that in that particular configuration it's not a very big target for neutrons, so you need quite a lot of it to achieve ignition. That would have no problems moving Mt.Fuji, but side effects could be (a) moving the Japanese home islands (b) igniting some portions of the atmosphere, and (c) stripping the atmosphere off the planet.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

I agree wholeheartedly with the multiply frustrated girl. Asking the same questions over and over again is a sign of inefficiency and mismanagement.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Instead of moving mount Fuji it might be easier to move the client in the opposite direction. If the client wants to move mount Fuji 10 miles south simply move the client 10 miles north. Mount Fuji is then in the same relative position to the client.

This of course only works if the client is the center of the universe.

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

Raedwald:
I don’t know. Maybe get everyone in a room instead of having me jump from person to person?

I'd hire someone who asked that question. We programmers are meant to have some understanding of efficient and inefficient processes. And make suggestions for improving things.

Different interviewers' interests are going to diverge from some overlapping area of common ground. As someone who gets quitely exasperated being summoned for meetings where I don't learn or contribute anything that couldn't have been sorted out in 2 minutes by email, I think it's fair that different interested parties should interview separately - though preferably on the same day! - and they can ask maybe overlapping questions their own way and take in the answers in their own time.

Meanwhile as someone who is apparently forgetting how to use full stops, I seem to be suffering from shortness of breath...:-)

2012-03-14 Reply Admin

The poop of DOOM:
I once had an interview where they asked the same questions over and over... within the same interview! The whole thing pretty much existed of:
Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Response Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Response Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Reformulated response (aka response v1.2) Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Response v1.2 Interviewer: Question 1 Me: Reformulated response (aka response v1.3)

And so on for an hour or so. God knows what was wrong with that woman...

I'm pretty sure you were being interrogated, and mistook it for a job interview.

A Most Wonderful Opportunity, Multiple Frustrations, and More

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