• (cs)

    Think about the environment people: please reuse comments.

  • Cog (unregistered)

    Think about the environment people: please reuse comments.

  • (cs)

    If you insult a potential employer's facilities during an interview, you will not get hired.

  • Drew (unregistered)

    Think about the environment people: please reuse comments.

  • Forumtroll (unregistered)

    During one of my interviews, I was asked if I had brought my resumé with me. After replying to the interviewer that he had it right in front of him, he just said "Uh, how silly of me!" and just said that they had all they needed.

    Needless to say, my instructions per email announcing the interview stated I needed not to bring any documents since they had all to begin with. It was written by the very same interviewer.

    Said company went tits up two years later.

  • (cs)

    You know, environmental consciousness is all well and good, but sometimes I think this "Green movement" has gone too far...

  • EVO (unregistered)

    Think about the environment people: please reuse c

    [some characters let out for environment's sake]

  • Cog (unregistered)

    Um... sigh... I guess I should post First or something like that now... I have difficulty bringing myself to post this comment since it isn't being recycled and it might be bad for the environment.

  • (cs)

    Takes from the Interview is my favourite category. More of this, please!

    I'm just waiting to see two entries covering the same interview from the two sides (the first and third story could in fact be just that).

    By the way, I think this comment is stylish.

  • cyclops (unregistered)

    Think about the environment people: please reuse comments.
    Comment in white to minimise power usage.

  • (cs)

    Think about the environment people: please reuse comments:

    TRWTF is Frist! or Fist! which proves that geeks have zero social skills. This, of course is not a WTF at all.

  • Ben (unregistered)

    What's with using phrases instead of words? It wasn't that he "copied" from the web, but "copy-and-pasted," which reminded me of how it's not "waste," but "fraud, waste and abuse." And instead of a "meeting" it's a "meet and greet."

    And this isn't from those darn kids, but the corporate and government types. Maybe they think tacking on more words will make something sound more impressive?

  • (cs)

    "C++ appeals to me because you can recycle other peoples code."

    Translation: "I don't know jack about C++, but I know how to copy and paste." Being 20 minutes late just re-enforces this image.

  • SR (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    If you insult a potential employer's facilities during an interview, you will not get hired.

    If their offices are a complete toilet you may not want to get hired.

  • Angry Dog (unregistered) in reply to Forumtroll

    Some interviewers use the "extra resumé" as another yardstick to judge your preparedness. Even though every company has your resumé and a copier, were you ready to go outside the box? Were you ready to meet a more senior interviewer who has seen enough photocopied resumés during their career, possibly to discuss a more senior job position than the advertised position you were applying for.

  • (cs) in reply to SR
    SR:
    frits:
    If you insult a potential employer's facilities during an interview, you will not get hired.

    If their offices are a complete toilet you may not want to get hired.

    I agree.

  • Ben (unregistered) in reply to toth
    toth:
    You know, environmental consciousness is all well and good, but sometimes I think this "Green movement" has gone too far...

    I was watching Monk, in particular the episode where they have to find something he threw away and I finally figured out the whole recycling thing.

    It's insane: millions of people mindlessly falling in line with the neuroses of a bunch of severely OCD people, and doing crazy stuff like carefully sorting and organizing garbage. It's just mass insanity.

  • Buddy (unregistered)

    Office environment is important.

    I was at a place once where there was a significant correlation between hierarchy position and cubical size - major cubical envy. I remember one guy at the bottom of the rung, when he was positioned at his desk, he could lean back slightly and touch his head on the wall.

    Rented space with a serious lack of good furniture and as a result the ergonomics were awful. People with migraines from bending their heads in funny positions, or back and circulation problems from sitting in bad chairs. A few people (yours truly included) took it upon themselves to fix the ergonomics.

    The same guy with the pint-sized cubicle, we helped his migraines by stacking a bunch of documents so that his monitor was at eye level. This was a time when large monitors were really heavy beasts, so to have it perched on top like that was probably really dangerous. He said it made a world of difference, no more headaches. Others saw his tower and soon developed tower wars, with tower envy. One guy made a tower of documents away from his the desk, from the floor up, to support his monitor. He was a tall guy so his tower was the highest. While I was there, there were no reports of falling towers, although I would have liked to see one of those big-ass monitors crashing to the floor.

    I shared a cubicle with my supervisor. She had a really shitty chair with no back support such that she was supporting herself by using her legs on the chair seat. As a result she was developing varicose veins due to lack of circulation. We helped her by using a low flat box as a foot rest to raise her legs and a cushion for back support. She said it helped and her legs didn't hurt any more. Others saw the box and cushion, and so began box and cushion wars with people searching abandoned rooms for loose cushions and whatever. That was a less interesting contest.

    Unless you're just leaving school and/or are broke, it's a good idea to skip any place that doesn't have proper office furniture.

  • Jens Fiederer (unregistered)

    Office environment is important.

    True - I believe it was Parkinson (of "Parkinson's Law") who noted that any organization that had adequate offices had become irrelevant.

    When the king of England still had power, his palace was crap - by the time Buckingham Palace was splendid, the power was in the parliament. Now the country is run from a little hovel on Downing street.

    Once a company starts concentrating on lovely facilities, it is on the way down.

  • (cs)

    I've purchased carbon credits, so I can post as much as I want, unlike the great unwashed masses of the middle class. I will take the opportunity to post the entire text of the Constitution, because I don't think Congress has ever read it before.

    From Mark: Carbon Credits != Code Offset credits. Buy a fistful of Code Offsets and then you can 'bring it on' with those copy-n-pastin' antics of yours.

  • Mike (unregistered) in reply to Buddy

    One of my first interviews out of college was at a programming company started by a member of my roommate's fraternity who had graduated 2 years before us. Should that have been a warning sign? Yes. I could say I was mostly going for interview experience, but I was young and desperate for work, so the honest answer is that I was hopeful and naive. My roommate and I were both being interviewed that day, so we drove over together.

    We got to this rented out room in an office complex, and the place was a total dump. I remember that there were a couple desks when we first walked in, and a coffee pot sitting on the floor (not on a small table or anything, I guess that was asking too much?). I didn't like the look of the place from the moment I walked in.

    So the 'owner' of the company who was the recently graduated Frat guy greeted us both. Expecting some kind of normal interview, I asked which of us he'd like to see first, and was told, "Why don't you both come in?". We were brought into a conference room of sorts, and by conference room I mean a big dumpy looking Table with about 8 chairs around it.

    The guy starts asking random questions. I'm the type that likes to think about the question for a moment, while my roommate is more an impulsive answerer. The basic format of the interview would be that 'Frat Guy owner' asks question to us both, and my roommate would answer right away. Not wanting to be rude and cut him off, I let him finish, but then Frat Guy owner moves onto the next question, without giving me a chance to answer.

    I got a few words in, but the obvious 'victor' of the interview was my roommate. I honestly made up my mind after walking in the door.

    The next day, my roommate tells me that they made him an offer and that he took it. I admitted that I had a bad feeling about the place.

    After a bit of time there, he realized that this was an example of being able to judge a book from its cover. Aside from crappy development environments and not really ever producing anything, his first pay check was late getting to him, and the paycheck issues didn't end there. Things went a bit down hill, and he kept having problems getting paid the right amount and on time. He quit the place within about 6 months.

  • Chris (unregistered)
    so Gary, would you describe yourself as a motivated person?
    If someone asked me such a stupidly meaningless question during an interview, I'd answer "no", just to see what happens. I know that your interviews are even more ritualized than ours, but seriously, what insight do you expect to gain from that question? And would you want to work for someone that asks you questions just for the questions' sake?
  • SR (unregistered) in reply to Jens Fiederer
    Jens Fiederer:
    > Office environment is important.

    True - I believe it was Parkinson (of "Parkinson's Law") who noted that any organization that had adequate offices had become irrelevant.

    When the king of England still had power, his palace was crap - by the time Buckingham Palace was splendid, the power was in the parliament. Now the country is run from a little hovel on Downing street.

    Once a company starts concentrating on lovely facilities, it is on the way down.

    There's a balance to be struck. After saying I'd not work in a toilet I too would be wary of joining a company that's too plush (especially an Internet company).

    And 10 Downing Street is pretty huge, despite its unimpressive exterior.

  • Andy (unregistered)

    I copy-pasted my answers to your stupid test when I found out you had copy-pasted the test. If you can't be bothered, why should I?

  • Procedural (unregistered) in reply to toth
    toth:
    You know, environmental consciousness is all well and good, but sometimes I think this "Green movement" has gone too far...

    Many government agencies are at the forefront of the environmental movement. They use green screens for almost everything, and greenbar paper for all their printouts. Most even decide to wash their coffee pots only once a year. Not that's stewardship.

  • Chris Hayes (unregistered)

    The office environment was definitely unacceptable. I certainly wouldn't work in an environment like that. But then, I'm a contractor, and I work 100% from coffee shops.

    BUT. Perhaps the interview ended because of how he broached the topic. "Are these offices temporary?" is a much more diplomatic way to broach a topic like this than "When are you moving?"

  • (cs)

    I wonder if the applicant in the second story was from India, by any chance?

  • (cs)

    I can believe the Computer Skills one. I've had a student try the same on me with his assignment. The bits that were good were pasted from websites (including my own!) and the bits that weren't, well, they would have been suitable for here but I don't believe in posting student code.

    He failed, and I took pleasure in failing him.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Chris
    Chris:
    so Gary, would you describe yourself as a motivated person?
    If someone asked me such a stupidly meaningless question during an interview, I'd answer "no", just to see what happens. I know that your interviews are even more ritualized than ours, but seriously, what insight do you expect to gain from that question? And would you want to work for someone that asks you questions just for the questions' sake?

    What insight do we gain? Well, in your case, we've learned that you're an asshole. Pretty useful information, no? Apparently you think you're too good to answer silly interview questions and think everybody else is stupid for asking them in an interview of all places! In some cases, it's not the actual answer that is important, but how you answer it. FYI, "yes" is the wrong answer too. Anybody can claim to be motivated, prove it to me. Give an example of a time where you took the initative and got stuff done. You may be the most motivated person in the world, but how is anybody else supposed to know that?

  • Herohtar (unregistered)

    TRWTF is "A quick google, however, search...".

  • Raj (unregistered)

    Copy pasting google results got me through school and my first 3 years as a junior developer. Why would you expect me to stop now?

  • Old fart (unregistered)

    I like the guy's approach in the second story where he copied and pasted his test question answers. It shows that he's eco-friendly by reusing code, just like the C++ programmer. That should help the environment.

  • mvi (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Chris:
    so Gary, would you describe yourself as a motivated person?
    If someone asked me such a stupidly meaningless question during an interview, I'd answer "no", just to see what happens. I know that your interviews are even more ritualized than ours, but seriously, what insight do you expect to gain from that question? And would you want to work for someone that asks you questions just for the questions' sake?

    What insight do we gain? Well, in your case, we've learned that you're an asshole. Pretty useful information, no? Apparently you think you're too good to answer silly interview questions and think everybody else is stupid for asking them in an interview of all places! In some cases, it's not the actual answer that is important, but how you answer it. FYI, "yes" is the wrong answer too. Anybody can claim to be motivated, prove it to me. Give an example of a time where you took the initative and got stuff done. You may be the most motivated person in the world, but how is anybody else supposed to know that?

    Are there any wrong questions to ask during an interview?

  • Chris (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    What insight do we gain? Well, in your case, we've learned that you're an asshole. Pretty useful information, no? Apparently you think you're too good to answer silly interview questions and think everybody else is stupid for asking them in an interview of all places!
    Yes, I am and I do. I hate stupid questions with canonical answers that you are expected to give just because they expect to hear them. No, I do not plan to have an interview in the US, ever.
    FYI, "yes" is the wrong answer too. Anybody can claim to be motivated, prove it to me. Give an example of a time where you took the initative and got stuff done. You may be the most motivated person in the world, but how is anybody else supposed to know that?
    Then you should ask the question differently.
  • Ramses So let it be written so let it be done (unregistered) in reply to dkf
    dkf:
    I can believe the Computer Skills one. I've had a student try the same on me with his assignment. The bits that were good were pasted from websites (including my own!) and the bits that weren't, well, they would have been suitable for here but I don't believe in posting student code.

    He failed, and I took pleasure in failing him.

    You took pleasure in failing the student? Aren't you supposed to be teaching the student? By the student failing doesn't that mean you failed as a teacher? Just being sarcast here. Just amazing how lazy kids today can be as they want to take every shortcut possible instead of using their own minds to come up with the answers.

    My interviewing experiences have taught me to run when the place/people are unorganized and a dump.

  • SCB (unregistered) in reply to mvi
    mvi:
    Anon:
    Chris:
    so Gary, would you describe yourself as a motivated person?
    If someone asked me such a stupidly meaningless question during an interview, I'd answer "no", just to see what happens. I know that your interviews are even more ritualized than ours, but seriously, what insight do you expect to gain from that question? And would you want to work for someone that asks you questions just for the questions' sake?

    What insight do we gain? Well, in your case, we've learned that you're an asshole. Pretty useful information, no? Apparently you think you're too good to answer silly interview questions and think everybody else is stupid for asking them in an interview of all places! In some cases, it's not the actual answer that is important, but how you answer it. FYI, "yes" is the wrong answer too. Anybody can claim to be motivated, prove it to me. Give an example of a time where you took the initative and got stuff done. You may be the most motivated person in the world, but how is anybody else supposed to know that?

    Are there any wrong questions to ask during an interview?

    Depending on where you live, there are often questions that it is illegal to ask in an interview, because of discrimination laws. But I don't think that it's illegal to discriminate against assholes (at least not yet).

  • J.V. (unregistered)

    Think re env: plz reuse cmnts.

    the 1st guy was (prob) getting ylled at in the car by his mom or sigother: "go in thre and get a job, i dont care if you dont know how to program, just get the job and i'm sure you'll figure it out."

  • (cs) in reply to mvi
    mvi:
    Are there any wrong questions to ask during an interview?

    Oh yeah. For instance:

    Do you mind if I pass gas, or should I excuse myself?

    Does the drug test have a curve?

    Have you ever seen the brain? Would you like to?

  • Migala (unregistered) in reply to Ramses So let it be written so let it be done
    Ramses So let it be written so let it be done:
    dkf:
    I can believe the Computer Skills one. I've had a student try the same on me with his assignment. [...] He failed, and I took pleasure in failing him.
    Just amazing how lazy kids today can be as they want to take every shortcut possible instead of using their own minds to come up with the answers.
    The problem is not that they are lazy and want to take shortcuts; the problem is that they believe (possibly for good reason) they might get away with it.
  • F (unregistered) in reply to mvi
    mvi:
    Anon:
    Chris:
    so Gary, would you describe yourself as a motivated person?
    If someone asked me such a stupidly meaningless question during an interview, I'd answer "no", just to see what happens. I know that your interviews are even more ritualized than ours, but seriously, what insight do you expect to gain from that question? And would you want to work for someone that asks you questions just for the questions' sake?

    What insight do we gain? Well, in your case, we've learned that you're an asshole. Pretty useful information, no? Apparently you think you're too good to answer silly interview questions and think everybody else is stupid for asking them in an interview of all places! In some cases, it's not the actual answer that is important, but how you answer it. FYI, "yes" is the wrong answer too. Anybody can claim to be motivated, prove it to me. Give an example of a time where you took the initative and got stuff done. You may be the most motivated person in the world, but how is anybody else supposed to know that?

    Are there any wrong questions to ask during an interview?

    That's quite a good one, actually ...

  • (cs) in reply to dkf
    dkf:
    I can believe the Computer Skills one. I've had a student try the same on me with his assignment. The bits that were good were pasted from websites (including my own!) and the bits that weren't, well, they would have been suitable for here but I don't believe in posting student code.
    At least you had the decency to investigate. I still chuckle (and cringe) at the Tales of the Interview with the guy who was rejected for giving answers that were too good - thus must have been copy-pasted - even though he had, in fact, answered them himself.
  • MadJo@Work (unregistered) in reply to SR
    SR:
    frits:
    If you insult a potential employer's facilities during an interview, you will not get hired.

    If their offices are a complete toilet you may not want to get hired.

    Unless, of course, your line of work is in cleaning toilets.

  • me (unregistered) in reply to Andy

    Because I'm not the one being tested, you are. Oh, and you failed.

  • Schmalls (unregistered) in reply to frits
    frits:
    mvi:
    Are there any wrong questions to ask during an interview?

    Oh yeah. For instance:

    Do you mind if I pass gas, or should I excuse myself?

    Does the drug test have a curve?

    Have you ever seen the brain? Would you like to?

    I swear that during an interview with a candidate at my current employer, he told us how at a previous job someone had done "the brain". He then went on to tell us not to worry, and that he wouldn't be showing "the brain" at our company.

    We have a very immature group here so we found it entertaining, but apparently he went a little to far for some during the enterview phase since he was not hired.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Chris
    Chris:
    Anon:
    What insight do we gain? Well, in your case, we've learned that you're an asshole. Pretty useful information, no? Apparently you think you're too good to answer silly interview questions and think everybody else is stupid for asking them in an interview of all places!
    Yes, I am and I do. I hate stupid questions with canonical answers that you are expected to give just because they expect to hear them. No, I do not plan to have an interview in the US, ever.
    FYI, "yes" is the wrong answer too. Anybody can claim to be motivated, prove it to me. Give an example of a time where you took the initative and got stuff done. You may be the most motivated person in the world, but how is anybody else supposed to know that?
    Then you should ask the question differently.

    Every question in an interview is a opportunity to sell yourself. That you think the question about motivation has a canonical answer suggests that you are not very good at it.

  • Fred (unregistered) in reply to mvi
    mvi:
    Are there any wrong questions to ask during an interview?
    That must be a troll, but, inspired, I answer anyway:

    Are you married?

    Do you plan to get pregnant?

    Can I see your ____? *

    Would you sign this paper promising never to sue your employer?

    • However, this question is required if you are interviewing a stripper.
  • Edward Royce (unregistered)

    (this comment intentionally left blank)

  • fred (unregistered)

    WTF! Once you have made up your mind, be courteous enough not to waste the candidate’s time. I would have hired the second guy right on the spot. Why recreate the wheel. It is all about reuse. Object oriented principles of rues, Patterns, SOA, BPM. Obviously this guy will not waste my time or money. There is a story, true or not, we could learn from. Thomas Edison was interviewing people for an electrical engineering positions. The candidates where given a light bulb and asked to calculated the volume inside the bulb. One candidate walked onto the shop floor, asked around, got the answer and then got hired on the spot.

  • Edward Royce (unregistered)

    Hmmmmm.

    "I would have hired the second guy right on the spot. Why recreate the wheel. It is all about reuse. "

    Right. Let us all know how well that second guy did.

  • Gary (unregistered)

    I was fresh out of college, taking my degree in environmental engineering. First thing I did, was contact a headhunter. That was my big mistake.

    He sets me up for an interview with "Green-tech", and even drives me there! We were a bit late, because he had a flat tire, and he says he didn't know how to change it, so I did it for him. We show up late to the parking lot, all hot and bothered too. I see the name of the company: "Omni-tech", which is clearly not what the HH told me. Trying to cover, he starts going on with, "I hope this is the right place! Go inside and check, would you?"

    So I go in the door, and confirm that it is indeed Omni-tech, and not Green-tech. After getting the yes, I go back out quickly to the headhunter, and tell him, making sure he's going to wait for me. He tells me "get in for a sec", and briefs me a bit on the company, and 'programming'." He finishes off with "They might ask you some questions about 'B plus', or something. Make something up! Good luck!" We sit down in the conference room, and as I was so steamed at the headhunter, I totally missed what the interviewer said, but he was sitting there with an expectant look on his face, so I just mumble "yeah I guess so".

    Not my finest moment, that's for sure.

    Sure enough, the questions about "C plus plus" came, and I had to bluff my way through with some crap about recycling.

    Not surprisingly, I did not get a call back. On the plus side, I ditched the headhunter!

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