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Ask HN: Anyone Hiring Based on Open Source Code Review?

2 points by NHQ ↗ HN
Maybe some of you can sympathize. I'm looking for a new job, and am certainly qualified, but I don't like all these tests.

Why I don't like tests: I have gobs of open source projects covering the gamut of full stack, and a good resume. I'm not going to spend 2 hours each on a bunch of tests for companies, especially if they have made no offer to me. That's ridiculous. Whether it's front, back, full, w/e, I probably have something in my portfolio similar already.

If I haven't used w/e framework or tool on your list, I'm certain I can pick it up in a day or two, even a new language (who doesn't like learning?).

Hire good programmers and trust them to do their thing.

5 comments

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sideshowmel
Coding interviews have gotten out of control. Most of the people giving the coding interview couldn't pass it themselves. Even worse, the people who can pass these tests only do so by memorization--once they are hired, many are not competent Software developers.
NHQ
I wonder if they think the time sink will make you more likely to take the job.

And I think it devalues good programmers, because a test is not likely to display their true strengths.

sideshowmel
In my opinion, it's infantile bro culture hazing and feelings of inferiority. Oh, you can't traverse a binary tree using Breadth-first search in aarch64 assembler? You obviously aren't qualified to work on our web application.
NHQ
I've applied for front-end jobs and get asked some C.S. puzzle, to do something no front-end developer has ever needed to do (unless they wrote the one module everybody else uses).

And yet, it's not like I couldn't grok that if I needed to... just pay me and I'll figure it out, no problem.

The difference between me and the applicants they are filtering, is that I can both learn and implement w/e algorithm, in any language you want. Want proof? Just look at all these other algorithms I learned and wrote.

NHQ
Also, It shows no respect to qualified applicants. You want me to work for you, but you won't spend time going over my previous work.

My personal opinion is that programming should go the way of sports and entertainment: we should have agents. I have almost started this company several times. HMU if you want to help me start that.