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A Manifesto for Tech Interviewees

3 points by cutler ↗ HN
We've all heard the tech industry's lament that there are not enough software engineers to meet demand but you wouldn't know it judging by some of the brain-dead hiring processes I come across routinely after 20 years as a software engineer. Typically experience in solving business problems with code gets lost in a fog of buzzword devops criteria in the initial stage interview before the candidate has had a chance to display any proficiency as a software developer. It's not that Agile isn't important but prioritising it above the ability to solve business problems is just plain wrong. So I have resolved to present all future interviewers with my own set of criteria before a minute of my time is wasted and I hope this may be of use to some of you who find yourself in a similar situation.

Hi <interviewer name>

I understand that I am applying for a Ruby developer role and I am happy to be interviewed based on my ability to solve business problems with Ruby. If your selection process prioritises other criteria, however, such as proficiency with:

    - Agile methodology 
    - Continuous Integration/Delivery
    - Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)  
    - Deployment (AWS, Azure, GCP)
    - Message queues
    - Caching strategies
... then I will not be applying for the role as I consider these to be skills which a developer should be given the chance to acquire on the job.

I am happy to participate in a single-stage code interview according to the following criteria:

    - It shall not exceed 2 hours.
    - No-one will be looking over my shoulder.
    - The subject matter of the code test be representative of your business domain.
    - No abstract algorithm quizzes.
If "cultural fit" is more important to you than my ability to solve business problems with code then let's not waste each other's time as I have found this to be a convenient smokescreen for ageism and other forms of discrimination. Otherwise, if your interview process can be conducted within these guidelines I think you will find that I have a lot of experience which could add value to your business.

Regards

<name>

2 comments

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softwarebeware
You realize this sounds hostile right? I can’t see a single person granting an interview after receiving it. Even if I like the hiring process you describe here the tone comes across poorly.
lhorie
I interview SWE candidates at a big tech company. I've been the freelancer guy, I've been the senior SWE guy, I've been the architect guy. But feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt.

Frankly, you do you. Companies come in all shapes and sizes and they're going to interview however they see fit for themselves; nobody is going to bend backwards to accommodate your preferences. All your manifesto is really doing is formalizing in writing that you want to artificially limit yourself to only a small pool of companies with specific hiring criteria. From my experience that rules out all of big tech, and a lot of product companies (i.e. most of the higher pay band). Sure the market is "hot" right now, but understand that however your job hunting experience plays out, it'll most likely be in spite of your stance, not because of it. The way you write your manifesto comes across as someone who isn't all that interested in keeping up-to-date (i.e. a 20 years experience person saying "docker is something people should be given a chance to learn on the job" doesn't exactly project "senior" vibes), and judging from the verb tenses you're using, it doesn't sound like you've actually had much experience with how this manifesto plays out when rubber meets the road.

My advice to you is don't assume that you're always going to be in demand with a narrow skillset, especially as your expectations of pay increase. Someone close to me was very comfortable and confident just a few years ago and is currently struggling with the changes in technology and the overarching industry in just a few short years. Likewise, you might just be feeling over-confident from your current job stability and dreaming up recruiter-pwning fantasies, but you might be just one boss change away from realizing your leverage in the industry at large isn't as strong as you think it is.