Dec
14
Job hunting 101 for developers (Part 2 - Interviews)
Last month, I talked about some of the key issues we identified in the way developers write their CV (especially in relation to applying for a job at hedgehog lab). We take our recruitment process very seriously and it is no surprise that we dedicate up to 15% to 20% of our time in trying to find the best developers we can (for a start-up).
Some have said that we were too harsh for not giving some of the CVs a chance, simply because they were in the format. However, when you spend as much time as we do in finding the right people, it is just not excusable to set our standards any lower. What is more astonishing is that even after our lengthy blog post, we still get people sending us CVs with all the problems described.
Continuing our experiences, I want to discuss our Interview process and things we observed during the interviews. So as not to single out any one person, the issues are generalised but these are based on real cases.
Strictly speaking, we don’t do “Interviews” at hedgehog lab. They are way too formal for our liking and the very mention of the word kills any spontaneity in applicants. In today’s corporate world, interviews are like being thrown into a lion’s den where applicants feel like they are entering “enemy territory” and have to constantly defend themselves against the inevitable grilling and “why are you wasting my time?” glares.
We aim for our interviews to be more of a discussion, debate and conversation between equals. There is no judge and there is no criminal who has to plead their case. Make no mistake about who is evaluating who, but the scrutiny only comes after we have finished the interview, where we can make a formal assessment of how we score the interviewee. Yes there are questions. However, they are meant to simulate conversation and not put the interviewee “under the spot”.
Therefore, without much ado, the following are what we observed as key issues during our interviews,
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Be familiar with what you say on your CV.
This is obvious but it is still very surprising how many people put things on their CV that they know nothing about. This is not just related to skills but past experience, jobs and hobbies. If you list something on your CV (whether that be C++, public speaking, sky diving or crab fishing), you have to make sure you can back it up when the interviewer obviously knows more about the subject than you do. - Be passionate about what you do.
One of our official policies is to encourage a 4 day working week so that people can pursue personal projects and interests on a Friday akin to the Google 20%. As part of our interview process, a standard question (hint to potential applicants) is to ask developers what they would use the 20% of their time on. This helps us gauge their passion for their subject and where their interests lie. It is irrelevant what the project is; whether it be researching bio-fuel or writing the next Javascript application platform. What is relevant is how passionate the applicant is in relation to the career they have chosen. Most good developers will usually have a long list of personal projects they always wanted to pursue because they enjoy what they do and want to solve technological problems. - Don’t guess.
This one is obvious but a lot of the questions we ask at an interview have nothing to do with testing your knowledge. They are meant to test your response and aptitude. A good witty response is great (a sense of humour is always a positive) but if you try to guess the answer and mumble, it only proves that you are trying too hard. - Be concise.
This is not applicable every time but I have been in far too many interviews in which a one line answer is stretched out to a 5 minute monologue with ifs and buts and “on the other hands”s. Try and answer the question directly and to the point. The interviewer will appreciate that when he has had 7 interviews on the go and just cannot bear to hear the confessions of another geek. - Do your research.
Job hunting books, blogs and articles have been preaching this for eons but it is still shocking how many people do not do any research on the company they want to spent the next few years of their life in. Out of all the applicants we interviewed, only 2 made the effort to thoroughly research both our company and the interviewers. There is absolutely no excuse for this given Google has made all the information you need available at your fingertips. Try it. - Ask questions.
A definite way to let the interviewer know you are not really interested in their job is by not asking any questions. Like research, if you are serious about joining a company and wanted to spend (potentially) the rest of your life in it, you have to ask questions to make sure it is a right fit for you. Let the interviewer sell the company to you. - Smile.
Enough said!
posted by Sarat Pediredla on December 14, 2007 at 3:58 p.m.
