interviewing: The Land of the Rising Fig

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > YOSPOS > interviewing: The Land of the Rising Fig

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Progressive JPEG: Feb 19, 2003

i never get calls but i do get lots of emails

# ? Jun 20, 2018 02:47

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# ? May 26, 2024 16:29

TheFluff: Dec 13, 2006; FRIENDS, LISTEN TO ME
I AM A SEAGULL
OF WEALTH AND TASTE

what do you say when the interviewer asks what you're an expert at? i'm not a loving expert at anything, i just know enough about a lot of things to not shoot myself in the foot, and i'm good at learning to understand what i'm doing before i do it so keep not shooting myself in the foot. i can write purely functional code if i try but i'm certainly not some kind of haskell nerd. i can write object oriented code with abstract classes and interfaces and virtual methods if i try but most of the time i don't. i can write c and c++ without shooting myself in the foot too much but i'm not too familiar with the new c++11 stuff. i've worked a lot with web stuff and databases (relational and no) and i know a vast catalog of common pitfalls, but i learn new things all the time. i have seven years of experience during which i've tried a whole lot of different poo poo, so i'm definitely the generalist kind of guy, not an expert at any particular thing.

# ? Jun 20, 2018 11:35

Hunter2 Thompson: Feb 3, 2005; Ramrod XTreme

TheFluff posted:

what do you say when the interviewer asks what you're an expert at? i'm not a loving expert at anything, i just know enough about a lot of things to not shoot myself in the foot, and i'm good at learning to understand what i'm doing before i do it so keep not shooting myself in the foot. i can write purely functional code if i try but i'm certainly not some kind of haskell nerd. i can write object oriented code with abstract classes and interfaces and virtual methods if i try but most of the time i don't. i can write c and c++ without shooting myself in the foot too much but i'm not too familiar with the new c++11 stuff. i've worked a lot with web stuff and databases (relational and no) and i know a vast catalog of common pitfalls, but i learn new things all the time. i have seven years of experience during which i've tried a whole lot of different poo poo, so i'm definitely the generalist kind of guy, not an expert at any particular thing.

if you polish this up just a little bit it sounds like a good answer to that question (to my unemployed rear end)

# ? Jun 20, 2018 12:12

Double Bill: Jan 29, 2006

You're probably capable of doing whatever they want you to do but generalists are not sexy now or ever so you're better off just making something up

# ? Jun 20, 2018 13:11

Gazpacho: Jun 18, 2004; by Fluffdaddy; Slippery Tilde

It's a lame question imo that requires you to play to commodity-labor thinking bUT I would suggest that you identify a tech from the job description that you have used to successfully solve problems in the past and say that you can bring that expertise to the team. If they notice the switch from "expert" to "expertise" and press you on that then you're dealing with a bonehead.

# ? Jun 20, 2018 16:34

ADINSX: Sep 9, 2003; Wanna run with my crew huh? Rule cyberspace and crunch numbers like I do?

TheFluff posted:

i've worked a lot with web stuff and databases (relational and no) and i know a vast catalog of common pitfalls, but i learn new things all the time. i have seven years of experience during which i've tried a whole lot of different poo poo, so i'm definitely the generalist kind of guy, not an expert at any particular thing.

"I'm an expert at applying the appropriate technology to the customer's problem" or some poo poo like that. Basically your answer but throw the word "customer" in there (assuming you worked relatively closely with some in the past)

# ? Jun 20, 2018 16:47

homercles: Feb 14, 2010

"i can use arrays in bash scripts without googling" try that and see if you can keep a straight face.

# ? Jun 20, 2018 17:31

HoboMan: Nov 4, 2010

yeah, ive been getting multiple calls a day this last week after a couple weeks of nothing

# ? Jun 20, 2018 17:33

Gazpacho: Jun 18, 2004; by Fluffdaddy; Slippery Tilde

homercles posted:

"i can use arrays in bash scripts without googling" try that and see if you can keep a straight face.

pffft who needs to google when you can roll your own posix compliant array implementation

code:

anew()  
{       
        printf %s\\n "$@"
}

alen()
{
        wc -l
}

aset()
{
        sed -e "$1s/.*/$(printf %s\\n "$2" | sed -e 's/[\\&/]/\\&/g')/"
}       

aref()
{
        sed -ne "$1p"
}

(escaping values is left as an exercise)

Gazpacho fucked around with this message at 07:33 on Jun 22, 2018

# ? Jun 20, 2018 19:04

Flat Daddy: Dec 3, 2014; by Nyc_Tattoo

Shaman Linavi posted:

the most recent email i got from an amazon recruiter had the subject "Alexa, What is on my Calendar?" and i spammed it before seeing what the hell it was because i figured it was marketing bullshit

I got one from amazon that quoted the red/blue pill Morpheus line

# ? Jun 20, 2018 20:55

Ellie Crabcakes: Feb 1, 2008; Stop emailing my boyfriend Gay Crungus

Gazpacho posted:

pffft who needs to google when you can roll your own posix compliant array implementation
code:
anew()  
{       
        printf %s\\n "$@"
}

alen()
{
        wc -l
}

aset()
{
        sed -e "$1s/.*/$(printf %s\\n "$2" | sed -e 's/[][/*\\.^$]/\\&/g')/"
}       

aref()
{
        sed -ne "$1p"
}
(escaping values is left as an exercise)

you are a monster

# ? Jun 20, 2018 20:57

TheFluff: Dec 13, 2006; FRIENDS, LISTEN TO ME
I AM A SEAGULL
OF WEALTH AND TASTE

thanks for the advice, y'all

# ? Jun 20, 2018 20:59

Ciaphas: Nov 20, 2005; > BEWARE, COWARD

forgot we had a jobseeking thread

my job is less and less attractive as time goes on and i wish for a change, with the remote dream of leaving las vegas (i say dream because i'm terrified of uprooting)

it's been a long time, is handing my resume to a recruiter a thing to do? or do i just listlessly apply at whatever local companies have an opening that i might be able to squeeze my programmer chops into, until either hell freezes or i give up?

# ? Jun 22, 2018 01:12

Chopstick Dystopia: Jun 16, 2010; lowest high and highest low loser of: WEED WEE
k

Ciaphas posted:

forgot we had a jobseeking thread

my job is less and less attractive as time goes on and i wish for a change, with the remote dream of leaving las vegas (i say dream because i'm terrified of uprooting)

it's been a long time, is handing my resume to a recruiter a thing to do? or do i just listlessly apply at whatever local companies have an opening that i might be able to squeeze my programmer chops into, until either hell freezes or i give up?

Applying to postings and using recruiters can work but it loving sucks.

Try contacting ex-coworkers you had a good relationship with and see if they can put you in touch with anyone decent that's hiring.

It's a good idea to get along and catch up with the more capable contractors that come into your org for <6 months because they bounce around enough to know who needs people and also which places are garbage fires.

Our brains are hosed and referrals are valued way more highly than they should be.

# ? Jun 22, 2018 01:55

Ciaphas: Nov 20, 2005; > BEWARE, COWARD

Kilometres Davis posted:

Applying to postings and using recruiters can work but it loving sucks.

Try contacting ex-coworkers you had a good relationship with and see if they can put you in touch with anyone decent that's hiring.

It's a good idea to get along and catch up with the more capable contractors that come into your org for <6 months because they bounce around enough to know who needs people and also which places are garbage fires.

Our brains are hosed and referrals are valued way more highly than they should be.

leaves me nicely in the lurch because I know no one

literally

here and work and direct family are, quite literally, the only people I interact with

but I also cannot stay with current job forever. so.

# ? Jun 22, 2018 03:01

bob dobbs is dead: Oct 8, 2017; I love peeps; Nap Ghost

step 0 is to fuckin fix that then
are you near other puter touchers

# ? Jun 22, 2018 03:07

Fiedler: Jun 29, 2002; I, for one, welcome our new mouse overlords.

Ciaphas posted:

my job is less and less attractive as time goes on and i wish for a change, with the remote dream of leaving las vegas (i say dream because i'm terrified of uprooting)

Apply to one of the tech giants as they'll pay relocation.

# ? Jun 22, 2018 04:00

Ciaphas: Nov 20, 2005; > BEWARE, COWARD

Fiedler posted:

Apply to one of the tech giants as they'll pay relocation.

funny, i never thought to look for openings at the likes of microsoft or google or whoever, thanks for the reminder :v:

not sure about google though, i've Heard Things about their work hours and culture, but hey, let he who lives in a glass house shut the gently caress up and all

# ? Jun 22, 2018 04:28

ShadowHawk: Jun 25, 2000; CERTIFIED PRE OWNED TESLA OWNER

Ciaphas posted:

funny, i never thought to look for openings at the likes of microsoft or google or whoever, thanks for the reminder

not sure about google though, i've Heard Things about their work hours and culture, but hey, let he who lives in a glass house shut the gently caress up and all

Google has healthier work hours and conditions than any startup I've ever seen. Amazon...doesn't.

# ? Jun 22, 2018 22:44

The Leck: Feb 27, 2001

apparently the interview i went on earlier this week went well, and i'm supposed to talk to a couple of teams to learn specifics about their work and choose between them if they sound good to me. hopefully the offer kicks rear end and gives me a nice bump in cash, because this is sounding pretty good.

# ? Jun 23, 2018 01:09

The Eyes Have It: Feb 10, 2008; Third Eye Sees All
...snookums

Ciaphas posted:

leaves me nicely in the lurch because I know no one

literally

here and work and direct family are, quite literally, the only people I interact with

but I also cannot stay with current job forever. so.

I was in a similar position when as a contractor I basically went all in with a single client for a few years and when that ended by surprise I found myself realizing I had no other prospects and no network beyond it. That was definitely a lesson learned.

As said step #0 is fix that, step n is don't let it happen again.

# ? Jun 23, 2018 15:04

Progressive JPEG: Feb 19, 2003

ShadowHawk posted:

Google has healthier work hours and conditions than any startup I've ever seen. Amazon...doesn't.

if I put my arms up and spun in a circle at my desk I would have slapped 4 people in the face

# ? Jun 23, 2018 17:57

Progressive JPEG: Feb 19, 2003

do they still have osha compliance portapotties?

# ? Jun 23, 2018 18:00

Fiedler: Jun 29, 2002; I, for one, welcome our new mouse overlords.

could you elaborate in re: porta potties?

# ? Jun 23, 2018 19:50

Notorious b.s.d.: Jan 25, 2003; by Reene

Fiedler posted:

could you elaborate in re: porta potties?

amazon is famous for violating OSHA rules with respect to toilets per worker, especially for their white collar programming hives

buzzing with the sound of men doing the pee-pee dance

# ? Jun 23, 2018 20:02

Chopstick Dystopia: Jun 16, 2010; lowest high and highest low loser of: WEED WEE
k

After your interview, before leaving the building, always take a poo poo.

I have more tolerance for a messy codebase than a messy bathroom. YMMV

# ? Jun 24, 2018 02:04

Ciaphas: Nov 20, 2005; > BEWARE, COWARD

Kilometres Davis posted:

After your interview, before leaving the building, always take a poo poo.

I have more tolerance for a messy codebase than a messy bathroom. YMMV

first read this as a traditional shitpost, but on reflection that's legit good advice :cheers:

# ? Jun 24, 2018 02:09

ShadowHawk: Jun 25, 2000; CERTIFIED PRE OWNED TESLA OWNER

Progressive JPEG posted:

do they still have osha compliance portapotties?

I haven't heard of an instance of this since the opening of all the new Sunnyvale buildings (and the annexation of the Linked In campus)

Some parts of Google are definitely crowded startup tables. Other parts are much more spread out in brand new buildings. People complain about moving desks once a year (or more), and I suspect that's a side effect of all the shuffling from filling into new buildings.

# ? Jun 24, 2018 10:48

FamDav: Mar 29, 2008

Notorious b.s.d. posted:

amazon is famous for violating OSHA rules with respect to toilets per worker, especially for their white collar programming hives

buzzing with the sound of men doing the pee-pee dance

this was specifically in Blackfoot, which is an awful rear end leased building that I cannot wait for us to leave. all of the amazon built buildings are much saner about everything.

the spheres are very 👌 btw, ask your lunch buddy during the interview to take you there.

# ? Jun 24, 2018 15:45

ADINSX: Sep 9, 2003; Wanna run with my crew huh? Rule cyberspace and crunch numbers like I do?

FamDav posted:

this was specifically in Blackfoot, which is an awful rear end leased building that I cannot wait for us to leave. all of the amazon built buildings are much saner about everything.

the spheres are very 👌 btw, ask your lunch buddy during the interview to take you there.

take me to bezos's balls I say, never breaking my intense eye contact

# ? Jun 24, 2018 17:16

Quebec Bagnet: Apr 28, 2009; mess with the honk
you get the bonk; Lipstick Apathy

i applied to a place a couple of weeks ago, phone interview went well, programming assignment went very well. they asked last week for my salary expectation and i said a number that is higher than i think i could get, and higher than glassdoor estimates for the position (from one data point, lol) and i haven't heard anything since wednesday.

part of me wants to think that they're just working it out internally and will come back and negotiate, but another part of me can't help but worried they're taking their time to work on a detailed "sorry, this won't work out, best of luck" response :ohdear:

in the meantime i also responded to a recruiter who sent me an interesting position, except i haven't had time to actually talk on the phone with them since we're in crunch mode on my current project. not having time to look for a new job is a sign you need a new job, right?

# ? Jun 25, 2018 15:37

Gazpacho: Jun 18, 2004; by Fluffdaddy; Slippery Tilde

chmods please posted:

i applied to a place a couple of weeks ago, phone interview went well, programming assignment went very well. they asked last week for my salary expectation and i said a number that is higher than i think i could get, and higher than glassdoor estimates for the position (from one data point, lol) and i haven't heard anything since wednesday.

part of me wants to think that they're just working it out internally and will come back and negotiate, but another part of me can't help but worried they're taking their time to work on a detailed "sorry, this won't work out, best of luck" response

lol nobody takes their time on that. inquire already

# ? Jun 26, 2018 00:39

Notorious b.s.d.: Jan 25, 2003; by Reene

chmods please posted:

i applied to a place a couple of weeks ago, phone interview went well, programming assignment went very well. they asked last week for my salary expectation and i said a number that is higher than i think i could get, and higher than glassdoor estimates for the position (from one data point, lol) and i haven't heard anything since wednesday.

this is why you never, ever, ever talk numbers until after the interview

it doesn't matter who "goes first" -- you can throw them a number, or they can throw you one -- but it matters very much when you first broach the issue!

delay, delay, delay

--

it's too late now. write this one off.

for them, it's no longer worth wasting money on an interview, because you don't fit into the bracket assigned by hr. after the interview, the numbers are always more flexible

# ? Jun 26, 2018 01:54

Gazpacho: Jun 18, 2004; by Fluffdaddy; Slippery Tilde

seems dubious when 3PRs won't even begin to represent you without a number, and you can't just refuse to give one because they are idiot robotz

# ? Jun 26, 2018 04:25

qhat: Jul 6, 2015

if you've got to give a number because they just have to put something on paper, make it as broad as you can to the point where it's almost worthless as an answer. and definitely don't put the low end any less than significantly higher than what you're currently getting.

# ? Jun 26, 2018 06:11

qhat: Jul 6, 2015

like it's nice to think you can avoid the salary question right until the very end and maybe that's true if you have enough leverage in your application, but i think for intermediate-senior and down it's real easy to come across like a pikey because that level of worker isn't hard to come by.

# ? Jun 26, 2018 06:18