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I'm a software engineer. It seems like for every interview I have, there is some type of test given to see how good you are at programming in a particular language. Some even give puzzles (e.g., a train is travelling down the tracks at 30 mph. . . ). I hate these tests because you are invariably asked to stand up at a whiteboard and work out your answers while multiple sets of eyes bore into the back of your head. Why is it important for a software engineer to solve problems under pressure/scrutiny?
What other occupations have competency tests? Are surgeons brought into a room with a cadaver and asked to remove the gall bladder? Are pilots put in a flight simulator and asked to land a Super 80? Are grocery store clerks put on the line and asked to checkout some customers?
I was talking to a friend of mine last night, who happens to be a manager, and he said his interviews are usually just talking back and forth about the company and his accomplishments. How nice that would be.
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Sometimes the requirements demand a work sample project. When I hired graphic artists the candidates would all tell me that they could do certain things, such as converting a bitmap to vector, but then speed and quality of work was important so I would test them. More recently, for an analytical position I would give them a problem solving exercise. One of my interviews for a manager position involved a group discussion among the top 5 candidates, to see how we handled working in a group, and who emerged as having leadership and persuasive abilities.
It is VERY common, at all levels. On a job application form that I designed for theatres in Miami, I had to include about five basic math questions, because people were applying who literally could not add $1.25 and $4.50 and come up with an answer. In many professions, you have continuing certification tests as well.
Never been tested, but the norm in my industry is to present past projects/published work (ppt). This is followed by grilling from a pack of wolves who are all experts in various levels of the science and it's something the interviewee has to finesse. It's can be a stressful PIA.
I'm a software engineer. It seems like for every interview I have, there is some type of test given to see how good you are at programming in a particular language. Some even give puzzles (e.g., a train is travelling down the tracks at 30 mph. . . ). I hate these tests because you are invariably asked to stand up at a whiteboard and work out your answers while multiple sets of eyes bore into the back of your head. Why is it important for a software engineer to solve problems under pressure/scrutiny?
What other occupations have competency tests? Are surgeons brought into a room with a cadaver and asked to remove the gall bladder? Are pilots put in a flight simulator and asked to land a Super 80? Are grocery store clerks put on the line and asked to checkout some customers?
I was talking to a friend of mine last night, who happens to be a manager, and he said his interviews are usually just talking back and forth about the company and his accomplishments. How nice that would be.
I think job interviews should be based more on competencies and less on the bs pop psychology type questions (ie: what's your favorite movie?) that a lot of recruiters like to ask.
I don't mind the test, it's the part where you have to stand up at the whiteboard and work out your answer to the problem while they stare at you. I interviewed with a company that gave me a test of 20 or so questions about programming. They gave me a few sheets of paper and a pencil and left me alone in the conference room to answer as many as I could in 30 minutes. That was much less stressful. I could actually think.
Well, considering that it is currently controversial for programmers to know how to... program (?), these tests do a good job of filtering out bad applicants, right? You only need to Google "fizzbuzz" to see the miserable failure rate.
Yes, my last job required all applicant to take a basic math test. The surprising thing was that despite using a calculator, 90% of the applicants failed to answer 60% of $3.00 correctly. Since this particular multiplication was mandatory to do correctly on the job, it was mandatory to give this test to filter out brainless people.
If you think that the application process for a software engineer is too much, I suggest you apply for Starbucks, Walmart, and Target, then come back here and compare the experiences.
Blueprint reading, mathematics up to trig level and sometimes skill demonstrations are common in the machining trade. Sometimes an interview can be as simple as a quick walk through and a glance at sample work, but those are usually lower grade jobs. When interviewing for my current job, the math test took me well over an hour, and I guess many applicants simply left before finishing.
I hate these tests because you are invariably asked to stand up at a whiteboard and work out your answers while multiple sets of eyes bore into the back of your head. Why is it important for a software engineer to solve problems under pressure/scrutiny?
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewUser
I don't mind the test, it's the part where you have to stand up at the whiteboard and work out your answer to the problem while they stare at you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Never Quit
Well, considering that it is currently controversial for programmers to know how to... program (?), these tests do a good job of filtering out bad applicants, right? You only need to Google "fizzbuzz" to see the miserable failure rate.
If you think that the application process for a software engineer is too much, I suggest you apply for Starbucks, Walmart, and Target, then come back here and compare the experiences.
Umm, yeah. . . . As I've said twice already, I am OK with the test, I just don't like the pressure of having to solve the problems while standing up at the front of the room with all the interviewers glaring at me.
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