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Testing IT Professionals On Job Interviews?

Posted by kdawson on from the what-did-you-know-and-when-did-you-know-it dept.

An anonymous reader writes "After having my university degrees, a couple of IT certifications, and over ten years of work experience in the industry, with 2-4 years of verifiable employment with each employer, working with a wide range of technologies, is it reasonable to ask me to take some test on a job interview? The same companies don't ask other professionals (lawyer, accountant, sales, HR, etc.) to submit to any kind of in-house tests when they are hired. Why are IT professionals treated differently and in such a paternalistic way? More importantly, why do IT professionals accept being treated less favorably than members of other professions? Should IT professionals start to refuse to be treated as not real professionals?"

7 of 1,057 comments (clear)

  1. The why... by Manip · · Score: 4, Funny

    Because unlike Accountants, Lawyers, etc we actually have to work for a living...

    If we're bad then stuff just doesn't get done. If an accountant is bad they still get $100k a year.

    Doctors still have to prove themselves multiple times just to be able to get into the interview. Years and training and testing.

    I like to think of us more like Doctors than professional bureaucrats.

  2. Re:Careful there.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    As a consultant, I consider myself part of the world's oldest profession. After all:

    I charge an extortionate rate
    I'll be whatever you want me to be
    I spend a lot of time in hotel rooms
    I have a pimp that gives me a fraction of what I make and sends me to do things that I really don't want to do

  3. Re:No, it is not reasonable. by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 4, Funny

    Last month, we interviewed a guy for a ColdFusion developer job, and when we asked him what the difference between a Struct and an Array were...

    What is the difference between an Apple and a Pear?! You have Ten seconds to answer! Go!

    --
    May the Maths Be with you!
  4. You'd rather your company didn't test them...? by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Funny

    How 'bout we start employing people based on what they claim, not what they can do? Sounds good to me.

    --
    No sig today...
  5. Re:No, it is not reasonable. by silent_artichoke · · Score: 5, Funny

    You failed the coding test, but you nicely placed blame on others. Please move to the line for management interviews.

  6. Re:No, it is not reasonable. by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Needless to say, I think she will make a far better lawyer than half the lawyers in the United States.

    So you're saying she'll be an average lawyer?

  7. FizzBuzz by KingOfTheMoon · · Score: 5, Funny

    HAI
    CAN HAS STDIO?
    I HAS A NADA ITZ 0
    I HAS A VAR
    IM IN YR LOOP
        UP VAR!!1
            I HAS A ANZER ITZ ""

            BOTH SAEM MOD OF VAR AN 3 AN NADA, O RLY?
               YA RLY ANZER "Fizz"
            OIC

            BOTH SAEM MOD OF VAR AN 5 AN NADA, O RLY?
               YA RLY SMOOSH ANZER AN "Buzz" MKAY
            OIC

            BOTH SAEM ANZER AN "", O RLY?
               YA RLY
                  VISIBLE VAR
               NO WAI
                  VISIBLE ANZER
            OIC

            VISIBLE ":)" BTW DAS A NEWLINE
            IZ VAR BIGGER THAN 100? KTHXBYE
            BTW IMMA SO GUNNA GET HIRED!

    IM OUTTA YR LOOP

    KTHXBYE