The Moderately Enthusiastic Programmer

An anonymous reader writes: "Developer Avdi Grimm posts about the trend throughout the software industry of companies demanding that job applicants be 'passionate' about programming when hiring into ordinary development jobs. Grimm says, 'I love code. I dream of code. I enjoy code. I find writing high quality code deeply satisfying. I feel the same way about helping others write code they can feel proud of. But do I feel 'strong and barely controllable emotion' about code? Honestly? No. ... I think some of the people writing these job ads are well-meaning. Maybe most of them. I think when they write "passionate" they mean "motivated." No slackers. No one who is a drag on the team. But sometimes I worry that it's code for we want to exploit your lack of boundaries. Maybe it's fanciful on my part, but there's a faintly Orwellian whiff to the language of these job ads: excuse me comrade, I couldn't help but notice that man over there is not chanting the team slogan with sincere revolutionary conviction.' Is it realistic for employers to expect us to be passionate about software we're hired to build? If they're looking for the head of a major product, then maybe it's warranted — but for everybody, even the grunts?"

Comments

I don't always code,

[schlachter]

...but when i do...i prefer to do it with passion.
stay passionate my friends.

Re:I don't always code,

[DoofusOfDeath]

You are the most interesting programmer in the world.

Re:I don't always code,

[pixelpusher220]

well that's a low bar ;-)

I think you over estimate non-engineers

[netsavior]

Anyone with any lick of coding ability is passionate about programming. This is equivalent to hiring an artist to draw logos and saying they must be passionate about art, of course they are, or they wouldn't be an artist.
Compare that to other "less creative" positions... The average call-center person is probably not passionate about call centering.
Consider this:

public String getSum(int numA, int num2) {
if (numA == num2)
{
return "" + numA*2;
}
return ""+(numA + num2);
}

If that was painful for you, congratulations... you are more passionate about programming than 99% of people are about their job.

Re:I think you over estimate non-engineers

[rk]

Code review time! This function is not optimal. This is better:

public String getSum(int numA, int num2) {
    if (numA == num2)
    {
        return "" + numA << 1;
    }
    return ""+(numA + num2);
}

Much better, see? ;-)

Re:What about me?

[Minwee]

I'm 40 --

Thank you, we've heard enough. Next applicant please.

Application for telephon sanitizer position

[sinij]

I love sanitizing telephones. I dream of sanitizing telephones. I enjoy sanitizing telephones. I find high quality telephone sanatization deeply satisfying. I feel the same way about helping others sanitizing telephones so they can feel proud. Please hire me so I can buy food and shelter.

Bolerplate requirement

[floobedy]

Perhaps this "passion" stuff is just standard bullshit which is not really expected.

A few jobs ago, I worked for a company which had a job opening. They posted an ad for the job, in which they described the ideal candidate as someone who was deeply "PASSIONATE" about their work. However the position itself was in accounting--specifically, in payroll. Obviously nobody is passionate about payroll. Nevertheless, they asked each interviewee if he was "passionate" about payroll, and each candidate answered that he was.

Re:8 hours a day

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

A lawyer dies and goes to heaven (hey, it sometimes happens).
At the pearly gates, he's greeted by St. Peter and a huge heavenly choir, singing.
Lawyer says "What's with the big turnout?".
St. Peter says "We've had popes and saints and kings arrive here, but never someone who's 196 years old."
Lawyer says "What are you talking about? I'm 62."
St. Peter says "They must have added up your billing hours instead".

Re:Always looking for passionate programmers

[SirGarlon]

At one point my stepmother was interviewing for a new job and the interviewer stopped her and said, "Hey, wait a minute. You're interviewing *me!*"

To which she replied, without missing a beat, "Don't worry, you're doing fine."

Re:Dreaming of code?

[TangoMargarine]

me dreaming of sitting at a desk coding, but the actual visuals are of Vim and nothing else.

Ah, so obviously it was a nightmare ;)

Re:Dreaming of code?

[JustOK]

I'm from Japanon, you insensitive claude

Re:Dreaming of code?

[Khashishi]

Is that like Maslow's hierarchy of greed?

Re:What about me?

[Dodgy G33za]

That's only because perception of time changes as you age. They think that they have only been there for a few days and bang, retirement hits them.