Ask Slashdot: Re-Learning How To Interview As a Developer?

An anonymous reader writes "Earlier in my career, when I switched jobs every year or so, I was pretty good at interviewing. I got offers about 75% of the time if I got to a in person. But times have changed... my last 2 jobs have been, longer term gigs.. 5 and 3 years respectively, and I am way out of practice. My resume often gets me the phone interview and I am actually really good at the phone screen.. I am 12 for 12 in the last 6 months phone screen to in person interview. It is the in person interview where I am really having issues. I think I come off wrong or something.. I usually get most of the technical questions, but I am not doing something right because I don't come off very likeable or something. It is hard to get very much feedback to know exactly what I am doing wrong. I have always gotten very good performance reviews and I am well liked at work, but if there is one area for improvement on my reviews it has always been communication. So I ask, can anyone give out some advice, I have tried toastmasters a few times, but does anyone have other tips or ideas? Has anyone else had a similar experiences?"

Comments

Re:Drink more.

[mjr167]

I once interviewed a guy who complained that he almost didn't make the interview cause he was still hung over from last night...

We didn't hire him.

Re:You're getting old?

[leptons]

I had to dye my hair for the first time ever during my recent job search, because I was being interviewed by 20-something and they aren't as likely to hire someone in their 40s if they look like they are in their 40s.

There is a misconception in the industry that younger == better, but nothing could be further from the truth. The younger ones invariably cause many problems by making mistakes that more experienced people have already made and know to avoid.

I will by dying my hair again only if/when I need to look for another job.

Re:Loner syndrome

[hoggoth]

>I suggest thinking vapid and friendly, like a labrador retriever, when you go into a job interview.

"Yes, I can write threaded code involving.... SQUIRREL!"

Re:You're getting old?

[Chrisq]

However, once you are in your 50s, you should not be doing coding anymore, you should be applying for management positions and then grey matter actually helps.

We have a couple of great programmers in their 50s, one of whom is soon to reach his 60th. Not everyone wants to become a manager - and not every programmer will make a good manager.

Re: Maybe it's not you

[HornWumpus]

Don't ever bother with jobs that have long, very specific skill lists. Those are always already filled, they are just HR jackasses wasting your time back-filling their hiring process.

There is no fixing it. They are not about to fess up that they intend to waste your time.

They have pissed me off to the point that I submitted bogus apps and made appointments I knew I would never show for. Just to return the favor with lots of interest. Had time on my hands. In the end I let them know why I was wasting their time, not who I actually was.

If everybody who had the time, submitted a bogus app to these bastards every time they do this bullshit, we could put them out of business. Now that I think about it, I might setup a website to help. Submit your HR drone being an asshole leads, or submit your bogus application package to one (or more) leads others have found. We could drown the BS artists in crap.