I think that this time may be different, due to the incredible amount of out-sourcing. Let's see if we get to a party phase soon - I doubt it. Worrying about a shortage of computer engineers will soon be like worrying about a shortage of steel workers - a non-issue.
I am amazed at how many people seem to like riddles, quizzes, and tests. Maybe it's just me, but I have to think about something for a while, and if I am at an interview I am just not ready for such things. Or you run the risk of the person giving you a better answer than the one you know, and you may not even realize it! Example: An interviewer asked me "What happens if you decrease the sample rate on a digital control system?" I replied, "The poles and zeroes rotate around the unit circle toward pi." "No," he replied, "it causes the phase margin to decrease." What was I supposed to do then, teach the guy a semester-long class on the z-plane versus the s-plane?
What I do is I talk to the people about their past work, what sort of problems they hit, what they did about them. You can usually tell if they are bright just by the sorts of things they talk about. See what they think of process. See what kind of things they know about. See if they know anything about stuff that is not in their courses and/or work experience. Not with quizzes, but with conversation.
I've hired a couple of losers, but I've hired a lot more competent people, and some who were just plain awesome (at least from my view).
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I think that this time may be different, due to the incredible amount of out-sourcing. Let's see if we get to a party phase soon - I doubt it. Worrying about a shortage of computer engineers will soon be like worrying about a shortage of steel workers - a non-issue.
I am amazed at how many people seem to like riddles, quizzes, and tests. Maybe it's just me, but I have to think about something for a while, and if I am at an interview I am just not ready for such things. Or you run the risk of the person giving you a better answer than the one you know, and you may not even realize it! Example: An interviewer asked me "What happens if you decrease the sample rate on a digital control system?" I replied, "The poles and zeroes rotate around the unit circle toward pi." "No," he replied, "it causes the phase margin to decrease." What was I supposed to do then, teach the guy a semester-long class on the z-plane versus the s-plane?
What I do is I talk to the people about their past work, what sort of problems they hit, what they did about them. You can usually tell if they are bright just by the sorts of things they talk about. See what they think of process. See what kind of things they know about. See if they know anything about stuff that is not in their courses and/or work experience. Not with quizzes, but with conversation.
I've hired a couple of losers, but I've hired a lot more competent people, and some who were just plain awesome (at least from my view).