We currently have a few openings for software developers here at IONA, so over the past few weeks some of my colleagues and I have interviewed a number of candidates. Unfortunately, a surprising percentage of the candidates have displayed one or more of the following undesirable characteristics:
- Knowing nothing about IONA. If you're going to visit us for an interview, it might not hurt to go to our website beforehand to get some clue about IONA and our products. When I ask you, "What made you decide to come talk to us today?" I expect you to tell me what intrigues you about IONA.
- Showing no passion. If you show no desire to work here, then you won't. You don't need to jump around like a cheerleader, but regardless of your personality, it's not hard for us to tell someone who's genuinely eager from someone who's either just looking for any ol' position or putting on an act. If I ask, "Emacs or vi?" I expect to see some fire in your eyes when you explain to me how emacs wins every time, hands down. ;-)
- Stretching the truth about capabilities. If you say you know Java or C++ or Perl, then I expect you to be able to answer simple Java or C++ or Perl questions. That doesn't seem like too much to ask. I don't expect your response to be, "Well, I haven't really touched that language in a year." When you list programming languages or SCM systems or databases or IDEs on your resumé or CV, I assume that you've used them in some meaningful capacity and at least know their basics, not that you once saw them mentioned in a book.
From our side, don't worry about us hammering you with stupidly hard questions or ridiculous puzzles that amount to little more than frat boy hazing. Most people who resort to such tactics IMO have some deep-seated need to show you how smart they are, so if we did that, I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to work with us. Our interviews are direct and relatively brief, as we can tell pretty quickly whether or not you'll be able to fit in and deliver. If you're interested, you can find some information about these positions on our main website.