On Interviews and Questions
This is another post that shouldn't be, because I still think that I need to post my Observations on Driving rant first. However, I do need to capture this, so here goes.
I was interviewing at Tech yesterday for our co-op position, and came across some excellent candidates. Here's an email conversation I had with one of our three second-rounders:
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:17 PM
To: Hammad K
Subject: Thank You
Dear Hammad,
I appreciate the time that you spent with me during our interview at
Georgia Tech yesterday, and I would like to reaffirm my interest in the
software engineering co-op position at Leica Geosystems. The type of
work you described in our interview fits well with my interests and
career goals. With my passion for computer science, dedication to
writing solid, maintainable code, and GIS experience, I believe I have
the qualifications you are seeking and can successfully complete the
challenging assignments you described.
In our interview yesterday, you mentioned that you could recommend
several C/C++ references. I currently own C++ Primer, 4th Edition by
Lippman, LaJoie, and Moo, as well as Kernighan and Ritchie's The C
Programming Language. If you can suggest any other books I should study
to learn C++ and contribute to Leica Geosystems' codebase productively,
please send a list of titles to me.
Please let me know if any further information is needed or would be
helpful. I look forward to hearing from you and to the possibility of
contributing to Leica Geosystems.
Best regards,
John H.
[my reply:]
John,
Thanks for taking the time to come in and speak with us. I note that you've already had your interview scheduled with us. I also note that you've drawn quite a difficult interview panel. Here are some tips that may help:
1. Brush up on your CS concepts. Judging by your questions, you have already started; I will list some helpful sources later.
2. You've mentioned "solid, maintainable code." Think about the possible meanings of that phrase. To those of us that live and breathe code, people who understand that (really loaded) phrase are invaluable. Look to demonstrate your understanding of the phrase at the interview.
3. Bring something to wow us with. You will have access to a projector, and we can arrange a laptop if necessary. If you feel that you will need us to arrange a laptop, please inform me ahead of time.
Regarding your request for good C/C++ references, I personally own several primers. However, I find myself referencing http://www.apl.jhu.edu/~paulmac/c++-references.html to locate more appropriate books. Personally, I recommend _Effective C++: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs_ by Scott Meyers, but that's hardly something you would read to prepare for an interview.
Some other sources that you may find helpful (specifically in preparing for this interview) are:
http://www.firstsql.com/java/gotchas/index.htm
http://yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/C++MemoryCorruptionAndMemoryLeaks.html
It's quite refreshing someone focused on being a good developer, and if you bring that attitude with you to the interview, I'm sure you'll do well.
Thanks again, and good luck!
Hammad K.
--
Software Engineer
ERDAS IMAGINE Core
Leica Geosystems
The problem of "How to do well in an interview" is one that has been bothering me lately. Even though I am not the interviewee - I am the interviewer - I need to know how to conduct an interview that is useful. A useful interview, by my definition, is one that indicates a good "match."
What is a good match? What're we matching between? We're matching a candidate we barely know against a nebulous job description. We've got an hour to make the call.
It's a tough problem. So, I took the lazy route: I asked someone smarter than myself how they would prepare for an interview. Their response? "Study everything!"
Bugger.
Well, I'm hoping that the person in question above (you know who you are) will post their preparation notes. I am really looking forward to these notes, and, assuming the time presents itself, may actually write my own take on it.
Right, back to work.
I was interviewing at Tech yesterday for our co-op position, and came across some excellent candidates. Here's an email conversation I had with one of our three second-rounders:
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:17 PM
To: Hammad K
Subject: Thank You
Dear Hammad,
I appreciate the time that you spent with me during our interview at
Georgia Tech yesterday, and I would like to reaffirm my interest in the
software engineering co-op position at Leica Geosystems. The type of
work you described in our interview fits well with my interests and
career goals. With my passion for computer science, dedication to
writing solid, maintainable code, and GIS experience, I believe I have
the qualifications you are seeking and can successfully complete the
challenging assignments you described.
In our interview yesterday, you mentioned that you could recommend
several C/C++ references. I currently own C++ Primer, 4th Edition by
Lippman, LaJoie, and Moo, as well as Kernighan and Ritchie's The C
Programming Language. If you can suggest any other books I should study
to learn C++ and contribute to Leica Geosystems' codebase productively,
please send a list of titles to me.
Please let me know if any further information is needed or would be
helpful. I look forward to hearing from you and to the possibility of
contributing to Leica Geosystems.
Best regards,
John H.
[my reply:]
John,
Thanks for taking the time to come in and speak with us. I note that you've already had your interview scheduled with us. I also note that you've drawn quite a difficult interview panel. Here are some tips that may help:
1. Brush up on your CS concepts. Judging by your questions, you have already started; I will list some helpful sources later.
2. You've mentioned "solid, maintainable code." Think about the possible meanings of that phrase. To those of us that live and breathe code, people who understand that (really loaded) phrase are invaluable. Look to demonstrate your understanding of the phrase at the interview.
3. Bring something to wow us with. You will have access to a projector, and we can arrange a laptop if necessary. If you feel that you will need us to arrange a laptop, please inform me ahead of time.
Regarding your request for good C/C++ references, I personally own several primers. However, I find myself referencing http://www.apl.jhu.edu/~paulmac/c++-references.html to locate more appropriate books. Personally, I recommend _Effective C++: 50 Specific Ways to Improve Your Programs and Designs_ by Scott Meyers, but that's hardly something you would read to prepare for an interview.
Some other sources that you may find helpful (specifically in preparing for this interview) are:
http://www.firstsql.com/java/gotchas/index.htm
http://yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/C++MemoryCorruptionAndMemoryLeaks.html
It's quite refreshing someone focused on being a good developer, and if you bring that attitude with you to the interview, I'm sure you'll do well.
Thanks again, and good luck!
Hammad K.
--
Software Engineer
ERDAS IMAGINE Core
Leica Geosystems
The problem of "How to do well in an interview" is one that has been bothering me lately. Even though I am not the interviewee - I am the interviewer - I need to know how to conduct an interview that is useful. A useful interview, by my definition, is one that indicates a good "match."
What is a good match? What're we matching between? We're matching a candidate we barely know against a nebulous job description. We've got an hour to make the call.
It's a tough problem. So, I took the lazy route: I asked someone smarter than myself how they would prepare for an interview. Their response? "Study everything!"
Bugger.
Well, I'm hoping that the person in question above (you know who you are) will post their preparation notes. I am really looking forward to these notes, and, assuming the time presents itself, may actually write my own take on it.
Right, back to work.