What questions do you ask in a software interview? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

cowlick · 01-20-2004, 07:32 AM

I am bored with my questions I ask. They are boring questions. Do you have anything exciting?

Silvy · 01-20-2004, 07:35 AM

Excuse my ignorance but what is a "software interview"?

cheerios · 01-20-2004, 02:43 PM

I'm assuming an interview to hire a programmer, but i could be wrong... what do you do that you interview people all the time, cowlick?

magua · 01-20-2004, 06:54 PM

I think about the problems that we've had over the past month, and ask those. This avoids the arbitrariness of the brain teaser, but enables you to see how the applicant thinks. I encourage them to think out loud.

Some examples over the years. Obviously, these won't translate to your company, but should illustrate the principle:

1) (HTML webpage design) You have four select elements, such that the option the user chooses in select #1 influences which options can be seen in select #2, which'll influence select #3, which'll influence select #4. There's too much data to load it all into the page and then show/hide. How would you structure the page so that choosing an option in select x would load select (x+1) without having to reload the entire page?

2) (SQL) You have a table, Customer, that has a primary key, CustomerID, and a foreign key to itself, ParentCustomerID. How would you write a stored procedure that, given a CustomerID, returned all descendents (that is, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc)

3) (Visual Basic) What's wrong with the following code from a form (and as I type this from memory, I apologize for syntax mistakes. It is supposed to be legal code.)?

Code:

Public m_colButtons As Collection
...
Public Sub Form_Load()
   Dim ctl As Control

   Set m_colButtons = New Collection
   For Each ctl In Me.Controls
      If TypeOf ctl Is CommandButton Then
         m_colButtons.Add ctl
      End If
   Next ctl
End Sub

Quadraton · 01-21-2004, 08:04 AM

Read How Would You Move Mount Fuji?. If it works for Microsoft, it must work for you.

kel · 01-21-2004, 07:51 PM

Ask them what a hash table is.
Princeton and Cornell graduates fail this question.

juanvaldes · 01-21-2004, 08:40 PM

well, I don't know about you guys but I feel better about our CS program now.

blandarfleck · 01-22-2004, 04:11 AM

I used to have a list of 200 or so questions covering Java, Javascript, C/C++, Oracle/DB2, Application servers (you get the point). I found though that I lost focus about why we were really there. Since i've given up my list I find I've given better interviews.

I usually start off with talking about the candidate's favorite project. This tells me how much pride they take in the work they've done.

I'll follow up with asking about what books they may have read in the past 6 months, to see what areas they are interested in. I tend to prefer hearing about books not related to the job.

Next I comb through the resume and ask at least one question on every skill they have listed. This shows how trumped up a resume they have.

Lastly, I have some trick questions I throw in, just for fun.
- What is CAFEBABE?
- Does Java support pass by reference or pass by value?

kel · 01-22-2004, 05:12 AM

I think you should be careful not to get into too much detail on arbitrary implementations and standards. Don't expect your new programmer to know every farking library, language and standard under the sun. Any competent programmer can pick up the stuff your house uses in a weeks or so.

Basic CS, data structures, algorithms, database indexing and querying (don't expect them to know datalog) etc. Asking them them detailed questions about the one or two standards your house uses is a waste. It indicates nothing of the potential contribution they can make.

cowlick · 01-22-2004, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Quadraton
Read How Would You Move Mount Fuji?. If it works for Microsoft, it must work for you.

Well, we're anonymous here. I work for Microsoft. I write software. And every now and then I interview prospective new hires. These books about Microsoft interviews are interesting but not really.

magua · 01-22-2004, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by blandarfleck
- Does Java support pass by reference or pass by value?

How is this a trick question? Java passes everything by value.

blandarfleck · 01-22-2004, 06:09 PM

That's not as common as you may think. Most people I've asked this of reply that it uses both, that primatives are passed as value, and objects as reference.

cheerios · 01-22-2004, 06:46 PM

I'll have to remember that one... for other fledgling CS students who are confused, check this linky out:
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/j...0526-pass.html

kel · 01-22-2004, 07:25 PM

...
sits in stunned silence.
It's never been a problem for me until now so I never noticed that distinction in java.

I guess it doesn't really matter because there are very few instances where you will want to do that. Hence the oversimplification of the text I learned java from.

02-02-2004, 07:59 PM

if for mircosoft then i'm assuming..
Not java..

So i would go with questions on pointers and thier usage.

Give them a set of data, with some odd inter-relations and 20 mins and get them to put it in an effiecent abstract data structure.

also some inheiritance and some error catching/handling questions wouldn't hurt.

If the coder is strong in theory, with good envisioning skills, that's more important to me then syntax.

01-20-2004, 07:32 AM	#1 (permalink)
cowlick Insane Location: Seattle	What questions do you ask in a software interview? I am bored with my questions I ask. They are boring questions. Do you have anything exciting? __________________ "It's a long story," says I, and let him up.

01-20-2004, 07:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
Silvy paranoid Location: The Netherlands	Excuse my ignorance but what is a "software interview"? __________________ "Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not steal. These are principles which every man of every faith can embrace. " - Murphy MacManus (Boondock Saints)

01-20-2004, 06:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
magua Tilted	I think about the problems that we've had over the past month, and ask those. This avoids the arbitrariness of the brain teaser, but enables you to see how the applicant thinks. I encourage them to think out loud. Some examples over the years. Obviously, these won't translate to your company, but should illustrate the principle: 1) (HTML webpage design) You have four select elements, such that the option the user chooses in select #1 influences which options can be seen in select #2, which'll influence select #3, which'll influence select #4. There's too much data to load it all into the page and then show/hide. How would you structure the page so that choosing an option in select x would load select (x+1) without having to reload the entire page? 2) (SQL) You have a table, Customer, that has a primary key, CustomerID, and a foreign key to itself, ParentCustomerID. How would you write a stored procedure that, given a CustomerID, returned all descendents (that is, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc) 3) (Visual Basic) What's wrong with the following code from a form (and as I type this from memory, I apologize for syntax mistakes. It is supposed to be legal code.)? Code: Public m_colButtons As Collection ... Public Sub Form_Load() Dim ctl As Control Set m_colButtons = New Collection For Each ctl In Me.Controls If TypeOf ctl Is CommandButton Then m_colButtons.Add ctl End If Next ctl End Sub

01-21-2004, 08:04 AM	#5 (permalink)
Quadraton Addict Location: Ottawa, ON, Canada	Read How Would You Move Mount Fuji?. If it works for Microsoft, it must work for you. __________________ "A witty saying proves nothing" - Voltaire

01-21-2004, 07:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
kel WARNING: FLAMMABLE Location: Ask Acetylene	Ask them what a hash table is. Princeton and Cornell graduates fail this question. __________________ "It better be funny"

01-20-2004, 02:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
cheerios Banned Location: 'bout 2 feet from my iMac	I'm assuming an interview to hire a programmer, but i could be wrong... what do you do that you interview people all the time, cowlick?

01-21-2004, 08:40 PM	#7 (permalink)
juanvaldes Banned Location: shittown, CA	well, I don't know about you guys but I feel better about our CS program now.

01-22-2004, 04:11 AM	#8 (permalink)
blandarfleck Upright Location: Tatoine	I used to have a list of 200 or so questions covering Java, Javascript, C/C++, Oracle/DB2, Application servers (you get the point). I found though that I lost focus about why we were really there. Since i've given up my list I find I've given better interviews. I usually start off with talking about the candidate's favorite project. This tells me how much pride they take in the work they've done. I'll follow up with asking about what books they may have read in the past 6 months, to see what areas they are interested in. I tend to prefer hearing about books not related to the job. Next I comb through the resume and ask at least one question on every skill they have listed. This shows how trumped up a resume they have. Lastly, I have some trick questions I throw in, just for fun. - What is CAFEBABE? - Does Java support pass by reference or pass by value?

01-22-2004, 05:12 AM	#9 (permalink)
kel WARNING: FLAMMABLE Location: Ask Acetylene	I think you should be careful not to get into too much detail on arbitrary implementations and standards. Don't expect your new programmer to know every farking library, language and standard under the sun. Any competent programmer can pick up the stuff your house uses in a weeks or so. Basic CS, data structures, algorithms, database indexing and querying (don't expect them to know datalog) etc. Asking them them detailed questions about the one or two standards your house uses is a waste. It indicates nothing of the potential contribution they can make. __________________ "It better be funny" Last edited by kel; 01-22-2004 at 05:21 AM..

01-22-2004, 06:09 PM	#12 (permalink)
blandarfleck Upright Location: Tatoine	That's not as common as you may think. Most people I've asked this of reply that it uses both, that primatives are passed as value, and objects as reference.

01-22-2004, 06:46 PM	#13 (permalink)
cheerios Banned Location: 'bout 2 feet from my iMac	I'll have to remember that one... for other fledgling CS students who are confused, check this linky out: http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/j...0526-pass.html

01-22-2004, 07:25 PM	#14 (permalink)
kel WARNING: FLAMMABLE Location: Ask Acetylene	... sits in stunned silence. It's never been a problem for me until now so I never noticed that distinction in java. I guess it doesn't really matter because there are very few instances where you will want to do that. Hence the oversimplification of the text I learned java from. __________________ "It better be funny" Last edited by kel; 01-22-2004 at 07:31 PM..

02-02-2004, 07:59 PM	#15 (permalink)
Morose Guest	if for mircosoft then i'm assuming.. Not java.. So i would go with questions on pointers and thier usage. Give them a set of data, with some odd inter-relations and 20 mins and get them to put it in an effiecent abstract data structure. also some inheiritance and some error catching/handling questions wouldn't hurt. If the coder is strong in theory, with good envisioning skills, that's more important to me then syntax.