

If I could ask only one job interview question - techdog
http://asserttrue.blogspot.com/2009/05/if-i-could-ask-only-one-job-interview.html

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alexkearns
I couldn't disagree more with the central point of the article: that newbies
should only ask for help from expert programmers as a last resort.

An expert may be able to solve an issue in seconds that a might stump a newbie
for weeks. Moreover, a newbie will learn much quicker if given guidance from
an expert than if left to their own devices.

I have been in both situations, learning from experts and sharing my expertise
with newbies. I have always been happy to help out others and have certainly
been shown the same helpfulness by people more expert than me.

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ComputerGuru
I absolutely agree with the article on this matter.

While what you're saying is 100% correct, I'm now seeing first-hand (we're
dealing with a bunch of new hires at our company, and I'm the most senior
developer on the floor) the reasons behind this.

The biggest reason is this: 9 out of 10 hires haven't yet cultivated the art
of researching for themselves (we're speaking entry level programming jobs).
If you give them an easy way out, yes, they do benefit more in the
_programming_ aspect in that they now have an answer and have gained a jewel
of information; but they're missing out on researching for themselves. The art
of looking for an answer. Cultivation of the persistence that is required of
good programmers, both in searching for and implementing any given solution.

These talents are worth more than the coding knowledge itself. The coding is
propositional knowledge, but getting the solutions and doing it right is
propositional knowledge and worth the wasted weeks.

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alexkearns
Research of the sort we are talking here is easy, in that it isn't mentally
challenging. Doing a google search and then sifting through all the articles
does not require any skills other than patience, just as searching through a
1,000 page book to find the page you want doesn't require anything more than
patience.

You don't learn anything by these actions. You learn by understanding the
solution, and the sooner you can find an explanation for the solution the
better, and in my opinion there is no quicker way of getting to the solution
than by asking an expert.

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jimfl
I only ever do ask one question in an inverview. I decsribe a simple
application and then ask the candidate to design the database schema and
business objects to support it. That usually takes up the time I'm given with
the candidate, and tells me a ton about what techniques and technologies
they've been exposed to and their maturity level working with same. I also
watch for how willing they are to involve me in the process. The best team
candidates have me working along side them (but then I get to toss in a few
curve balls)

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dmaclay
I would ask "What are we looking for?" A correct answer requires great insight
and pretty much compels the candidate to continue and explain how they fit the
description.

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colins_pride
"Can you please teach me something?"

I only use it when I'm interested in the candidate, and the interview has
progressed to the point where we're both comfortable.

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jcapote
I'd ask what technical communities they are part of

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edw519
OP's one question would not be my one question, which would be:

"What would be different here in one year because of your presence?"

Their approach, as well as their response, would teach me a lot about them.

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albertcardona
The key in asking someone else is to avoid the disturbance effect. Hence,
email: a delayed questions & answers session.

