On: If software engineering is in demand, why is it so hard to get a job?

[msie]

"tell us about a tricky technical challenge you solved"

I have so much trouble remembering previous challenges I've overcome. I don't ruminate on them, I just move on...

[tough → msie]

Then just do a few canned answers before getting into interviews, so you don't have to wait and think about it and just shout out the most appropriate one you can think of the list you made?

[wintermutestwin → msie]

Yes, I have found that this question just selects for people who can recall well on the spot, or worse, can make up some a believable canned war story and articulate it well. As such, it is really testing a particular set of social skills which have minimal bearing on an engineer's ability to do their job.

[JohnBooty → wintermutestwin]

    it is really testing a particular set of social skills

I need my engineers to have strong communication skills, so this is intentional and desired.

    ...which have minimal bearing on an engineer's ability to do their job

In positions I've held, communicating and remembering are pretty desirable qualities. For engineers and others. I need my engineers to be able to do those things. You obviously don't. That's fine. We'll hire different engineers. Everybody wins.

[tempest_ → msie]

You don't need to ruminate on things like this but there is a lot of value in keeping a light dev journal of sorts about what you have done and the results.

Makes it way easier in interviews or ever just in a normal performance review where you can refer back to things.

[JohnBooty → msie]

Well, if I was your interviewer, I'd say "no worries."

I'd be fine if you had to skip a few questions like this and did well on the rest.

That's a fairly common interview question, though, so it's a good one to rehearse!