Blowing Up a Pointless Job Interview 692
Nemo the Magnificent writes "Ever been asked a question in a job interview that's just so abysmally stupid, you're tempted to give in to the snark and blow the whole thing up? Here are suggested interview-ending answers to 16 of the stupidest questions candidates actually got asked in interviews at tech companies in 2013, according to employment site Glassdoor. Oil to pour on the burning bridges."
Re:Tame and lame (Score:5, Informative)
Answer: Yes.
Rationale: There is an International Space Station currently in what is commonly known as space. This is manned by astro/cosmo/nauts, which are a subset of an intelligent species. Therefore, yes.
Re:Tame and lame (Score:4, Informative)
Since when did low earth orbit qualify as "outer space"?
Re:Tame and lame (Score:4, Informative)
Round? I lived in Nashua, New Hampshire for a while. The manhole covers there are triangular. The reason given is that if they are placed on edge, they won't roll away.
Re:Obligatory Trainspotting (Score:4, Informative)
Why waste 45 minutes interviewing for a developer position at a place that doesn't use version control?
Well, I would follow up by asking whether I'm being hired to fix that - senior dev jobs often include that sort of thing. That being said, I once left a job after two weeks (well, two weeks after an internal transfer) because the group insisted on using Rational Rose. I've since asked about that on every phone interview, so as not to waste my time in person if they're that silly.
Indeed, and one of my first tasks at one job was to implement version control. They just never got around to it. That's presumably why they are hiring: they need help, otherwise, no opening.
Re:Tame and lame (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Interview ending question (Score:4, Informative)
I actually did this once (did not get the job, despite being recommended by a friend who worked there):
-Name three of your strengths. -Well... I'm honest and... let's see... I'm reasonably quick to spot and diagnose flaws in any given system... and I'd say I'm creative. -Good. And do you have any weaknesses? -I'm a liar.
I went to an interview once and the first question was, "What do you think your biggest weakness is?" It caught me off guard a little as it's an odd opening question. Almost immediately the interviewer told me there was no wrong answer to this question. I told him my biggest weakness was that I didn't particularly care for people who were stupid enough to expect me to believe obvious lies.
Re:Tame and lame (Score:2, Informative)
Most space treaties use the Karman Line as the beginning of outer space, which starts at 100 km above sea level. The ISS orbits at 370km and is therefore literally hundreds of km's into deep space.
Re:Here's the sad part (Score:5, Informative)
IBM it is (inside T&T anyway):
Specialist - highest level "individual contributor"
Architect - I started managing matrix-ed teams
Senior Technical Staff Member - I have a staff budget, it is like a technical Director, has same authority as Director, but less signing authority.
Distinguished Engineer - Usually have a portfolio of products, services, or business lines
Sr. Distinguished Engineer - More of the above
IBM Fellow
and I forget the title of the IBM Fellow that sits on the board. Sr IBM Fellow?
Never do you "have" to cut over to line management to advance, unless you really want to be CEO, like Ginni Rometti.
I manage teams for short time periods for specific goals, who in turn have "line managers" that are usually more like HR managers: vacation, advancement, timecards, reviews, etc, are done by line management.
I can focus on getting problems solved and more strategic planning without worrying about timecards, budget or that kind of nonsense. The business orientated line manager does that.
Re:Unprofessional all around (Score:4, Informative)
And yet, even when faced with such obvious collusion by employers, and the power difference this creates, most techies are still violently anti-union.
Dunning-Kruger is alive and well, it seems.