Candidate: Here’s My GitHub Page

Interviewer: Write Me a FizzBuzz, We Don’t Believe You Can Write a For Loop

source: https://tomaztsql.wordpress.com

Recently, I experimented to see the state of the current software engineering job market, and I applied for multiple positions.

I don’t really need a job, but if I come across one I really like, I might consider taking it.

As someone who has worked on open-source projects for about eight years (and another seven years on closed-source projects), I thought we could skip a few unnecessary rounds.

But apparently, that’s not how it works in the industry.

It’s important to note that by open source, I mean honest, professional, full-time, paid work— not just hobby projects.

And by projects, I mean software used by companies like Amazon, TikTok, JPMorgan, Ford or Visa.

So, I carefully linked all my contributions to my CV, hoping this would be a good point for hiring managers.

Then, I sent my resume to 21 places and waited.

I didn’t have to wait long, as I received eight rejections soon afterward.

“Sorry, but we found someone who is a better fit,” or something like that.

In one case, I received a message within 10 minutes from the recruiter saying that after careful consideration, they decided not to move forward with my application.

However, they asked for permission to keep my CV in their system and said, “Oh, and don’t forget to follow our company website on social media.”

Then, two sent me an automated response with an online test. Another two invited me for interviews with real people, and I haven’t heard anything from the rest.

So, 2 out of 21. That’s actually not bad, given the current market conditions.

The problem with automated online tests is that I’m not willing to spend time on them before having a conversation with a real person about my expectations of the company.

In one instance, I managed to get some info, and after that, I completed their tests.

I had to write two trivial algorithms, about the same difficulty as a FizzBuzz Kata…