passed the first interview. now comes the big coding test, which I always do poorly at. I second-guess myself to death - I assume every q is a trick.

Second, my personal style is a little eccentric? I tend to sorta hack out a quick thing, then just iteratively fiddle with it. Sometimes it doesn’t even remotely resemble where i started, by the end. That style doesn’t go over well in whiteboard coding: they want immediate results.

Third, I really have a problem where my brain kinda turns off on bullshit problems. “Design an algorithm to turn the number 243 into roman numerals”. OK why. Why would I do that. Ever. My brain engages on real problems - what it considers real problems - and checks the fuck out on anything that smells like a game. This was a problem in school, and this is a problem in whiteboard coding.

But it went well, enough to get to the next round, so that’s cool.

I still think “hire fast, fire fast” is the best way, though. Hire, onboard, and give ‘em 90 solid days to do real work. Automattic’s approach with the short contract thing is a little too much, IMO, but closer to what I think is the ideal.