There is lots of advice from authoritative places about how to get a job. Any job! Let's apply those principles to software jobs. If you're a great programmer and the techniques work -- you don't want to work there! If you're a software manager and the techniques work on you -- I hope you work for the government or a big corporation, you'll do well.
How to Interview Well
There are lots of places where you can find essentially the same advice, but a recent article in the Wall Street Journal did it well. Here's the key -- and note, it's hot off the press!
Rapport, huh? Sounds suspiciously like what a car salesperson does, your instant new best friend. Who are experts in this rapport thing? Somehow, I suspect it's not top programmers:
Wow. And "researchers" have found this. So it must be true!
Here's a lady in a professional job. Where'd she learn her key skills? Tending bar. So much for the value of computer science!
One thing that's recommended is using humor in the interview. Here are a couple models to follow:
The scary part is the study referenced in the WSJ article, in which ratings for competence were strongly influenced by the extent to which rapport was built in the first couple minutes of the interview -- all other things being equal, you got higher marks for competence by the interviewer if you were an effective schmoozer. Sad.
There are Alternatives. Winning Groups use them!
I strongly suspect that the author's advice is excellent. Aside from my snark about being proven, it's true that most software interviewing is mostly about interpersonal relationships. Groups that famously try to do it differently need to try again. Here's my analysis.
It doesn't have to be this way. Do it the Joe Torre way! It's all about the substance, people! Just get your head out of software and look at other substance-centric fields. All will be clear.
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