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Subject:RE: FW: New TECHWR-L Poll Quest From:"Marie Davis" <v2cdimld -at- us -dot- ibm -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 13 Dec 2000 08:49:49 -0600
(oops--sorry about the lack of subject line in the previous)
Wally Glassett wrote:
<<Asking a developer if they are knowledgeable about some function or
technique in some language tends to be a more specific question that should
have a specific response/answer, as compared to asking how one would do a
document. I am usually asked how I would go about producing a document, and
I think that's fair game because I can describe the processes I normally
use
to gather and organize the information/content, as well as
techniques/approaches to presenting that information. IMO, discussing that,
along with reviewing my samples, constitutes a fair and reasonable "test"
of
whether I know what I'm doing or not.
However, I have virtually no idea how often, or if, developers are asked to
write code during interviews, or if they bring "portfolios" of code samples
with them to interviews.
Any input(s) from the developers out there? >>
When I was attending tech school (I'm a writer by day, a programmer by
night), my instructors emphasized the value of a technical portfolio: we
were encouraged to include well-commented code, any user documentation we
created, and a disk of the program so a prospective employer could see the
program execute. My peers often took this material along on interviews as
a means of demonstrating competance. And on more than one occasion, I and
others have had to write code to prove we knew how. Newly-minted geeks
have just as much trouble demonstrating experience and ability as new
writers.
Marie Davis
269/004-2 (D103)
Ph: (507) 253-1466
Fx: (507) 253-5192
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