[LRUG] Code samples: To do or not to do

[Chris Parsons]

On 7 Apr 2009, at 00:34, Matthew Rudy Jacobs wrote:

> I'd say the process should be;
>
> 1. send a CV (link to blogs / github if you have them)
> 2. do a phone / informal pub meetup
> 3. do a proper face to face interview
> 4. take a look at some code, or discuss coding practice.


To throw my hat into the ring: that's almost exactly what we do,  
depending on the nature of the job and the applicant.

Most people send a CV, a few don't, which is fine as long as I can  
easily find out about them from the net.

I usually follow up with a few questions, and depending on the answers  
I usually then do a phone/pub meeting, depending on distance. Then on  
to a face to face interview if appropriate, etc. It tends to change  
depending on the CV/answers/role.

At some point in this process I ask for code. I'm ideally interested  
in a larger block of code, with some notes about what people are proud  
of and what they're not proud of. I'm looking at the personal  
qualities, the software training, and the design decisions behind the  
answers rather than the code itself. 2-3 lines is a ridiculously small  
amount with no benefit, and tells you much more about the employer who  
asks for it than the applicant who provides it.

It's fairly clear from a few classes of ruby whether someone is going  
to match our development style and fit in quickly, or whether we're  
going to have to train them up to scratch. From their answers you can  
also usually tell whether they're willing to learn and have solid best  
practice behind them. That reflects where they'd slot into our pay  
scale, and if there's enough of a match and they'd fit culturally we  
take things further.

Some other job hunting advice (some already given): Avoid recruiters.  
Hang out at user groups. Go to meetups, barcamps and confs if you can.  
Work on open source. Subscribe to the blogs of rails shops around the  
country.

Thanks
Chris

--
Chris Parsons
CEO ~ Eden Development (UK) Ltd

chris at edendevelopment.co.uk
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