Coding on whiteboard for interview?!

Jul 12, 2017 34 Comments

just a thought - some company i interviewed with had me write a ton of classes and implementations on whiteboard. after all that i thought it sucked. it is slower than typing, makes you feel sloppy and is limited space.

I think companies need to hand out machines to interviewees during interviews, seriously

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TOP 34 Comments
  • i actually like whiteboard interviews. it allows us to see your approach to solving the problem.
    Jul 12, 2017 16
  • Procore / Ops
    .vicky

    Go to company page Procore Ops

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    microsoft, Apple
    BIO
    An avid Technologist in an open relationship with Poké Bowls. It's important to me that you succeed. I'd love it if I could help you along the way.
    .vicky
    Fair enough. Though, I tend to want to pull people out of their comfort zones. Giving someone a machine wouldn't solve that for me :)

    If you can translate fluently on a whiteboard when you are used to coding on machine it shows a deep understanding of the language. Plus, it exposes flaws. No JSONLint, no validation, just what you know.

    I do see your point though.
    Jul 12, 2017 7
  • Samsung
    LVRr10

    Go to company page Samsung

    LVRr10
    I think white boarding is bullshit. There are a few things I look for, 1) intelligence, 2) quick to learn, 3) culture fit, 4) I actually like them, 5) GitHub contributions. Ultimately I want to know if they're smart and can pick things up quickly. I want to see some code they've written, and I want to know if I can hang out with them for 8 hours a day. If they've got all those things, let's give it a shot and see how it goes. White boarding definitely does not indicate the candidate is good at engineering or solving problems. They could be nervous, or just work in a different manner. I'd hate to toss aside a great prospect because of a white boarding session. I'd rather use the time to get to know the person.
    Jul 12, 2017 0
  • Facebook
    ayyyyylmao

    Go to company page Facebook

    ayyyyylmao
    whiteboard interviews are great. you don't have to have syntactically correct code. but you do need to show your problem solving skills.
    Jul 12, 2017 0
  • Prefer to code with a typewriter and blindfolded.
    Jul 13, 2017 1
    • HealthNow / Eng
      binarycafe

      HealthNow Eng

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      healthnow
      binarycafe
      with two keys missing and an arm strapped behind my back
      Jul 15, 2017