Wiley Programming Interviews Exposed: Secrets to Landing Your Next Job, 2nd Edition 978-0-470-12167-2 User Manual
Product codes
978-0-470-12167-2
1
Before the Search
Before starting your job search, there are some preliminary tasks to perform. There’s no point
applying for jobs without knowing what you like, for example. Just being a good coder isn’t
enough — you have to understand what the market wants and how you can adapt your own skills
to find the right job for yourself.
applying for jobs without knowing what you like, for example. Just being a good coder isn’t
enough — you have to understand what the market wants and how you can adapt your own skills
to find the right job for yourself.
Know Yourself
Stereotypes to the contrary, all programmers are not alike. Knowing what kind of programmer you
are is crucial to finding the right kind of job. While you can probably do many different kinds of
programming tasks, they won’t all turn your crank in the same manner. Doing something you
don’t really enjoy is fine on a short-term basis, but you need to be interested in and excited by
what you’re doing to sustain you over the long term. The best programmers are passionate about
their work, and you can’t truly be passionate about something that’s only moderately interesting
to you.
are is crucial to finding the right kind of job. While you can probably do many different kinds of
programming tasks, they won’t all turn your crank in the same manner. Doing something you
don’t really enjoy is fine on a short-term basis, but you need to be interested in and excited by
what you’re doing to sustain you over the long term. The best programmers are passionate about
their work, and you can’t truly be passionate about something that’s only moderately interesting
to you.
If you’re not sure what you like or dislike, ask yourself some questions:
❑
Are you a systems programmer or an application developer?
Systems programmers
work on the code that keeps computer systems running: frameworks, tools, compilers,
drivers, servers, and so on. Other programmers are their primary audience, and there’s lit-
tle interaction with nonprogrammers. Application developers, on the other hand, work on
the pieces that those nonprogrammers use to do their own work, and there’s often more
interaction with nontechnical people.
drivers, servers, and so on. Other programmers are their primary audience, and there’s lit-
tle interaction with nonprogrammers. Application developers, on the other hand, work on
the pieces that those nonprogrammers use to do their own work, and there’s often more
interaction with nontechnical people.
❑
Do you like coding user interfaces?
If so, and if you’re skilled at it, consider yourself
lucky. User interface design is finicky work, easy to criticize, and hard to do well, espe-
cially when internationalization and accessibility issues are taken into account.
cially when internationalization and accessibility issues are taken into account.
❑
Are you a good debugger?
If you think finding problems in your own code is bad
enough, imagine what it’s like to fix problems with someone else’s code. It requires strong
analytical and problem-solving skills. Finding and fixing bugs can be extremely reward-
ing in its own right, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
analytical and problem-solving skills. Finding and fixing bugs can be extremely reward-
ing in its own right, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
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