A Manifesto for Tech Interviewees

We've all heard the tech industry's lament that there are not enough software engineers to meet demand but you wouldn't know it judging by some of the brain-dead hiring processes I come across routinely after 20 years as a software engineer. Typically experience in solving business problems with code gets lost in a fog of buzzword devops criteria in the initial stage interview before the candidate has had a chance to display any proficiency as a software developer. It's not that Agile isn't important but prioritising it above the ability to solve business problems is just plain wrong. So I have resolved to present all future interviewers with my own set of criteria before a minute of my time is wasted and I hope this may be of use to some of you who find yourself in a similar situation.

Hi <interviewer name>

I understand that I am applying for a Ruby developer role and I am happy to be interviewed based on my ability to solve business problems with Ruby. If your selection process prioritises other criteria, however, such as proficiency with:

    - Agile methodology 
    - Continuous Integration/Delivery
    - Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)  
    - Deployment (AWS, Azure, GCP)
    - Message queues
    - Caching strategies

... then I will not be applying for the role as I consider these to be skills which a developer should be given the chance to acquire on the job.

I am happy to participate in a single-stage code interview according to the following criteria:

    - It shall not exceed 2 hours.
    - No-one will be looking over my shoulder.
    - The subject matter of the code test be representative of your business domain.
    - No abstract algorithm quizzes.

If "cultural fit" is more important to you than my ability to solve business problems with code then let's not waste each other's time as I have found this to be a convenient smokescreen for ageism and other forms of discrimination. Otherwise, if your interview process can be conducted within these guidelines I think you will find that I have a lot of experience which could add value to your business.

Regards

<name>