6 ms·

A great response would be to just say "hold on", whip out your phone and Google the answer, show it to them and finish up with "How long did it take your other

A great response would be to just say "hold on", whip out your phone and Google the answer, show it to them and finish up with "How long did it take your other candidates to complete that task? next..." Point being, you're demonstrating initiative and, that old cliche, thinking outside the box. Think Will Smith in Men In Black. Some interviewers might be impressed with your lateral thinking, others might be annoyed at your attempt to be a 'smart ass' and avoid the intention of the question. But that's always the problem with these type of interview questions, it depends so much on the expectations of the interviewer.

JonnieCache 12y ago
I think it would be funnier to silently transcribe the code from the phone to the whiteboard, and then just sit back down and look at them while you wait for a response.
- colanderman 12y ago
  My response would be, "OK, walk me through the code, show me how and why it works, or if it doesn't (code from teh Internets is buggy), fix it." Anything higher than a junior position requires maintaining code as much as, or more than, writing it. Maybe this points to a better class of interview questions: the interviewer supplies the broken algorithm, the interviewee supplies the bugfix.
  - dllthomas 12y ago
    "Anything higher than a junior position requires maintaining code as much, or more than, writing it." I think that applies to junior positions, too.
    - colanderman 12y ago
      You're correct, but generally when critical thing X is broken and you need it working for the customer, you give it to your more experienced devs, not the college intern.
      - dllthomas 12y ago
        True, but when I'm in a more senior position, we're less often in a situation where critical thing X is broken.
- jiggy2011 12y ago
  "oh, you can use google. Surely none of the other candidates could think of that"
  - TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
    The professionals use StackOverflow.
- angersock 12y ago
  If an interviewee had the stones to try that in an interview, I'd probably have to at least give them a golf clap.

JonnieCache 12y ago

I think it would be funnier to silently transcribe the code from the phone to the whiteboard, and then just sit back down and look at them while you wait for a response.

colanderman 12y ago
My response would be, "OK, walk me through the code, show me how and why it works, or if it doesn't (code from teh Internets is buggy), fix it." Anything higher than a junior position requires maintaining code as much as, or more than, writing it. Maybe this points to a better class of interview questions: the interviewer supplies the broken algorithm, the interviewee supplies the bugfix.
- dllthomas 12y ago
  "Anything higher than a junior position requires maintaining code as much, or more than, writing it." I think that applies to junior positions, too.
  - colanderman 12y ago
    You're correct, but generally when critical thing X is broken and you need it working for the customer, you give it to your more experienced devs, not the college intern.
    - dllthomas 12y ago
      True, but when I'm in a more senior position, we're less often in a situation where critical thing X is broken.
jiggy2011 12y ago
"oh, you can use google. Surely none of the other candidates could think of that"
- TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
  The professionals use StackOverflow.
angersock 12y ago
If an interviewee had the stones to try that in an interview, I'd probably have to at least give them a golf clap.