> Much more important is to have the experience of how code complexity accumulates, and how to mitigate that.
That's so right. But that is experience, so I think when you know most the candidates don't have it, you end up looking for other stuff to test, and then your interview process gets infected, and eventually when you are interviewing for positions that should have experience, you get a lot of the same bullshit questions.
There are plenty of stories here of novice programmers doing some passion project, and 6-12 months after learning to program they are busting out some fairly complex algorithms that to someone that took the long route of getting a CS degree can look somewhat amazing, and frankly, humbling. But I think what's going on is that's the easy stuff to get a hold of, because all it takes is some judicious googling, or more likely, asking some professionals from help, and you're pointed in the right direction for the tool that solves your need, so you use it. Getting amazing progress on a new project isn't really hard.
Getting sustained progress, or being able to fix your problem a year or two in once you realize a major architectural change is required, and not being bogged down for months and losing interest, those are amazing, and those take experience or constant mentoring to achieve usually.
Or maybe I'm just projecting what I currently value.
That's so right. But that is experience, so I think when you know most the candidates don't have it, you end up looking for other stuff to test, and then your interview process gets infected, and eventually when you are interviewing for positions that should have experience, you get a lot of the same bullshit questions.
There are plenty of stories here of novice programmers doing some passion project, and 6-12 months after learning to program they are busting out some fairly complex algorithms that to someone that took the long route of getting a CS degree can look somewhat amazing, and frankly, humbling. But I think what's going on is that's the easy stuff to get a hold of, because all it takes is some judicious googling, or more likely, asking some professionals from help, and you're pointed in the right direction for the tool that solves your need, so you use it. Getting amazing progress on a new project isn't really hard.
Getting sustained progress, or being able to fix your problem a year or two in once you realize a major architectural change is required, and not being bogged down for months and losing interest, those are amazing, and those take experience or constant mentoring to achieve usually.
Or maybe I'm just projecting what I currently value.