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Re: Code Samples and Previous Employers

by jhourcle (Prior)
on Mar 20, 2005 at 16:26 UTC ( [id://441026]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Code Samples and Previous Employers

1. What do you provider when interviewers ask for code samples? Do you try to tailor your samples to the specific requirements of the job?

I provide stuff that's not under an NDA or similar, and is in the very least whatever language they're asking for. I try to select code samples that are similar to the project I'm being hired for, and make sure that whatever I give is well-commented, consistent in style and formatting, etc. (which may require reformatting some scripts so they all match).

2. Has an interviewer ever asked you for proprietary code? What was your response?

No one so far has, but I've also been rather selective in where I apply for jobs (non profits, education, government). Personally, I'm glad I've never been in that position, but I'm guessing that if I were, I'd walk out. In some ways, this is exactly what Apple is suing Think Secret about -- soliciting information that they knew was under protective contractual agreements.

3. Do you keep code you have worked on in the past, even if it is just for reference and you have no intention of showing it to anyone?

Very little of the work I've done was under NDA, so I don't have the problem you do. I still have copies of the work I've done under NDA, as I made sure when I sign an NDA that they understand that I write modular code, and that I might re-use the parts of the code in other projects, but that I won't reveal specifics about the project, or connect those parts back to the original project. (but that it's often the only way I can give them value for their money, as I'd otherwise have to rewrite from scratch their entire project)

4. If so, do you think this is a normal or common practice among programmers?

I think it's reasonable to not keep any code that might be a liability to hold on to. (like if you could be sued if someone knew you had it.)

As for the situation in general, programmers are not 'expected' to do anything that breaks the law. I would not want to hire someone who is willing to disregard any previous agreements they might have been under, as it's then likely that they'll disregard the new company's agreements. (it's like going out with someone who's cheating on someone else -- what makes you think they're not also going to cheat on you?)

I'm personally not a big fan of code samples in terms of hiring. The times I've screened people for hiring, I've prefered to go the route of questioning them on how much they knew -- I would have had no way of proving that they were the one who wrote the code, or what parts they contributed on larger projects, how much they actually understood of the code (ie, if parts were copied from someone else, without any understanding of what it's actually doing). Besides, for long-term hirings, skills can be taught -- making sure the person has the correct personality to fit within the organization can't.

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