Hacker News Reader

Comment by makesnosense | Hacker News Reader

I cringe every time I hear someone say it's hard to find talent. I've been a software engineer for over 12 years now and I know I'm good at it. My problem is that I truly suck at interviewing. I have no social issues whatsoever, I'm just a normal guy outside the interview room, but when I do get in there - I'm at my absolute worse. I've been out of work for going on 8 months now and I just don't get it.

I've tried many things to overcome my severe interview anxiety and I've tried creative ways of getting employers to give a second chance or even a better first chance :) But it fails me each and every time.

View on HN

I feel your pain. I've managed to do enough interviews that I no longer appear to be nervous, but my brain still just does not work correctly when in an interview situation. Hell, I once used a goto during an interview for a C++ job because I was so stressed out I could not recall the concept of loops.

I have literally hung up the phone after a live(remote) coding interview and had the answer to the problem that had stumped me pop into my head seconds later. Similar things have happened with driving/flying home from an on-site whiteboard interview.

My best-ever interview performance came after a year of looking for a new job. I was so beaten down and emotionally exhausted I showed up for a coding interview knowing I would fail, and I just did not care. No stress. Got the job.

So I guess that would be the secret for me, I have to not care if I get the job or not. Easier said than done.

I much prefer: "Here's a project, get it back to me in an hour." I get all tense and nervous when people are watching me work.

I don't mind showing my work, but not while I do it.

I know how you feel man and I wish I could help you. Been talking with a former colleague of mine who blows most devs out of the water to apply to some jobs where he would be an amazing technical fit but it's hard to convince him to take the "humiliation".

I'm sorta the same..

Reply on news.ycombinator.com