learning java

[dmorin at lear.morinfamily.com (Duane Morin)]

On 29 Apr 2004, Grant M. wrote:
> I disagree. Although, I don't feel that it should make a difference, I
> think things like this do count for something. The only real issue is
> when a company is trying to get off cheap, then it might be the reason
> that you DON'T get hired. 

That sounds like a horrible case of sour grapes -- "They didn't hire me
just because they're too cheap to pay my rate." Ummm, no, we didn't hire
you because you didn't know the difference between an array and a Hashmap 
and still wanted more money than our CEO.  :)

(insert obligatory "I don't need to know the difference between an array 
and a hashmap I can look it up on google..." defense here.)

> Otherwise, I suspect that if you make it to
> the final round of interviews, a certificate or degree could be the
> deciding factor. 

The fact from my experience has been that people love to talk about "Let's
say that two candidates come in who are perfectly equal except for factor
X."  And honestly, that pretty much never happens.  If my only criteria
for judging was a 500 question test and two candidates both got a 480,
then yeah.  But that's not how it works.  Personality fits into it.  
Attitude.  Experience.  The simple fact is that there are never two
equivalent candidates who are only separated by quantifiable factor X.
That unfortunately is the big reason why it's so easy to scream
discrimination whenever you feel like it, because then you can choose your
own factors and say "I'm equal to that candidate in quantifiable ways
here, here and here, therefore you must have discriminated against me
because of blah."
 
Honestly, if we ever found two candidates that we liked so much that we 
couldn't decide, we'll hire both of them.  Just happened back in February, 
we hit it lucky.


Duane