It's hip to be... huh?

[flexagon]

We interviewed someone yesterday for a position in our group. I give them a math puzzle, because math skills are important in our group (my own math skills are behind where they need to be, in my opinion). At some point they invariably have part of the answer but haven't seen the full pattern yet.

It's AMAZING how many people, and I mean people with PhDs in math or engineering, don't recognize a pattern from the numbers 1, 4 and 9. :(

Comments

[jg26.livejournal.com]

1 4 9... weren't those the dimensions of the monolith in "2001 a space odyssey"? ;)

In their defense... at an interview for a job I REALLY wanted, they asked me to code up a solution to a simple problem while standing over my shoulder. I completely forgot the syntax of the C language that day. It would have taken me 2 minutes to do it in any other situation.

[flexagon]

Ooh. If anyone ever says that I'll recommend hire on the spot. :) But yes, I know people tend to not be at their best in interviews...