Hiringspeak -- Getting the software job done

I've interviewed for a variety of computer programming jobs, or engineering jobs that required extensive programming expertise. It occurs to me that very few of those companies asked for code samples, or inquired about my programming style. Many of them did ask about technical details, or how I would implement a particular algorith, but that's another matter altogether.

These companies were being short-sighted indeed. They focused on certain technical details, and ignored the question of programming style. That is, they didn't bother to find out if a programmer can write software that can be readily understood, and would not require massive reverse-engineering years down the road. (This article addresses that particular issue in suitable detail.)

I remember this robotics company in one of the mountain states. Their core software was a horrible mess, due to their lack of skilled programmers who understood the artistry of programming style. They had plenty of people who could "get the job done," but the people who laid the foundation for their product were sloppy coders. Many nightmares ensued as a result of this chaos.

I could name many other examples, but you get the point.