experience definition in interview

[jrefactors]

In the interview, when interviewers ask how much experience you have in
C/C++. Do they mean work experience in C/C++, or programming experience
in C/C++? Do they consider college projects as experience as well?

For example, if I have 1 year of C/C++ work experience, but 3 years of
C/C++ college projects programming experience. How many years of
experience I should tell the interviewer? 1 year or 4 years?

I am really confused with the term experience.

please advise. thanks!!

 

[John Carson]

In the interview, when interviewers ask how much experience you have
in C/C++. Do they mean work experience in C/C++, or programming
experience in C/C++? Do they consider college projects as experience
as well?

For example, if I have 1 year of C/C++ work experience, but 3 years of
C/C++ college projects programming experience. How many years of
experience I should tell the interviewer? 1 year or 4 years?

I am really confused with the term experience.

please advise. thanks!!

Ask the interviewer what they mean or, better yet, just tell the interviewer
what you have told us. "I have 1 year of C/C++ work experience, but 3 years
of C/C++ college projects programming experience."

 

[Victor Bazarov]

Ask the interviewer what they mean or, better yet, just tell the
interviewer what you have told us. "I have 1 year of C/C++ work
experience, but 3 years of C/C++ college projects programming experience."

Being a non-native English speaker, I can't (shouldn't) really correct
anybody's language, however, I would probably say "I have 1 year of C/C++
work experience *AND* 3 years of C/C++ college projects programming
experience". [disclaimer: of course I don't have 3 years of college C/C++,
I am just trying to imagine what the OP should have said]

Good luck with your interviews!

V

 

[Howard]

In the interview, when interviewers ask how much experience you have in
C/C++. Do they mean work experience in C/C++, or programming experience
in C/C++? Do they consider college projects as experience as well?

For example, if I have 1 year of C/C++ work experience, but 3 years of
C/C++ college projects programming experience. How many years of
experience I should tell the interviewer? 1 year or 4 years?

I am really confused with the term experience.

please advise. thanks!!

The interview wants to know how much experience you have.

That doesn't neccessarily mean the number of years doing anything. They
want to know if you're familiar with the language, comfortable working in
it, and can step into the job and do the required work. I've found that the
best answers involve discussion that shows what you know, not simple answers
like "3 years".

Open up, tell them about the projects you've worked on! When I've
interviewed others, I like to hear what they've been doing. You know, what
cool stuff did they get to do using the language? What were the major
hurdles? How were those overcome? What new skills did I pick up along the
way?

That's what is interesting to me, as a programmer, not the number of years
they've been doing something. And if you can get me interested, and talk
intelligently about using the language, it shows your ability to think much
more clearly than simple, short answers. And that's what *I* look for in a
programmer... intelligence and ability to reason, not simply some number
that may not mean anything at all.

After all, I could interview a truly gifted and brilliant student who's
never worked a day in his life but can design software fast and well, and
then interview a "code toad" whose done a piss-poor job of C++ coding for
five years and never really learned a damn thing! That's what the
interview's all about...getting to know you. Your resume can do the trivial
task of citing numbers.

Just my $.02

-Howard

 

[Keith Thompson]

In the interview, when interviewers ask how much experience you have in
C/C++. Do they mean work experience in C/C++, or programming experience
in C/C++? Do they consider college projects as experience as well?

For example, if I have 1 year of C/C++ work experience, but 3 years of
C/C++ college projects programming experience. How many years of
experience I should tell the interviewer? 1 year or 4 years?

Others have made the point that a simple "N years" answer is
insufficient. You should tell the interviewer at least as much as
you've just told us.

You should also make it clear that you know that there's no such thing
as "C/C++". C and C++ are two different languages; experience in one
doesn't equal experience in the other.

 

[Noah Roberts]

You should also make it clear that you know that there's no such thing
as "C/C++". C and C++ are two different languages; experience in one
doesn't equal experience in the other.

Yes, I am sure that lecturing the interviewer about their chosen
terminology is going to put you right on the top of the 'to-hire' list.
That is probably the best advice I have heard all day.

Hint: nobody likes a smart ass. The best way to prove that you are
unpleasant to work with is to lecture your interviewer about
terminology and show that you can't even hold a simple conversation
without becomming pedantic.

 

[Keith Thompson]

Yes, I am sure that lecturing the interviewer about their chosen
terminology is going to put you right on the top of the 'to-hire' list.
That is probably the best advice I have heard all day.

Hint: nobody likes a smart ass. The best way to prove that you are
unpleasant to work with is to lecture your interviewer about
terminology and show that you can't even hold a simple conversation
without becomming pedantic.

In a face to face interview, the interviewer isn't likely to use the
term "C/C++". The question is more likely to be something like "How
much C and C++ experience do you have"? You can easily give an answer
like "I've had 5 years of C experience and 3 years of C++ experience"
without being a smart ass. This makes it clear that you know the
difference while implicitly assuming that the interviewer does as well
(even if he doesn't).

I considered suggesting that you shouldn't insult the interviewer, but
I thought it was sufficiently obvious.

 

[Noah Roberts]

In a face to face interview, the interviewer isn't likely to use the
term "C/C++". The question is more likely to be something like "How
much C and C++ experience do you have"? You can easily give an answer
like "I've had 5 years of C experience and 3 years of C++ experience"
without being a smart ass. This makes it clear that you know the
difference while implicitly assuming that the interviewer does as well
(even if he doesn't).

I considered suggesting that you shouldn't insult the interviewer, but
I thought it was sufficiently obvious.

It seemed to me like you were suggesting telling them there is no such
thing as c/c++ so yeah, clarifying might have been useful. In my
opinion that would be really silly. You just don't argue terminology
in an interview. For instance, I am often asked how much "sequel"
experience I have or questions about "sequel". I know that they mean
SQL even though that is a common misuse of the name SEQUEL, which is a
different thing from SQL. I just go ahead and answer the questions, I
don't correct their terminology.

 

[Christian Bau]

In the interview, when interviewers ask how much experience you have in
C/C++. Do they mean work experience in C/C++, or programming experience
in C/C++? Do they consider college projects as experience as well?

For example, if I have 1 year of C/C++ work experience, but 3 years of
C/C++ college projects programming experience. How many years of
experience I should tell the interviewer? 1 year or 4 years?

Just tell them: One year work experience and three years of college
projects programming experience.

College projects might have the advantage that you can actually show
what you have done; usually that is not possible with work experience.

 

[John Carson]

Being a non-native English speaker, I can't (shouldn't) really correct
anybody's language, however, I would probably say "I have 1 year of
C/C++ work experience *AND* 3 years of C/C++ college projects
programming experience".

I agree.

 

[David]

Others have made the point that a simple "N years" answer is
insufficient. You should tell the interviewer at least as much as
you've just told us.

You should also make it clear that you know that there's no such thing
as "C/C++". C and C++ are two different languages; experience in one
doesn't equal experience in the other.

Others have brought up the unlikely grouping of C and C++ languages.
When answering the question it also helps to consider what the interviewer
is likely to need. You may or may not have this information. It does
go along with the idea of expressing what you know how to do in a given
language.

There are also many definitions of C and C++. I realize this group
prefers to discuss "the standard" but please remember that some
employers need employees who know the earier or more restricted forms
of the language and others prefer the latest and greatest knowledge.
I am in the process of looking for help in this area and I cover
everything from very limited C 86 embedded systems to C++ and STL.
It helps to understand what the prospective employee knows about
the development and various functionality of a language. Someone
could be a great C++ developer so long as they stay in the single
tasking/threaded model. That may or may not be useful depending
on the employers needs.

So, while you are talking about your projects, knowledge, experience,
and learning ability, also fill the employer in on what areas you
understand exist and how you perform in those areas.

David