disappointed interview

[sisi041]

I have attended 2 interviews in two days in a row. None of those can make me satisfied. I know it is useless to complain, I still want to say the way they interviewed is not scientific at all. What they tested is people's memory instead of problem solving skill.

For the second interview, they ask me how many bytes is for char and int. It is lucky that I remember it is 1 and 4. They turned to ask me for a struct like "struct a { char c; int i;};", how many bytes it occupied? I am sure about that and answer 5 at that time. But the answer is 8 after I went back to home and made a program to compute it. Then I know I fail that interview. I feel frustrated and innocent. Is this test meaningful? Do they really think this test meaningful? Actually, it is so easy to get the really answer with a computer. But they may think every programmer should remember it because it is so simple and fundamental. People who don't know it are not eligible for being a professional engineer. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

My point is if I can get the answer quickly in whatever way then I won't bother to remember it at all. I allocate most of my brain on thinking and innovating rather than remembering. Under this interview mechanism companies are prone to select the people who is good at remembering knowledges rather than who can solve real problems. More bad, companies are prone to select the people who is experts on interview rathe than who is experts on working.

My wishful interview should be to allot each candidate a computer with internet access and some real problems. Candidates are assigned to work out them in limited time by all means. They can use man command under linux or google through internet and anything they want. That is to test whether people can finish their duties in their future work. In working time you don't restrict your employees from using those subsidiary tools, why you do in interview?

I know only failing people complain because complainng can change nothing. The only thing I can change is myself, so I will make myself adapt to the society as possible as I can no matter how reluctant I am. That's all.