The art of mastering

Everyone wants experts, no one like mediocre. So what makes one an expert? Simple – deliberate practice. Malcolm gladwell, in ‘Outliers’ says that it takes 10000 hours to master any subject. How about programming? A person doing a 40hr week does around 2000 hours of programming, so that is 5 years. Hence the reason, most job positions ask for 5-9 yrs of experience. As simple as it sounds, it is disheartening to know that it is not true. I have seen programmers with 2-3yrs experience out perform their seniors. How is it possible then?

The answer lies in the fact that programming is a thought process; it is not a tangible entity. Once you know and believe that you can program, you need to apply it. The application is the process of mastery. Good programmers are good because, they spent time solving problems by pondering. The process of programming is not a straight forward verb. It is thought process that involves coming up with solutions or looking out for alternatives; and understanding them so that one can apply them in their truest form (not by pasting the code found elsewhere).

Good programmers try to minimize their technical debt (described by martin fowler). They try to be hands on. Most good programmers have the following traits.
1. Understand problems, and categorize them into known and unknown (or solvable on their own or need help)
2. Try to devise more than one solution, how so ever bad the stupid solution be
3. Discuss the hard case solutions with others to seek more inputs. (like a riddle/puzzle)
4. Read books (and gain insights from others who had been through the same) a smart cut approach.
5. Learn different programming paradigms (not languages aka syntax)

Ever wondered what is the difference between a programmer and a designer/architect? A good programmer is like a artist. Given a tough job, the goal of a good programmer is to realize it in its spirit. Good programmers circumvent problems and take solutions that burden them the least. A designer is a mature programmer, One can call oneself a designer when one devises a goal and achieves it.

Designers’ genuinely discover themselves to be so. They set forth goals and achieve them in a way that acts as an example to others. One can never be a good designer by virtue of a title or experience. Design is a discovery process, unlike programming. The true benchmark in my opinion is when a designer devises a solution all by himself and finds out that it is in fact a standard/recommended practice. Designers are above the implementation details and should realize that by achieving things the way they want , and not by the way the obvious solutions allow.
If a designer sets goals and cannot achieve them, then it is inadequate. Good designers preach and practice, not to substantiate their gospel but to discover new means.

Behind the interview door

Getting a job is a momentous occasion. No matter, how much you yearn - you always go through the dreaded interview phase. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that interviews have to be miserable. I am used to sitting on either side of the desk. While it is a joy to interview candidates who fit the bill; It rarely happens. No amount of preparation can guarantee a success. Interviewees aspire to go by the ‘book’ (answering everything under the sun). However good interviewers don’t go by the book, they are great listeners. I had many a great opportunity to share the hall with some of them and I found the lessons invaluable. I am writing this for the benefit of many, with whom I shared and will share the experience.
While CV may say many things, there are certain things which become obvious only during the human interaction. The most prominent ones are below (in no particular order). The traits that make an interviewee most endearing are the ones I listed below.

Confidence/ Humility:

Do this by the correct measure. Don’t miss the hallmark listed in bold (the Job description). If it is for a sales/marketing/PR alike position, you can get away by overselling yourselves. For technical interview never promise things which you cannot deliver. I will let you a secret, the other side of the bench, also comprises of human beings, who themselves have done as many mistakes as you have done, if not more. They will be your future colleagues/supervisors. They reached their current position by committing those errors and are quite wary.
So what is the right measure? Simple tell them what you are good at, what you like and what you have done. It may not be a good idea to tell them what you don’t want, if you desperately need the job. In the long run however, you will find that the decent interviewer rejected you, not because you were bad but because you deserved better. I have been rejected roles in the final rounds with the comment from senior managers/leads saying there is an ‘aspiration mismatch’. Why hire a horse to do the donkeys’ work?

Presence of mind:

Listen, always listen first and ask for time if required. Ask sensible questions, If making a guess – spell it out loudly (I am not sure, can I guess!) It does wonders. There are dumb questions which get thrown to you, and smart answers which make the rational clear. Don’t jump the context unless you have struck a chord with the interviewer’s wavelength.
Interviewers also fumble; their wording is confusing at times, so ask questions so that you can think better. Do this before you admit defeat. If a interviewer is keen, hints will be thrown to you, counter points will be raised. This is your chance to take control. See someone is genuinely willing to hear you!

Honesty/Sincerity:

If above fails, admit your lack of knowledge or ignorance. It may be a morale breaker for you, but definitely not for the interview. People wish to judge on the merit and the intent. You won’t be punished for your lack of know how. No one can master every damn thing, but you definitely need to master the relevant. Even an indication that you are on the right course is a welcoming sight. There are only two things one has to do, communicate things which one has done and create trust about your ability to learn and adapt to new factors.

Never assume that you can drive the interview:

While it is true that most interviews have a defined timeline. It is never a good idea to gauge by the number of interviews and duration. The real metric is the quality of the hire. Technical folks tend to be adamant, so unless you give answers they don’t relent. It is never a good idea to procrastinate/show-off. Questions which ask you about your areas of comfort are to be viewed as the opening gambit. Sometimes pretty straight questions may come asking you to rate yourselves. The number is asked to judge ones perception of caliber and not as an answer. It is the interviewers’ job to do that. The best thing one can do is blend with the flow, like a sugar cube in milk, not obvious but definitely perceivable.
Interviewers also ask questions which sound dumb or outrageous; this is done just to set a context like a cold start.

1. 
   Think and communicate your thoughts/concerns
   


2. 
   Raise questions and point out flaws (politely)
   Wait for the control to be given to you, pounce by giving relevant examples from your experience.
   


3. 
   Always keep in mind that your preparation has started since the day you started working (or you joined college) and continual learning is indispensable.
   


4. 
   Never badmouth anyone. Infact this is one place where you can show-off you diplomatic skills.