{"id":21313,"title":"Tech Tests - Don't Repeat Yourself","description":"Guess what's good for tech tests? More tech tests!","content":"

I realise the irony of saying Don\u2019t Repeat Yourself a<\/strong>nd then creating a version of an original blog post BUT

This isn\u2019t really copying, it\u2019s more version control.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>

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Here\u2019s an update on the world of tech tests - AKA coding interviews.<\/strong>

Is there any benefit to doing tech tests, other than trying to get a job? I\u2019ve long thought there must be a better, more efficient way (for the developer, at least) to test a developer\u2019s skills than to start anew with each front-end developer job application, creating yet another little React app or refactoring some made-up code.\u00a0<\/p>

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I\u2019m also not a fan of assessment platforms that don\u2019t test for the job you\u2019ll be doing, as my understanding of sorting algorithms is terrible\u200a\u2014\u200abut I\u2019ve never had to use one as an FE developer, so there you go.<\/p>

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So, I\u2019ve recently been ramping up my coding skills and applying for jobs. I have to say, applying for jobs makes you up your game on the programming front.<\/strong><\/p>

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Feeling very coded-out <\/em><\/strong>after doing 15+ tech tests over the past month. Live coding, pair-programming, take-home tests, using Hackerrank and other testing software platforms. Whiteboarding, code reviews and talking through existing projects\u2026you learn a lot from interviewing. The first few could have been better.\u00a0<\/p>

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I got some very snarky feedback on a couple\u200a\u2014\u200athat is for another blog post \u201chow to feed back to job applicants without sounding like you\u2019ve never dealt with a human being before\u201d. As well as some nice people who were very constructive. Credit where it\u2019s due.<\/em><\/p>

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Since then, though, through repetition, my React performance has definitely improved.<\/p>

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So, guess what\u2019s good for getting better at tech tests?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>

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The answer is more tech tests! To be specific, the ones you did before this particular interview.<\/p>

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The surprising benefit was that in the most recent tests, I mostly reused code from the ones I\u2019d done the week before. <\/strong>So all those early tech tests where I didn\u2019t do my absolute best\u200a\u2014\u200aand the feedback I got \u2014<\/p>