Some tips on The Thoughtworks Interview Process

Well, I would say that you can rank them in terms of difficulty. A harder problem might get you a bonus point with some graders. However, the harder the problem, generally, the more code it takes to solve which results in more chances to make mistakes that could result in a bad grade. On the other hand, poor techniques on an easier problem is probably judged more negatively.

I would say that you should pick whichever problem you feel you can best solve. Assuming you can provide a great solution, it doesn’t matter which problem you solve.

@Nikhil – They will always get back to you with a response. Sometimes the process takes a few weeks. If at any time you want an update, contact your recruiter and they should let you know what the likely timeframe is.

@Clement – I don’t know of a specific site that you could use to practice with and be graded by. The closest thing I can think of are code kata’s: http://codekata.pragprog.com/2007/01/code_kata_backg.html Try solving some, and then analyze your own code. Try to come up with improvements and then incorporate them. Perhaps you can seek feedback from respected peers. Your goal, however, should be to learn and improve generally, not to practice for one code exam.

@Vittal, I apologize for any rudeness that you encountered during your interview. We do our best to have a no-asshole policy at Thoughtworks and encourage a respectful culture, and what you have described is not something that most of us would consider normal or acceptable.

I can’t speak to the technical aspects of your interview, though it sounds like it could have been better. I hope that you had the opportunity to provide feedback to the recruiter you interacted with. We take feedback seriously and you can have an impact on making us better.

Well, one measure is to judge people on what they know (particularly senior candidates). Knowledge of current and relevent technologies helps, as well as knowledge of good developer practices. There are many areas that are valuable, so don’t sweat design patterns specifically, they aren’t intrinsicly a good measure of a developer, but developers that care enough to learn about them tends to care about many other things as well. Honestly, even without a lot of knowledge, candidates that demonstrate significant passion and aptitude have the potential to be great. We probably value this more than knowledge.

I’m not going to tell you how to implement the solution to the problem. Read the problem statement and do your best to provide what is being asked of you.

You can talk to the recruiter you were in contact with for that information. I don’t believe we ever provide details of the code review. I’ve never heard of a policy that says we must wait 6 months before we reconsider a candidate, but it’s probably a reasonable period of time.

I can’t say much more than I have. Treat it seriously. I would compare it to writing an essay when applying to a university. You are trying to demonstrate your skill and style, but that doesn’t mean you need to cram in too much. Your work will be looked at and judged by 2 or more people, so don’t be sloppy and don’t cut corners. I don’t think it matters which one you pick, some problems are less complex and require less code, but it gives less material to a review and amplifies mistakes/negative aspects. Problems that require more code present more chances to communicate yourself, for better and for worse. I hope that helps.

Well, as of late last year, I left Thoughtworks to pursue other ventures, so I want to be clear that I don’t speak for them in any way. My experience being involved in US recruiting was that entry level candidates were still expected to do a code submission and generally be skilled at writing software. However, there were some programs to find and recruit people with non-traditional non-computer science backgrounds. I wasn’t involved in that, but my perception was that they were mostly looking for significant aptitude and energy in a candidate. Those candidates went through a more significant training program than usual. I especially can’t speak to Australian recruiting, as each region can do things a little differently. I don’t know if that helps, but good luck. Also, I still recommend Thoughtworks as a place to work. It’s a great company.

I can’t guess at your chances overall; From my experiences with Thoughtworks in the United States, only knowing C++ isn’t a huge factor. It’s a plus when they have some experience with multiple languages, but if a junior candidate shows aptitude and enthusiasm in technology, then they will excel at whatever they work with later. It’s much more problematic when senior applicants only know one language, as they need to be very close to a senior Thoughtworker already, and most Thoughtworkers are polyglot programmers.