Boris D'Amato

Programming tests are: ❌ Often stressful ❌ Take-home tests are usually time-consuming ❌ Rarely representative of the approach and conditions of the job that they're testing for ❌ Many times online code testing platforms will penalise you for clicking away from the screen and sometimes they penalise you for any copying and pasting ❌ Usually theoretical "best practice" based - showing how you might do something if you were working in a vacuum, not accounting for business needs / interdependencies with legacy platforms etc ❌ Typically they favour those who have more recently come from education over more seasoned professionals ❌ In some cases the results are ignored or overlooked anyway if the candidate has done well enough in interviews rendering the test itself pointless ❌ In other cases companies take a "line in the sand", "computer says no" approach where even someone who is a known entity to the team or business will be rejected if they don't do well enough on the test   I have NEVER heard a developer say that they enjoy technical tests.   Some of the most senior, capable, accomplished developers I have worked with refuse to complete them as part of a process - particularly timed ones.   How often do you write code in a real life production environment with a timer counting down? And when would you ever want your team to not have access to Google or GitHub or Stack Overflow on a difficult task? A significant part of an Engineer's role is to research potential solutions critically, not to be a walking programming encyclopedia!   Even if your test is a less pressured, more representative take-home task rather than a recorded or monitored time-pressured task, they're not always that informative and they often take up a large chunk of time, which, particularly for someone who is currently in full-time employment and interviewing for multiple other opportunities, is a lot to ask. They also often lead to excellent candidates withdrawing from the process.   To quote a senior dev I spoke to the other day: "It doesn't matter how great the pay or the company or the work are. I'm a professional with over 10 years' experience, treat me like it. Don't set me bullsh1t homework"     👉 So why is it that so many interview processes use them? 👉 And what are the genuine legitimate alternative approaches to be able to ascertain someone's technical capability?   Keen to hear your thoughts Linkedin? Futura Talent #technicaltesting #techrecruitment #developerlife #softwaredeveloper #softwareengineer

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A fascinating post by Ryan Murphy and a great read for some of those more 'technical' Product Managers on the evolution of Product and Software. As time goes by I see more roles where the lines between traditional Product and Engineering seem to blur... Systems Analyst turn Business Analysts to Product to Engineering..the variety of career paths available now are extensive depending on interest and expertise. Will we see more hybrid roles emerge with AI and ML advancements? How could these changes shift the skills that are in demand by employers?  🤔 Go check it out you haven't already 👇 #product #engineering #futurecareers

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😵🤓"DevOps Engineers are not the assistants of Developers"🤓😵 I spoke to the Director of Engineering of a FinTech organisation yesterday, about the relationship between DevOps Engineers & Developers🧑‍🤝‍👩🛠️ They explained to me, that in some cases DevOps Engineers in their team had been made to feel like the assistant to their software development counterpart😵 Furthermore, they went on to point out that DevOps Engineers use a set of tools and processes to make things happen, so that the Developers can do their jobs, and everyone has EQUALLY important roles to play🤓🤓 This led us to discuss the importance of how to maintain a happy team environment, where all roles are appreciated equally. They put it down to a few key areas: 🎖️Recognising that everyone in their team has an equal part to play 🎖️Everyone needs to own their individual workload 🎖️Nobody is to pass work on to others 🎖️Praise & recognition is given to the team as a whole and not individuals 🎖️Focusing on building a system that is beneficial to the business If you have any thoughts on this please drop me a message, I'd love to discuss this📲 #DevOps #Developers #Cloud #tethr

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Edition #60 of the DevNewsletter: DevTool Weekly Roundup has just been published on Linkedin and our website (link below in the comments). Here's the TL;DR 🏆 Funding Wins Supabase Soars with $80M Series C to Simplify Postgres for Developers Platformatic Raises $4.3M Seed to Supercharge Node.js Development Raycast Secures $30M Series B to Tackle Workplace Context Switching 🚀 3, 2, 1 … Launches MindsDB Launches Minds AI to Simplify Data Querying Kurve Emerges from Stealth with AI-Powered Data Discovery Tool Stytch Unveils Fraud & Risk Prevention Solution to Combat Advanced Threats Sieve Unveils SieveSync to Advance Lip Sync Pipelines Airbyte 1.0 Launches, Setting a New Standard for Data Movement Harness Introduces AI-Powered DevOps Tools 🔦 DevTools of the Week streamvisor: Boosting Pulsar Management with v3.1.0 Release ServBay: Redefining Localized Web Development for Modern Teams #DevTools #Develocity #DeveloperTools

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📢Top Tip📢 🚀How can a DevOps/Platform Engineer instantly stand out in a crowded amount of applications?🚀 ⌚How have YOU helped to save time? 💶How have YOU helped to save money? ☁️Multiple Platform & DevOps Engineering managers have told me that they prefer engineers to make it EASY for them to SEE exactly what they have done in these two key areas to instantly stand out☁️ #devops #platform #SRE #tethr #cloudengineering

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Embedded developers with niche skills are like gold dust. If you find one, don’t hesitate... hire them quickly. I see over and over that these specialists are often snapped up by companies that understand their value. That means your hiring process needs to be not just fast, but also enticing. Competitive salaries, interesting projects, and a clear path for career growth are essential if you want to attract and retain this top talent. Speed and flexibility in hiring can make all the difference 🙏 The companies that adapt their recruitment strategies to move quickly are the ones that will come out on top.

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Technical skills alone will not land the BEST Senior level and above, Platform Engineering & DevOps roles🔨 I am working with two organisations in Germany that require Senior & Lead level DevOps/Platform Engineers - One of the businesses is a FinTech scale-up, the other is a multinational SaaS organisation (some would say very different working environments) Both organisations have said they can flex on the technical experience of applicants, but they will NOT flex on something else... ⭐⭐HIGH QUALITY COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS⭐⭐ If you are an Engineer writing a resume, applying for a role or interviewing, do not forget to showcase and prioritise your communication skills. This will be the difference in missing out or securing your next role🎯 #devops #tethr #platformengineering #sre #communication

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Hej Network! Java 23 came out couple of months ago now, if you haven't had time to catch this might be helpful. As it's not a LTS like Java 21 which is growing in the market for Java code bases. Mostly the features are a refinement in this version with some new stuff also. A run down for people that want know about the key features, do your own research for all the details. ⏺️Pattern Matching Came in Java 17, allow more complex use cases with deconstructing data ⏺️Structured Concurrency Been around since Java 19, but improved stability from older versions. ⏺️Virtual Threads Again, came in Java 19 and gives better resource management better to use in high Concurrency applications ⏺️Record Patterns First came to Java in this form in 16 and allows are to extend record patterns and deconstruction of record types. Mainly improvements from version 19, 20 ad 21. New features are! ❇️Module Import Declarations  Simplified import of entire modules ❇️Markdown Documentation Comments Write JavaDoc comments using Markdown 💠Generational Z Garbage Collector (not completely a new thing, but due to its new generational mode in 23 it's a good thing. Also, Java 24 not too far away so keep an eye out for that! #Java23 #Java

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**Frustrations with the Latest iOS Update** As someone who values control over my own device, the new iOS version is driving me nuts. I’ve always managed my screen brightness manually, but now certain icons (like the Instagram logo or verified badge) are overriding my settings and lighting up those areas of the screen at full brightness. It’s not just disruptive, it’s downright frustrating. Ironically, I can't even show this issue in a screenshot since it’s related to brightness settings. Maybe that’s the next feature? HDR screenshots? Apple, we rely on the ux to honor our choices. Hoping this is something that can be addressed in future updates. Anyone else experiencing this? #UserExperience #iOS #TechFrustrations #AppleFeedback

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I'm still speaking with companies that are losing a ridiculous amount of Software Engineers in their hiring process when it comes to the technical test phase The candidate either withdraws because the task is too time intensive, they don't feel comfortable with the approach (think pair programming) or the task is ambiguous but there is no one available to ask questions of. One of the proposed changes that I suggest to firms that regularly hire Software Engineers is a 'multi-channel' approach to tech testing. Give applicants a choice of how they want to be tested. For example...... - Take home test - Pair programming test - A technical solutions-based discussion Here's why: 😍 Better Candidate Experience: Allowing candidates to select the testing method that suits them improves engagement, reduces anxiety, and boosts the employer’s brand. Candidates feel respected and empowered, which leads to higher acceptance rates. 🤓 Diverse Skill Evaluation: By offering multiple formats, companies can assess candidates on different strengths—communication, collaboration, coding, design, and problem-solving. This provides a more holistic view of the candidate’s abilities. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦 Think of your users. Different people will use your software or website in different ways, so you need a more diverse approach to problem solving in your team to try to meet a diverse set of user needs. 🌈 Reduced Bias: Some candidates excel under different conditions. By giving options, companies reduce the risk of excluding top talent who may not perform well in high-pressure, artificial testing environments - you're providing more opportunities to say 'yes' to top talent, rather than using testing purely a filtering exercise. Research by Workable suggests that structured, flexible assessments reduce bias by 30%. 😎 Attracting Top Talent: A study by HackerRank found that 64% of developers prefer take-home assignments over live coding, and 88% are more likely to join companies with a clear, fair interview process. This flexibility can be a key differentiator in a competitive hiring market. ⏲ Saves time over all: it may require more time input by the hiring firm per candidate interview process, but overall you should do less interviews than previously because less people will fail, so overall time-to-hire should improve. Want to see how we could help with your hiring processes? Reach out to discuss [email protected]

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Embrace uncertainty, become comfortable with change... The software space has arguably changed more in the last 2 years than in the last 20. Change is never comfortable, but that's where growth happens: #SoftwareEngineering #Change #Growth

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https://lnkd.in/ejVxKY5H iOS inactivity reboots reverse engineered. A well done and pretty detailed writeup–definitely worth a read if you want to understand what is going on with that feature. It also is of interest if you haven't seen how such reverse engineering is performed–the article includes details such as obtaining the IPSW and extracting desired contents. #iOS #ios18 #apple

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Back with another #KirstysKotlinFacts ! 💡 Last week I spoke about the misconception that Google was the original creator of Kotlin. Here's another misconception. Kotlin was created for Android. Wrong. Kotlin was always designed with the intention to be used for server-side backend development, it just so happens that it's also good for mobile development. The push for mobile actually came from developers themselves. The already existing mobile language #Swift by Apple was not working quite as well as hoped/needed, so the community requested it in need of a better language for android. Android became their priority in 2014. So, despite the initial purpose of creation, nowadays if you tell someone you're a Kotlin developer, more often than not, they will assume that you're an android developer since Kotlin is now more widely known for its android use. Would you also make this assumption if someone told you they were a Kotlin developer? #Kotlin #Android #Backend #SoftwareDevelopment

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I've reviewed some cracking RFCs recently. It's one of the things I love about PayFit France's engineering culture. People genuinely seek out other perspectives and feel comfortable proposing solutions to contentious topics. And the feedback is always well-intentioned and constructive. One aspect of a great RFC is starting with a well-defined problem statement. If you can create a compelling narrative that makes people feel that this is really a problem worth solving you are off to a great start. Before you mention the solution, can you quantify the current costs or future opportunities? Can you explain how these technical issues are worth addressing on a business level? If you do this well, your problem statement will come across as an important problem that needs a solution rather than a solution looking for a problem. Sonya Natanzon covers great problem statements and gotchas in this talk: https://lnkd.in/ecz7uqvM

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99% of CTOs I speak to avoid hiring software engineers for this reason: If you can’t: > Accept constructive feedback > Talk about a project that went wrong > Take accountability for mistakes > Acknowledge contribution of others It’s time to reassess- fast Less ego, more modesty

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🔥🔥🔥amazing software engineering posts from the past week🔥🔥🔥 Ryan Murphy rejection means only that: rejection. Keep going. https://lnkd.in/ecfy5tBV Tiger Abrodi consistently posting TypeScript knowledge bombs https://lnkd.in/ebeapvQ9 Taha Hussain are you fueling the micromanager in your life?? https://lnkd.in/eFtrhiHN Eric Roby please keep your processes simple! your success depends on it! https://lnkd.in/epk7Q_qJ Owain Lewis principles for a delegation: I needed this 2 years ago. https://lnkd.in/eNvt564u Pramoda Vyasarao master the basics https://lnkd.in/eMKTMesj Matt Watson new, "exciting" and complex tech excites only one person: the person who uses it to build. long term success needs tech that is boring, known and comes with a talent pool. https://lnkd.in/e8aK9aQt Austin Belcak above average results require above average effort. Go the extra mile - the road is never crowded. https://lnkd.in/edWQGDPH Francis Nayan take. action. today! https://lnkd.in/ej-HbcpJ Callie Buruchara 7 principles for giving feedback. it's easy to see that Callie is leading from experience! https://lnkd.in/e9XXnDyq

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After recruiting in the React Native space for the past 6 years, over the past 1 1/2 ish years, i have seen clients are often looking for React Native Engineers, ideally with some Native Modules experience (Swift/Kotlin). Of course, the main reason is to improve the performance within their mobile application. I fully appreciate, not everyone has the opportunity to get exposed to this commercially; for the individuals in my network who have not had this opportunity, I would advise to do a personal project where you can successfully show the client you can do this! Your profile might not mention it, however if I could send your CV with a GitHub repository showing you can do this.. surely this gives you a better shot in securing the interview? Also, I have attached a link below which could potentially be helpful for anyone looking to add this to their skillset 🤷🏽‍♂️🙏 Any other tips for engineers who want to get some exposure to writing Native Modules within a cross platform application?

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There’s a role misalignment if your engineering teams are experiencing: - Firefighting - No technical roadmap - Innovation is a buzzword - Missed engineering deliveries - Cross-functional inefficiencies - Open actions that don’t just close - Engineers running around like headless chickens If this sounds familiar, then it’s time to change or hire a CTO. The right CTO will: - Deliver a product aligned with customer requirements - Close open actions ensuring compliance - Act like a magnet in attracting top talent - Align technical and business strategies - Create a realistic technical roadmap - Drive REAL innovation - Optimize operations Evaluate if your current CTO is the right fit for the business or if you need an injection of new ideas. Don’t be afraid of making the change. Because the RIGHT CTO will align with your current stage and drive your company towards sustained growth and innovation. Don’t let misalignment hold you back.

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