Eric Elliott
Aug 8, 2017 · 1 min read

I understand getting nervous in job interviews, and I cut people slack for that all the time.

That said, I don’t hire devs to explain algorithms on whiteboards. If I did, I’d test that skill. I hire devs to build working solutions to problems in actual software. There is zero chance I’ll make a hire without watching a developer do that with my own eyes.

The problem is, there’s a whole cottage industry around helping devs pass whiteboard interviews and a part of the population who have honed those skills instead of learning to write real, working code. The only way an interviewer can tell the difference is by watching you code.

Coding in front of people is also a vital skill for both junior developers being mentored by seniors, and senior developers collaborating with and mentoring other devs.

Learning and mentoring happen to be two of the top 5 qualities of top performing developers.

So it makes good career sense to work on those skills at least enough that you won’t bomb an interview. Focus on your strengths, but make sure your weak spots don’t hobble your career. Practice the essential foundations enough that they don’t become deal killers for you.

Eric Elliott

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Make some magic. #JavaScript