Why you should hire a 12-year old

Not literally, as that might get you in trouble. But let me explain.

At CodeFights we’re often talking to candidates, since we’re always either hiring, or building a network of people we may someday hire when the time is right. One phrase that we definitely look for in resumes and interviews is this:

I’ve been [doing XYZ] since I was 12 years old.

For us, the doing is usually (not always) programming, but the principle is the same: if you’ve been at something for that long, chances are you have a pretty deep understanding of it. This helps us spot the difference between someone who got a CS degree from MIT but started studying programming in their 2nd year, vs. someone who got a CS degree from MIT and has been in love with programming since the 6th grade. More importantly, it gives us a solid signal when there might be none, or at least none of the mainstream kind. After all, the vast majority of the world doesn’t get to go to MIT.

Malcolm Gladwell’s 10.000 hours theory lends some credence to our hiring approach. While I think we can all agree that spending 10,000 hours deliberately practicing anything is a feat, it’s not necessarily an easily identifiable one. In a world of homogeneous resumes, “I’ve been programming since before I could walk” and “Commodore 64 fan girl” are replaced by boilerplate work achievements and capstone projects. Or even LinkedIn endorsements.

So the next time you’re sitting across from a candidate, put aside the resume or portfolio and ask the following question: “what were you passionate about in the 6th grade?” Because maybe, in the end, all you have to do is spot the 12-year old within.

This post originally appeared on CodeFight On! the CodeFights blog. Image by Cayusa.