> I would say, “I’ve got bills to pay, and I know a bit about websites. But you can hire me as an assistant to the system administrator too if you want.” Unfortunately, when you give such an honest answer, you’re asked to get the hell out of the interviewer’s face. So you have to cheat. Don’t make people cheat you.

This is important, IMHO. So many companies set a tone of dishonesty and playing-to-the-metrics, starting from the interviews themselves. Which is absolutely not what you want from an engineering organization.

One of the most refreshing things about being a principal engineer at a multinational tech company was interviewing engineering candidates in China. They came across as exceedingly honest about what they're looking for, how they see the company, etc. (I also often find candor from experienced US candidates, especially once they read me as valuing and respecting that, but it didn't often seem the immediate default. I think they're often braced for Leetcode hazing, class shibboleths, corporate theatre, etc.)