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Comment by arp242 | Hacker News Reader

I can't pair program, especially not in an interview setting. Being watched makes me so nervous that I can't think straight, unless it's someone I know well. I also can't think and talk at the same time, and someone talking to me makes me lose my entire train of thought. I don't think I'm the only one.

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You're not the only one. I will say that comfort often comes with practice.

I do pair programming sessions with people as part of my job. This has made me a substantially better at pair programming as part of interviewing (on both sides). Perhaps it would be worthwhile for you to time to work with some colleagues to build some of these muscles.

I do agree that alternatives should be offered if someone is uncomfortable.

I'm going to guess you can't do leetcode then either because it's essentially pair programming - minus the part where you're working together.

I don't think it's the same at all, because people aren't watching every character you type, including the mistakes.

My mother told me I spoke very little as a child, but in the evening she could hear me practising words outside my bedroom door. I suppose this is some deeply seated neuroticism.

Then you are not gonna do well in any interview or team setting; which basically disqualifies you from working in this field unless it’s open source or something.

Pair programming is quite rare in most orgs. Most code is discussed async after its been written. A take home test where you modify some existing code based on new business requirements would be far more similar to the real job. LIVE Discussion about the requirements before or code after would also be similar.

Most interviews involve either pair programming or whiteboard problems. Not being able to think when being watched is not gonna cut it.

Interviewers all seem to state the problem and then let me work quietly between a few clarifying questions. My impression of pairing is a lot more talking with no time to start thinking.

What on earth are you talking about? I’ve been in the industry a really long time and have never seen anyone actually pair program. The entire concept of pair programming is silly. If anything it’s ear phones on and don’t bug me.

That's ridiculous; only once has this been asked during an interview.

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