Are you smart enough to work at Microsoft? | Hacker News Reader

Are you smart enough to work at Microsoft?

alleyinsider.com

13 pointsfromedome21 comments

I don't know if this is an accurate representation of Microsoft hiring practices or not. If it is, then it's very telling since the "question" doesn't make any sense.

To paraphrase: Look at this word jumble and reorganize it arbitrarily until you can make words out of it somehow.

If there were suitable anagrams that made another phrase, would that be accepted by MSFT? It really seems like a bunch of "bible code (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_code)" sort of nonsense to me.

This question is similar to many seen in puzzlehunts: it has no instructions, but enough information to arrive at a definite answer.

Actually, it does have instructions, but they're veiled:

"determine which order we should go after these companies. After finding the appropriate order, we’ll read down the list "

That's code for "Find a permutation so that reading down columns gives you the answer."

Also, often the way puzzlehunts work is that, when you send in the answer, you'll be told if it's right. Even if another permutation exists that produces a reasonable answer, if you hear it's wrong, you'll eventually realize you should look for another one.

I guess I just don't understand how this helps identify talent.

Because some smart people find these to be fun?

I'm not saying that this particular puzzle is great or that this is the best way of finding candidates. It is just one puzzle and one way of getting attention of some smart people. Google also uses similar tactics: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/news/2004-10-13/google/Billboar... Don't judge tens of thousands of talented engineers based on one lame puzzle.

For some good puzzles, check out http://www.interngame.com/ The annual Microsoft Intern Game is run by a group of extremely talented puzzle designers and game organizers. The microsofties who run this game do it in their spare time for fun and it is like another full-time job.

Each summer, nearly 100 interns compete for nothing more than bragging rights. I played in the "Firelake Resorts" game which involved about 30 puzzles spread out over 30+ hours and 300 driving miles.

In the same weekend, we...

- played Lemmings with human actors

- solved a puzzle to "iodine", then had to recall we had a first aid kit with iodine in it. Pouring it on the puzzle revealed GPS coordinates of the next puzzle

- solved a rebus while playing a hacked open source version of DDR that printed parts of the rebus

- extract instructions from a mall map which led us to navigate a metal ball through a cube maze, which spelled the instructions to MELT that metal ball revealing the next puzzle

- perform arithmetic while riding go karts

- assembled crazy wooden things to spell our words as flag signals

- were in a seminary at 2 AM when we were listening to a puzzle full of backwards music and uncovered the demonic plot. freaked us out good.

- much more

Everyone had a blast. Some smart people like puzzles. That's why they do these things...

There are also Seattle area games for full-time employees and at Google: http://googlified.com/googol-puzzle-hunt/

I suppose that working on the Windows source code must be like figuring out one of these puzzles on a daily basis.

I asked my friend if he could solve this, he had no idea. Guess where he works.

Ha, nice.

I wouldn't want to work anywhere where they value my ability to solve obtuse, poorly worded problems over my ability to get the job done and ship quality code on time.

Yeah, their real job interviews stopped asking "how would move move mt. fuji" questions in the early to mid-90s. They now ask programming questions. It turns out the people that are really good at solving those brainteasers are also really good at climbing into upper management and b.s.ing about their performance/impact.

Yep! In fact, I'd like to apply for the job of writing their recruitment puzzles. Maybe I could help them by writing some that actually make some sense.

At the bottom I'd scratch out the story of how I helped reverse engineer a major enterprise software suite made by MS. Would that help?

No, but like most netizens I feel qualified to criticize the company and talk about how almost every other tech is superior.

The other acceptable rearrangement is: PLEASE HELP US UNDO VISTA.

I just had a funny daydream of me installing the Vista upgrade on to an XP laptop, getting it all set up and finally to the desktop, then panicking and hitting Ctrl+Z frantically and repeatedly.

Perhaps they need people with good puzzle solving / reverse engineering skills to help them figure out how Windows actually works?

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=358505

http://thedailywtf.com/Articles/Classic-WTF-Job-Interview-20...

Reminds me of the obscure puzzles in adventure games.

Interview != Quiz

Who cares?

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