applied internally to a role thatd be a nice pay pump. its a data role with a strong emphasis on python and sql skills. i studied my ass off on data concepts anticipating questions like “how would you start solving xyz problem” or “how would you find business insights on zyx” and the first question is “whats the difference between a dict and a list in python?” or hell, even a leetcode-like question. i like to think im decent at USING python and sql, but not having used them in a current role in ~2 years, these google-search-esque questions threw me off guard. i fumbled making up answers for a few but some i straight up had to say i have no fkn clue. so todays been a bit of a demeaning experience! has anyone else ever had an interview where they asked questions like that?
Oh yeah. One time I interviewed at this accounting firm and mentioned that I was fairly familiar with SQL, which was a true statement. The VP on the call proceeds to start grilling me about really in depth performance tuning stuff and then acts all flustered when I don’t have the answers. I said “fairly familiar” not “10 years as a database admin”.
Then they went radio silence for a year, after which they called and asked if I was still looking for a job. Even if I were, I wouldn’t have gone to work for them.
Technical questions can give you a feel for how familiar a candidate is with a given tech stack. But then there are some people who just get off on making others feel inferior.