Mind Games for Tech Success: You've Got to Play to Win.

May 8, 2000 8:45 AM

Mind Games for Tech Success: You've Got to Play to Win. Interesting article from today's Washington Post showing how high tech recruiters are using Games and Theory to identify hot prospects.
posted by ratbastard (10 comments total)

Michael Hyman's book PC Roadkill has a good chapter on the recruiting process at some high-tech firms. It mentions the same cake and manhole puzzlers, as well as some "cultural" litmus tests given by interviewers.
posted by harmful at 8:54 AM on May 8, 2000

I have to admit, I really love those interview problems. I've interned with Microsoft two summers, and its interesting to talk to full-timers there, because they all have their own pet interview questions.

I heard that someone was (or had) compiled a book full of these type of questions, I definitely think it would be an interesting read.

Here's one for the Metafilter community (actually given to one of my friends):

Name a place on Earth where you can travel one mile south, then one mile west, then one mile north, and end up at the exact same location.

Now can you name another? How about another? How many can you think of?
posted by fil! at 11:50 AM on May 8, 2000

Wow. There's more than one?
posted by baylink at 12:42 PM on May 8, 2000

"Because that's the shape of the people who work in them".
I love it!
posted by baylink at 1:15 PM on May 8, 2000

i give up
posted by corpse at 1:15 PM on May 8, 2000

North Pole is the only one I can think of.
posted by ratbastard at 1:23 PM on May 8, 2000

Start at any point on a circle approximately 1.16 miles north of the South pole. Walk one mile south; one mile to the west from there takes you in a complete circle around the pole with a circumference of one mile; a mile back to the north takes you to your starting position. Start 1.08 miles north of the pole, and you walk 1 mile south, circle the pole twice (1/2 mile circumference), and walk north 1 mile to your starting point. The same logic applies for a 1/3-mile circumference, etc.
posted by harmful at 1:34 PM on May 8, 2000

If you are Jonesing for more brain-bending fun, check out the Car Talk Puzzler. Some of the puzzlers involve diagnosing bizarre car problems, but most are your basic logic problems. The Car Talk guys have published at least one book (A Haircut in a Horse Town, I think) of their puzzles.
posted by harmful at 1:40 PM on May 8, 2000

good job harmful, you're exactly right (as I'm sure you already know) ... had you heard it before?
posted by fil! at 1:55 PM on May 8, 2000

I think I've seen this puzzle before, but solved it on my own at the time.
posted by harmful at 2:26 PM on May 8, 2000