[diN0bot]

> #2 - Not keeping your interviewer engaged > It is extremely simple, just think out loud

Yes, "think out loud" is better than being completely silent, but given that many hiring decisions are based on how the interaction feels, including the quality of the communication _in order to assess thinking skills_, candidates can see huge returns by learning specific communication techniques.

I make videos on this topic (technical and non-technical interview and negotiation skills), and happened to have just made a video on what to say while writing code:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv42PpY-nK8

[roflc0ptic]

Noting that I had a really intense negative emotional reaction to this video. It's possible that I'm just not your target audience, and certainly the depth of response felt... disproportionate, but I thought I might share my reaction in case it was useful to you.

I think there was a combination of things that straight away disposed me negatively towards it - the negative title (stop X!), the negative introduction (stop x, again) and also the camera being so close to your face. It had the effect of feeling like I was being simultaneously negged and mansplained to by some overly aggressive dude (no doubt more an artifact of my own life experiences more than the video. Stop telling me what to do, Dad.). It felt very you-tube, but like, the uglier parts. I stopped watching pretty quickly.

Glancing at your profile, it seems like you have a number of videos titled "Stop X". I'm noting here that you describe this video as "a video on what to say while writing code." There's a clear value prop there: What to say when writing code! But it doesn't exactly come through in the first exposure to the video. I'd watch a video on "what to say while writing code" because I have my own opinions on it, and am interested in comparing my mental model with someone else who's spent time thinking about good communication in a coding context. Feeling scolded by said video made it a solid pass.

I think I read something purporting to be research about how closeup pictures on faces tend to elicit stronger emotional reactions.

I did like that you were modeling perspective taking - "your interviewer is a programmer who can read your code." Building a capable theory of mind is long term work, and it's work that people who are drawn to computers often don't do.

Anyways, thanks for sharing it, and taking the time to make those videos. It seems like a worthy project.

[tdeck]

This was a great video.

It did leave one gap though - it assumes my handwriting is legible! Many companies (at least pre-COVID) still expect people to hand write code on a whiteboard, under immense time pressure Most people aren't used to writing on a whiteboard, and many interview rooms inexplicably have a combination of large markers and a small whiteboard, which often leads to my output being of marginal readability. Narrating what I'm writing can help move past that.