GIVE ME YOUR CODE

THURSDAY, MARCH 31 2005 @ 01:28 PM

I can understand that potential employers -or even clients- would like to have a look at what you have done in the past, beyond what is a visible presentation or application interface. Although in the past I haven't been asked for anything else than my portfolio and live URLS, I am willing to *show* some of my code (personal projects) during an interview, in case they need more convincing. However, during my current job search I have been asked to package and send real world samples (read: code I've wrote for my clients), without any guarantee that they would even call me.

"(...) just send us some code samples of work you have done for your previous clients or employers, and we'll determine if you are a good fit for the position".

There are several things wrong with this request. First of all, any work I perform on time paid for by a client is not mine to handle, even if I keep the source for future reference o requests by the client. I mean, if I was a hiring manager and some guys shows up with code samples that are confidential by definition, that'd be an instant red flag: how can you trust somebody that can easily do the same with the work you will be paying for?

Besides, I think during an interview you can really assess if somebody knows what he/she says to know. If a developer can describe in detail how something is done, showing pieces of code is kinda superfluous, don't you think?

To top it off, the message came from a not so corporate email account, which makes me think this is probably a scam of some sort.

So, I can't tell how *usual* are request of this kind, and am unsure of their legal implications. I'm pretty sure I only own the rights to what I've done on my own time, and that I could show (not send in a email) during an interview.

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ERIKBIACHI

MARCH 31 2005 @ 02:06 PM

Hey man, it is a pretty common request for sample code but not necessarily code from real world projects.

To supplement their request I have a sample application that I send out with supporting documentation, diagrams, etc.

I

KEITH PETERS

MARCH 31 2005 @ 02:13 PM

My company does that to prospective employees, though we don't specify it has to be code from a previous client, just some sample code. I can see the point of it. Particularly in Flash, where most developers are self-taught. And if you are bringing someone in to work with a team and with existing frameworks, you want to know that they aren't going to inject spaghetti code into it. Although, I can say that based on interviews, I already knew what each person's code was going to look like before they supplied it.

ALEX

MARCH 31 2005 @ 02:43 PM

I agree. Specific code is private and confidential. On the other hand the person doing the hiring should get a copy of SothinkSWF Decompiler...

OSCAR TRELLES

MARCH 31 2005 @ 02:50 PM

These are the two things that bother me about this request in particular:

1. The fact that they are asking for specific work.
2. They are requesting the samples upfront, not as supporting documentation.

And as Keith says, after interviewing an individual you already have an idea of what he or she is capable of. In that case, samples are just to confirm your observations and do not need to be from a previous employer/client.

BILL RAWLINSON

MARCH 31 2005 @ 03:16 PM

it is possible that the request was "casual" and wasn't really meant to say, send us private confidential code. Instead they may have just said "..for your previous clients or employers,..." assuming that is the type of code you would have on hand to send, and not necessarilly a private porfolio of work you have done for yourself.

LORDAEX

MARCH 31 2005 @ 04:12 PM

I think that is wrong, your abilities as a Flash developer can be easily tested with a small screening test on ActionScript. Usually that has been the case for me. You are presented with a small problem, where you should write AS. I frankly think asking for files like that, is not very professional and an even unethical.

Cheers.

CASEY CORCORAN

MARCH 31 2005 @ 04:28 PM

I think everything has been said I just wanted to add that if youre looking for a job, head to http://www.newstoday.com/

In the second panel there is an "Employment Opportunities" link. There are a ton of flash jobs posted there.

JIM CHENG

APRIL 1 2005 @ 12:34 AM

Hmm,

That's a tough one. I'd say it's fair to ask to see some of your work, though at the same time, I think that a potential employer should be well aware of the fact that for many client projects you will often be bound by contracts and NDAs that prohibit release of code developed for them.

I'd say package up some of the best examples of what you own and/or can share with them, and explain that in some cases, you'll only be able to provide the publicly-accessible URLs due to contractual obligations. Any saavy employer that would expect you to honor the conditions of your possible employment should understand that. Fair's fair.

Now, in my case, I've never had a problem with showing quality real-world code that I've written previously last year when I was courting a number of potential employers. And no one needed to ask me. I asked for an Internet connection and was proud to show my portfolio of both code used in client projects and some of my work.

And I was able to do this despite the fact that most of the code I've written in my professional life fall into either for-hire client work that did not belong to myself, or highly confidential research under rather severe NDAs. How did I manage that, you ask? Open source.

That's one of the crucial advantages I can see for even a seasoned, well-employed developer to contribute code to open source projects. When I was interviewing for my current job, it didn't take much convincing that I was the right person for the job after I pulled up the very nearly W3C standards-compliant XML DOM that I wrote in Actionscript 2.0 and contributed to the UGO project on SourceForge.

Open source development is a great way to work on some challenging, bleeding-edge projects that both get your name out there and allow you to show the entirety of your code to whomever you please. While you might argue that you're spending time working on projects that you're practically giving away for no pay, in my experience, it has more than paid off in a variety of ways, including client licensing and the ability to show off awesome work when you do have the need to look for business.

Jim

BOB DONDERWINKEL

APRIL 1 2005 @ 03:56 PM

Perhaps propose to run a freelance project for them first. That way you can sign the deal to hand over the code for them to judge (if they haven't been convinced already with your work), and you make some cash allong the way.

Key is to convince them to take the offer off course..

OSCAR TRELLES

APRIL 3 2005 @ 02:18 PM

That's an excellent point Jim, thanks for bringing that up. That might be the way to go in order to have good pieces of work that can be shown without any restrictions.

However, I think there are many variables involved in determining whether a potential employer would ask for code samples or not. For instance, if it is a big company they probably have other developers on the payroll and need to know if you would fit into the production practices they already have in place.

Another thing is that everything that seems to work is not necessarily done following best practices. In this case, examining someone's code serves as a window to his/her style. Not going too far, I had an interview on Friday where I was asked to code three small exercises right there; that way they had an opportunity of look at my code... and that my friends I think it should be the way to go, whenever possible.

Also, thanks to Casey for posting that news resource.

POZYCJONOWANIE

FEBRUARY 22 2007 @ 09:55 PM

thanks

CHAT BURROWS

MARCH 10 2007 @ 02:54 AM

I have been in similar situations and sometimes we have agreed to make a small test project showing my skills. I have rarely been asked to show the actual coding though, usually I have presented the ready product.
Still, Jim's solution seems fair enough: "I'd say package up some of the best examples of what you own and/or can share with them, and explain that in some cases, you'll only be able to provide the publicly-accessible URLs due to contractual obligations."

TORRENT

APRIL 4 2007 @ 04:38 PM

thanks!