Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultramaroon
It's also in how the requests for clarification are posed. I don't believe your first question was in earnest since in this thread we were clearly discussing open fridge doors. Your second question borders on legitimacy but being bookended by your first and last, you really can't expect me to interpret it as anything other than contempt or lack of respect for the process. That would be a huge red flag for me. I think these are pretty universal principles.
A qualified engineering candidate would immediately recognize the question as a test for the grasp of a couple basic thermodynamic principles. Folks that have the courage to banter, especially with authority, are also my biggest stars. I'm a sucker for irreverence but in a professional setting, context and tact are equally important.
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My first impression was the room door was open, then I realized you likely meant the fridge door... At which point I decided to clarify. A lot of people might even take this line of thought and not notice that first read.
I've seen people lose big money from applying conversational context to a product requirement. Though I can see the validity if it is stated as an assumption in an answer, where the answer has value only in context of an interview. Beyond that, I have to fall back on differences in industry. My role deals a lot with how people interact with the stuff we're building, which is often not how engineering textbooks might go. Psychology textbooks may help analyse the result after the fact, but it takes a different kind of empathy to just get it.
As a user, I would say, who cares about the room. I'd be sitting in front of the fan.
The Heinlein reference is probably too obscure... And it was thoroughly tongue in cheek because the question had been answered in a way that garnered no objections, and because we're in random. It was also legitimately my third thought, and I'm good at not discarding the mental steps I go through without directing... Which is very helpful for some of what I do.
Then again, I'm not always the best first impression, and my social skills aren't the best.
Its probably good I didn't pursue a more traditional field. I'd probably get myself in trouble more than I do here. Now I just feel a bit sad.
C