NO PROBLEMS HERE, OFFICER....

This is my second in a series of posts about the search for a new job, particularly about the interviewing process.

Have you ever watched a police show where a car driving all over the road or in an accident is pulled over by a policeman? The Nice Man asks the driver to get out of the car and politely inquires as to whether there is a problem. The driver stumbles out of the car, falls down in the middle of the road, and drunkenly slurs "No problems here, officer!".

There's a corollary there to some interviews. If a company is looking for a manager or a director, chances are pretty good they want someone who can deal with whatever problems, issues, and challenges they've got going on. But if they won't tell you (or what's worse, don't know!) what their problems are, it's pretty much impossible for them (or you!) to determine whether you're really a good fit for the job. Some of the worst mistakes I've ever seen in the field are from lack of disclosure on either side in regards to expectations, experience, and potential handling of major issues.

Frankly, if a company has no problems, I don't want to work for them. In fact, I don't even want to talk to them.

Why is that?

Well, first of all, chances are good they're lying. My level of interest in working for liars is pretty much non-existent.

Secondly, it's possible the person doing the interview doesn't know there are problems. I'm not interested in working for the Perpetually Clueless either. Why? Because it means when I bring existing problems and potential solutions to them, they either won't believe me, or they'll think I caused them myself. Then they'll seek consensus for their lack of understanding from others as clueless as themselves.

But still, it's human nature, particularly when presented with a talented candidate, to downplay any issues. This means, once again, you'll need to don your Sherlock Holmes hat and ask some probing questions. There's a very fine line between trying to attract someone and misrepresentation a job.

I don't think I'm particularly unique in the QA/QC field, and I want someone to give it to me straight. Most of us aren't very interested in sugar-coated pills; it's our job to find and report problems. Those of us that are managers or directors handle problems of one sort or another every day, all day long. Or 24X7.

So I want to know that you have so many errors in production, your user base has taken out a contract on your life. Tell me your automation efforts have failed 23 times, and that your best tester just committed ritual seppuku in the server room.

I want to know that I can make a difference to you and your company in a positive way. I can do that by having a realistic picture of what you need to have done and an equally realistic picture of whether those things are within the scope of my experience, interests, and abilities.

It's likely that the uglier your situation is, the more I'm going to be excited about it. I'm looking for an opportunity that needs someone like me. Any schmoe can handle something that runs well without them. All they have to do is show up for work and Look Pretty. I want to be loved for my mind....

We both need to assess each other and determine if we have a good fit. That means full disclosure on both sides.

Are there problems/issues I'm not qualified to handle? That would NOT excite me much? I'd have to yes. Not many, but there are a few. What's more likely, however, is that there are some challenges I might not want to take on. I'll ask more questions before I make any decisions. One of the most common?

"We need to automate more scripts.".

I'm going to ask a LOT of questions if a VP or CIO tells me this. Often, I find their staff is highly qualified and expert, but expectations in regards to what can and should be automated is skewed. Can I "unskew" them? Yes. But changing an executive's mind in regards to what needs to be done is a long-term and sometimes impossible task, particularly if someone they trust has convinced them that this is the problem. And if they hire you expecting you to "solve" this problem and you can't (even if no one can), the only thing that will be skewed is you.

What kind of problems do I like? Too many errors in production. Unskilled (or no) staff. Or skilled staff that are unhappy and unfulfilled. No organization or an organization that isn't working well. Lack of respect for the testing function. High turnover rates. Staffing issues. No career paths. No concept of any type of testing methodologies other than what someone once read in a book. No (or poor) automation. Chaos. No understanding of where they've been, where they are, or where they need or want to go. No tools or tools that aren't doing the job. Lack of management understanding of what's happening when. Any type of organizational dysfunction with how testing interfaces with other groups. Problems with 3rd party vendors. Problems with on-site/off-shore interactions. Processes that don't flow smoothly. Too much work, too little time.

I like those problems because I know I can solve them. Oh, not necessarily instantly or easily, but I know they can be solved and that I can do it. A really great testing organization is the result of cooperative effort and support; if you don't get either, your ability to "fix" things will be limited. But your time in an interview will also be spent trying to gauge how serious the company is about improving/supporting their testing efforts. The fact that they're interviewing you and are prepared to spend money to make it happen is a good step in the right direction. It's really up to you to figure out if they really just want a figurehead or the real deal.

What's a figurehead? It's a position, not a job. The company can point at you and say they have a manager, director, or VP, but you're just expected to do what you're told (often by the development organization) and not rock the boat. I'm afraid I personally view COE (Center of Excellence) positions this way. That's a position that normally comes with a fancy title and an equally fancy salary. The expectations are normally that founts of good advice and recommendations will flow down from Mt. Olympus (that will be you up in the rarified air) for the edification of the unwashed masses. Unfortunately, since you won't have anyone actually reporting to you, the adoption of any of your advice or recommendations is somewhat iffy. But I do know many people who would love such a position; I'm just not one of them. I like my hands dirtier than that. To say nothing of the fact that I don't like heights...

Does any of this ring true with the rest of you? I personally know several people who have been extremely disappointed by jobs they felt were misrepresented. Then they feel "stuck" in bad situations. That's a lesson to all of us; we need to ask as many questions as we can up front!!