Why are interviewers so resistant to letting people use Google while doing coding questions? It’s not like I can remember all the semantics of every language anyway, and so much of coding is learning to use Google correctly.

I agree with you - if I were an interviewer, I would deliberately test that the potential recruit can look things up and has satisfactory basic reading comprehension.

Even if it wouldn´t be a developer position.

At my old job, we gave applicants a little programming exercise in a language of their choice and they could use Google.

Some still couldn't do it.

They were college students, though.

First line interview is supposed to be quick, I don't want you to Google because I want to see what happens when you are truly on your own... Are you a copy paste king (nothing wrong with that sometimes) or can you actually do stuff yourself, depending on the role it's important to know, and sometimes just telling me that you would Google this is enough for the answer, a little bit is to see how you react under pressure... Will you spin in the dirt or tell me it's impossible without XYZ resource

Second line interviews I want to see what you can do when fully unleashed.

@seraphimsystems Yeah I definitely wouldn’t let people look up solutions or anything, but it’s so weird not being able to look up functions and such.

In my last two interviews, we had internet access. First one we were actually shown Java documentation and told to use some obscure function. Second one just allowed Google.

@spongessuck I love how the term college student has become a slur in tech :p A kid I went to code Bootcamp with recently got hired at Nike in a department who’s manager adamantly refuses to hire any college grads.

@phuzisham I didn't mean it that way; just giving some context so it makes more sense why some were clueless.

I’ve had technical tests that are either:

A - on premise (sometimes in front of them)

B - do from home, google is fine.

In my experience, most of the time they’re not looking for it to be “right” in case A, but to see your approach and reasoning.

Obviously if it’s something simple, and in a language you’re supposedly experienced with, then there’s not much wiggle room.