Women get away with murder!

Women get away with murder!

Following on from the scenario described here (sorry for hi-jacking your thread, Doc; thought I'd redeem myself a bit by continuing in a fresh one), I've just come back home. I'm a software developer to trade, and am currently in the process of looking for a new job. I was at a 2nd interview/test this morning (as explained in the referenced post), and found that I couldn't remember any more than the basics about the type of application they'd asked me to design (an ASP.net project, which I was to design over the course of four hours this morning; being more of a windows-based developer, I haven't designed one of those in just over two years now). After a couple of hours re-familiarising myself with the base concepts, I just knew that I wasn't going to be able to finish in the time given. I held my hands up to that, and went next door to talk to the guy who owns the company about the situation. Instead of thanking me for my time and showing me the door, as would perhaps have happened in years gone past, he instead made me a coffee and gave me a couple of chocolate hob-knobs. We had a bit of a chat in the 'kitchen' (a converted disabled toilet; definitely the low point of the building, and not at all indicative of how well-ordered the rest of the place is) as the coffee was being made. Pausing only briefly on his way out to inadvertently switch the hand drier on with his arse, he proceeded to give me a bit of a tour of their offices. It was at this juncture that I got a bit of an insight into why they might be prepared to overlook some shortcomings in my case: there wasn't a single woman. Anywhere. At all. They could definitely do with a feminine touch in that place. Anyway, I went back into the interview/test room, to wait for their head developer (a rather charming Russian gentleman whom I'd be working under – – if I were to get the job), to discuss how to proceed from here. It was at this juncture that I got bored and tuned into DS, and made the post I've referenced above. It didn't help much that when they came back in to the room, I was sitting grinning like an eejit at some comment or other in one of the threads; I was so surprised at their sudden return in the middle of my DS-repartee I nearly dropped my hob-knob. Lucky they weren't much longer, because otherwise I suspect my feet would have been up on the desk as well. This is where I get to my point about women getting away with murder; surely a performance like mine thus far would ensure any bloke a footwear-propelled exit from the building? Not me though, I just adopted my most innocent expression, which looks something like:

, and all was well. Anyway, they asked me how much time I'd need to read through my books again, and produce a solution to the problem they'd set. I told them I could have it ready for Monday, they asked if I was sure, because I could have more time if I needed it.

In short, they really couldn't have done any more for me. As well as the extra time, I had access to the internet and MSDN for the duration of the exercise, plus I had some of my own books with me (not the one I really needed, though!), and access to books owned by the company. Although it might seem like I'm taking the mick here a bit at their good nature, I did appreciate their understanding, and it was obvious that they still expect me to come up with the goods before I'd be offered a job there. I've had one test prior to this, in which I did pretty well (it being a windows-based application, and my having taken a unique approach to the problem which they seemed to like), so perhaps that helped too. Anyway, I suppose I'd better get hitting those books.