Javier de Arcos – Tech mentor’s word

Javier de Arcos is a multidisciplinary programmer used to working on complex R&D projects in the fields of Artificial Intelligence and latest technologies. Involved in all stages of the software lifecycle.

Currently, he is a senior software developer at Liferay. He has also developed software solutions for ESA space missions (GMV) and defence projects for FCC Industrial, among other notable occupations.

Javier shares with us his opinion about the current hiring and candidate assessment processes, and explains his experiences when he was trying to move to another job.

Who is Javier de Arcos?

My name is Javier de Arcos, and I'm a software engineer with eight years of experience, most of them specialized in backend technologies. I love to keep learning Software fundamentals to apply best practices, patterns, and discover better ways to build software.

What problems do you find in today's recruitment processes?

I think that the main problem with today's recruitment processes is that they are so unbalanced. They require a lot of information, time and effort to the candidate to demonstrate what he or she knows but without enough information about the position or the company. Sometimes it finishes with no feedback at all to the candidate, what gives a very bad experience, a sensation of no reward of all the effort, and doesn't allow improving in the future.

Tell us 3 experiences you have had trying to move from one job to another?

The worst experiences I had in technical tests are about making huge efforts knowing a bit about the company. Sometimes, I remember, that I spent several days in the technical test and finish with no feedback at all, and without even being sure if my code was reviewed. Other times, I remember to finish with an offer that didn't fit me at all (because I didn't know anything about the company and the position until the end of the process).

Could you give some tips to devs who are starting out right now?

One tip that I could give to Devs that are starting is "Don't let your career be drive by inertia". Think carefully about the kind of job that you want to do and the type of company you want to work in, and then focus on the skills you need to achieve it. There are a lot of offers and there are a lot of resources -most of them free- to learn. Knowing what you want and what you have to learn are very powerful skills to have a successful career in software.

In your opinion, what features should a good technical test have?

A good technical test should definitely be related to the work that the candidate will do in their day-by-day. It should value the same things that the company and the team value to be fair with the candidate and give him information about the type of team, the type of work, and the type of company he will work with, etc.

And also should be fair in the amount of time needed, and be just as long as it needs to check if the candidate meets the key requirements.

What key information about the candidate should be taken from a goot technical test?

The key information that should be taken from a good technical test is which is the line of thought that the candidate follows to solve a problem, what he or she focuses and gives more importance, and how he or she articulates and organize the solution.

Why did you decide to take part in a Rviewer challenge? 

I had the chance to meet the great people that are behind Rviewer, and we talked for a long time about the big problems that technical processes have. I love the way they think, the ideas they have to solve these problems and how they focus not only in companies, also in candidates to have a great experience. 

That is why I was involved in this project and why I love to be a tiny part of it.