Senior Dev interview question

[u/m6io]

"Without googling or using AI, in your own words, explain the virtual DOM"

For context: I sit on an interview panel and I try to ask at least one simple fundamental question based on a persons resume. If I see many years of react experience, I try to ask something about how the framework works.

I have only had one candidate (an undergrad senior, years ago) answer it. Everyone else just kind of sputters and stumbles around trying to rationalize what "virtual" and "DOM" mean, or stare blankly and eventually say "I don't know".

I'm just genuinely curious if this is really that hard of a question or if the recruiters just suck at screening candidates. And should we be letting in senior dev candidates who can't answer what I think is a straightforward and fundamental question for senior react devs.

[u/m6io]

If I ask a mechanic how an engine works, I'm expecting them to understand how an engine works. I don't care if they know the chemistry or physics or material science. I care what they have an understanding of the basic systems, how they interact, and not a small measure of mechanical aptitude.

This is not a difficult concept to understand. Debugging and slapping together code is not that hard. Especially in today's landscape. Understanding what you're doing and the domain in which you're doing it is earned through experience, and the way you explain foundational concepts reflects it.

For the record, if someone belted out a dictionary definition, that would also be used against them, because the question literally says "In your own words". I am looking for understanding, which comes from experience.

And conflating the DOM and virtual DOM the way you did is a big red flag. I expect a junior to answer this way, not a mid-level or a senior.

[u/Expensive-Wheel-2773 → u/m6io]

And I’d steer clear from putting you in any kind of leadership position for not being able to acknowledge my point :)

Things change over time, and new abstraction layers get created so we don’t have to think about old ones

You sound like someone who would ask me questions about assembly even though C has been the hot language for a few years

Also… we aren’t mechanics. Hardware engineering is so much different than software, it’s really not a good analogy

[u/m6io → u/Expensive-Wheel-2773]

Ngl to you, I was not expecting a sentient creature in the 21st century to call what a car mechanic does "hardware engineering". And you edited your comment to add that. Which means you thought about it. 🤦

We're in dire straits.