Re: COBOL interview tests

"Robert Jones" <rjones0@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1167217714.110186.220900@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How would you get on if you said they should use the system sort
utility instead?

I would point out that in the professional software development arena,
clients/users are responsible for defining the what" but the developer is
responsible for the "how."

If it's some kind of anal PHB I might go so far as to point out that the
COBOL MERGE verb **IS** using the system sort utility anyway.

Being an opportunist, I might even suggest I provide a (paid) training
session in 'merge techniques' for the rest of the staff, showing how there
are at least two ways to skin this cat.

But regardless of path I think it likely that if really pressed on this
point I'd probably end up making some smartasss comment vis-a-vis paying for
assembly-line labor vs. paying for Real World Results and as a result be
excused from further consideration.

Then again, I don't really need the work.

MCM















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