Good points. Depth is hard to measure, but generally I find that clients will ask a question about a specific programming topic and start off basic. When the candidate gets that right, they go a little deeper with the second question and the candidate fails. It's like being able to name all the baseball teams but none of the players - that would be breadth but not depth. You might come across as a baseball fan initially, but not on further review.
RE: entitlement - I don't think what you are describing is a superiority complex as much as coming to a realization that you are more senior than the person - no complex, just a fact I'd say. Companies that have bad process should be off limits for you as well, I don't think that is entitlement but rather some basic expectations. Not being willing to work at all with PHP, Java or MS could be perceived as entitled if everyone else has to dive in on those from time to time.
Agreed with your ideas re: co-workers. The key being that you demonstrate the understanding. It's not so much about claiming responsibility as it is about being curious about your surroundings and interested in things beyond your individual contribution to the project.
> Depth is hard to measure, but generally I find that clients will ask a question about a specific programming topic and start off basic. When the candidate gets that right, they go a little deeper with the second question and the candidate fails.
My experience bears this out. In one of the best interviews I had the interviewer essentially picked items off my CV and asked me more and more about them until I was forced to say "I don't know". This was supposedly deliberate (i.e. they wanted to see a) how much knowledge I actually had and b) what I would do at the limits of it). I came away from that interview with no idea of how well I did, but I got the job!
> Not being willing to work at all with PHP, Java or MS could be perceived as entitled if everyone else has to dive in on those from time to time.
In a tougher market I might be singing a different tune, but at the moment there's just so much work out there that I think the average developer can afford to be a little picky, or entitled as it were. Not saying it's right, it's just what it is.
RE: entitlement - I don't think what you are describing is a superiority complex as much as coming to a realization that you are more senior than the person - no complex, just a fact I'd say. Companies that have bad process should be off limits for you as well, I don't think that is entitlement but rather some basic expectations. Not being willing to work at all with PHP, Java or MS could be perceived as entitled if everyone else has to dive in on those from time to time.
Agreed with your ideas re: co-workers. The key being that you demonstrate the understanding. It's not so much about claiming responsibility as it is about being curious about your surroundings and interested in things beyond your individual contribution to the project.