My Visit to ThoughtWorks

Wednesday, this past week, I took a day of vacation to visit the fine people at ThoughtWorks in Chicago. It was more than just a casual visit. I was there for an interview. It was my first interview in over five years. My last interview was the one that landed me the job with my current employer. I expected to be nervous prior to and during the interview, however I was calm, collected and looking forward to meeting the ThoughtWorkers that would be interviewing me.

The first part of the interview process was a series of tests to assess one’s logic, reason and intellect. The assessment phase of the interview concluded with a quick survey to assess one’s self image. The logic test, as many have come to learn, is very taxing. However, I believe these tests are a good way to assess one’s ability to think and respond in a stressful situation, such as an interview.

The second and last phase of the interview was the classic person-to-person interviews. I was first interviewed by two developers. One had been with ThoughtWorks for 5 years, while the other had been there for approximately 10 years. They both appeared to be Senior level developers who would be just as comfortable as a tech lead or an architect as they are as developers. The interview lasted for about an hour. I was expecting to really be racked over the coals. I was even prepared to defend my code test that I had submitted to ThoughtWorks, as part of the application process, weeks ago. After a few technical questions we moved on to talking about ThoughtWorks and the kinds of projects they had done. I’ve been involved in interviews that were much tougher on the interviewee.

I had a quick lunch and moved on to my last person-to-person interview. This interview was with a project manager from ThoughtWorks. This interview consisted of approximately four questions focusing on “soft-skills” such as communication, leadership, etc. I quickly provided answers to his questions and we moved onto any questions that I had about ThoughtWorks. My main questions were regarding the typical travel schedule for a ThoughtWorker. He answered my questions honestly and we wrapped up the interview. A few minutes later I was packed up and in a cab headed back to O’Hare.

I was so thoroughly exhausted that I forgot to stop by and say “Hi” to Grant Keller, a sales manager that I’ve gotten to know from the interactions that we had when my team was investigating using ThoughtWorks-India for offshore resources. I was really looking forward to stopping by to talk with him but I completed zoned out.

In the end I really enjoyed the whole interview process. I haven’t heard anything regarding the interview at this point, but I was told that I would hear something within 5 business days. Of course I want them to make me an offer and I'd love to accept the offer. However, it is not always so easy. Because of the significant travel involved I have a lot of things to consider regarding the balance between my professional life and my personal life. If they do make me an offer, my wife and I will have to carefully consider the pros and cons before making our final decision.

Regardless of the final outcome I will still respect ThoughtWorks for the work they do and for the changes they have inspired in our industry.