DEV Community: Karine BAUCH

What Are the Best Recruitment Processes?

Karine BAUCH — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 11:53:22 +0000

Whether you’re on the recruiter/employer side or the candidate side, everyone is searching for the perfect match—and recruitment processes can vary widely in our field.

Within the development world, I’ve heard all sorts of opinions:

“Coding games are pointless—just decline them.”
“Take‑home tests? You should refuse them—they take too much time.”
“A technical conversation is great—and that alone is enough to assess a developer.”

I’ve gone through all kinds of recruitment processes, for both salaried roles and freelance gigs.

I don’t particularly like timed or live coding tests; I tend to stress and freeze up. I should probably work on that.

Technical conversations are a double-edged sword—they can be wonderful if done as a peer discussion, but very unpleasant if it feels like an oral exam.

Take‑home assignments are generally my favorite. Yes, they take more time—but they let me make informed decisions, and each time I learn something or try something new.

Recently, I experienced three recruitment processes over the span of a few weeks:

One I hated
One that disappointed me
One I loved

Here’s a quick rundown of each.

Process 1: Freelance mission at a large corporation

Structure:

Technical test
Debrief and exchange with the client

Freelancing long term.

Initial contact

A recruiter reached out after finding my resume on a job board, explaining that their client—a subsidiary of a large corporation—was looking for a Python/FastAPI developer. My rate matched expectations. They needed clearance on me being on‑site one day a week.

After a few days with no news, I followed up; he called the next day saying the client is OK for that, and I’d receive a technical test.

The technical test

The test was substantial: to do it properly took about two days.

I scheduled it for Friday before the weekend, despite the recruiter pressuring me—he said other candidates had already submitted it. I stuck to my plan—I believed two days was reasonable. I sent it back on Monday.

Outcome

I followed up on Wednesday. He told me:

“They chose another developer—but I insisted they at least look at your code. They said they don’t have time.”

That felt profoundly disrespectful—someone spent two days coding, and there was no feedback, even a brief one. I was furious, but then thought: with that mentality, I wouldn’t want to work with them anyway.

So yeah, that was the one I hated—and on paper, it wasn’t the worst.

Process 2: Permanent role (CDI) at an IT consulting firm.

Structure:

Technical interview
HR interview
Client interview

Permanent position in an IT consulting firm.

Initial contact

A staffing agent found my profile on a job board and explained they were recruiting a Python developer for a defense‑secret level project tied to the “Scorpion” program. They mentioned on‑site work, budget, etc., and scheduled a technical interview with the lead dev.

Technical interview

Right from the start, he said:

“Your resume is impressive—I feel small next to you...”

I was surprised, but appreciative. We had an informal exchange, and he said it was fine on his end.

HR interview and the proposal

The recruiter followed up with an offer and arranged a meeting with the client before signing any contract.

I wasn’t entirely looking for this type of job, but I stayed curious—working on a defense project looked good on the resume.

Client interview

This took place on site. The goal: introduce myself, confirm full‑on onsite working conditions, clarify that the role would be heavily CI/CD‑oriented with little or no Python, and ensure I was okay with the defense/client context.

Outcome

The project lead approved my profile. I had been transparent with them about being in other processes and asked them to wait for my answer. After reflection—and because another opportunity aligned better—I declined their offer: the conditions, responsibilities, and salary didn’t match what I was looking for.

I was also intimidated by the expectation to lead on a topic I did not fully master.

So this one was disappointing.

Process 3: Permanent role (CDI) at a scale-up

Structure:

HR interview
Technical interview
Technical assignment
Assignment debrief
Interview with the CTO

Permanent position in a scale-up.

Initial contact

A recruiter at a scale-up contacted me after finding my resume online. They described the company context and said they were hiring several Python developers. They sent me the job description; I was interested, so I accepted a technical interview with the head of engineering.

The conversation was fluid, though I didn’t know if I was convincing—but I appreciated it. We talked about how I’d handle code review criticism, flexibility, team spirit.

He told me they had other candidates and expected it to be hard to choose—but he’d decide the next day because he was leaving on vacation.

That evening, I sent them a message thanking them for their time and considerate process, reaffirming my interest.

Outcome

The next evening, the head of engineering called. He said I had fully convinced them and that they wanted to make me an offer.

I accepted immediately, and will be joining them on August 18.

Theory vs. Reality

On paper, Process 3 was the least attractive—long and heavy. But it turned out to be the best process I've ever gone through, because it was conducted by attentive people who adapted.

I learned more about their working style and vision for the craft, which allowed me to imagine myself in that role.

It was also the first process where I could be completely myself, not trying to pretend—I’m sure that left an impact.

At the end of the day, recruitment is about people, on both sides. By being yourself, you connect with those who share your values—and that is priceless.

💡 What was your best—or worst—recruitment experience?

The Zen of Python 🐍

Karine BAUCH — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 08:24:03 +0000

What, you've never heard of it?

So read the following carefully!

What is this?

🧐 It's kind of like a wise person or mentor, helping you write better code while grasping the very essence of Python.

It was written by Tim Peters, a highly respected programmer in the Python community.

📝 It's a kind of poem, composed of 19 aphorisms that humorously summarize the principles behind Python's design.

When I discovered it, I thought it was brilliant!

A kind of checklist that allows us, among Python developers, to speak a universal language.

If you're a seasoned Pythonista, there's zero chance you don't know this document, and if you're a beginner, it's a good way to grasp the whole essence of this language.

In future articles, I'll analyze some aphorisms, so if you're curious, hit the bell 🔔

How to find it?

Open a Python repl and type this command:
import this

or got to PEP20

So!
Did you know "The Zen of Python"?

What's your favorite aphorism and why?
I'll be waiting for you in the comments!

My journey as a Python freelancer

Karine BAUCH — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:02:00 +0000

I am a real developer although I don't fit in the stereotype of the developer

I decided to switch career

Embarking on a new career path is both thrilling and terrifying. Just over two years ago, I faced a crossroads in my professional life, grappling with a lack of motivation and a longing for something more. Join me as I share my journey from feeling stuck in a graphic design role to embracing my true calling as a back-end developer. Dive into my story of transformation, learning, and growth, and perhaps find the inspiration to take your own leap of faith.

Quit your job to change your life

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 24 '23

#development #career #programming

A first dev job

Navigating the uncharted waters of my first development project at the beginning of 2023, I found myself tasked with creating an application that would revolutionize the way surgeons generate their reports. With the help of OpenAI's chatGPT, I embarked on a journey filled with discovery, innovation, and adaptability. From the initial idea to the final product, this post will guide you through each step of my process, revealing the excitement and challenges of building something from scratch. If you've ever wondered what it's like to take an idea and turn it into reality, this behind-the-scenes look is for you!

My first dev job was for a surgeon!

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 28 '23

#webdev #programming #career #ai

Career hack: talking with people

You can help me in this post, sharing some people who will accept to talk with me.

Asking how can I become better

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 27 '23

#ai #machinelearning #python

Why I chose Python

Once a language I thought was reserved for data scientists and automation enthusiasts, Python has revealed itself to be a powerhouse with applications far beyond my initial understanding. From its simple syntax to its widespread use in industries ranging from education to entertainment, Python's versatility is truly remarkable. In this post, I'll explore the many facets of Python, sharing why it's become the most popular programming language and how it's shaping my dream of working with data science, machine learning, and AI. Whether you're a seasoned programmer or just curious about what Python can do, join me in discovering the endless possibilities of this dynamic language!

Why I chose Python

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 23 '23

#python #firstpost #programming #career

Why I became a freelance

The crossroads between staying an employee or venturing into freelancing is a daunting one, filled with questions, doubts, and the allure of security. In this post, I'll share my personal journey of making this life-altering decision, from the initial struggle to find a traditional job to the realization that my heart was calling me to be an independent developer. It's a story of self-discovery, courage, and embracing the path less traveled. If you've ever wrestled with the choice between the comfort of the known and the excitement of forging your own way, join me in exploring what it means to truly follow your dreams and believe in your abilities.

Working with people > Working for people

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 31 '23

#python #career #freelance

Working with people > Working for people

Karine BAUCH — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:03:26 +0000

I recently switched career and I had to decide between staying an employee or going freelance.

The decision was not easy, but it was liberating!

🔐 The security

When I did my professional retraining, I think I will be better a salaried employee in a tech company.

That's what I had done since I started working.

That represents for me: security, facility, support…

I searched and tried for several months.

I passed some technical tests, some interviews...

But nothing.

My profile didn't match what companies searched.

And deep inside me, something told me I had to do something else…

🤔 The questioning

After trying to find a secure job, I passed a period of questions about my future career.

I didn’t know if I really want to find a salaried job…

And at this moment, I received a salaried job proposition, but I felt bad thinking about that…

My feeling was that I was just lazy, not courageous enough to begin a new job…

It was very complicated to understand that feeling: I wanted to work, but I didn’t want that job…

After working with a friend of mine, I understood: In fact, I wanted to be an independent developer.

I needed to try this journey and create my dream job!

It became obvious!

🗽 The decision

This day, I declined the proposal.

That was the best day of a very long period!

I understand what I really wanted: I wanted to work with people but not for people.

This day was the first day of this big choice.

Many of the developers I’ve spoken told me that I should find salaried employment first, for 2 or 3 years, because it’s simpler because I will be supported by seniors.

Each of them has his opinion and gave it to me.
These opinions stressed me, but finally, they encouraged me to continue even if it was more difficult.

I didn’t choose simplicity.

I made a life choice.

👩🏻‍🏫 What I’ve learned

Only the future will tell me if I was right.

But the only thing I want to tell you is to listen to your needs.

What do you really want, deep inside you?

Follow your dreams.

Believe in your capacities.

💕 What's YOUR dream?

What does your heart tell you?

And me, I still have a lot to learn, (https://dev.to/karine_bauch/asking-how-can-i-become-better-2l6n)[can you help me to become better?]

My first dev job was for a surgeon!

Karine BAUCH — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0000

At the beginning of 2023, this was my first customer, he knew that it was my first project as a developer.

STEP 1

Project description: ""

Creating an application allowing surgeons to automatically generate their surgery reports, with chatGPT help.

I love this idea!

It meets a real need, to not lose time on administrative tasks
It'll allow them to spend more time to take care of their patients
It'll allow me to work with the openAI API
It's a project from scratch, where I can choose how I want to work
No deadline, so no pressure
I'll win skills on concepts I'm less familiar with, like hosting, using AI...

For my part, I offered features we could develop later in a V2, such as a PDF generator, sending by email, and creating prescriptions automatically...

It isn't so complicated!
That's what I thought...

STEP 2

That was the first time I should manage a project alone from zero, so I took a step back and a notebook to write the steps of my project.

First choosing the frameworks, detailing steps in other little steps.

Then I went on the documentation of the tools I chose, to find globally what I will need.
I created a test project for each, to become more familiar with.

I read the openAI API documentation and began with the quick-start tutorial, to understand how it works.

I passed about 2 days.

I have done it for myself, I needed to get confidence before beginning the project.

And what's more, it was a great way to see my time of coding, researching, testing things...
A good thing to estimate the value of my work.

STEP 3

After this time to get information and documentation, I have done the wireframes for the project.

Wireframes are simple graphic and schematic representations of the User Interface.
We decide where we put this button, how we want the menu, and show how the application will work.

I used Workflow to do these wireframes because this tool allows me to just place the items and not add more design than needed.

STEP 4

Front-end or back-end first?

Because I love the back-end, I begin with the back-end.
But in this when I think about a project, I tell myself that we can create a back-end only when we know what we need in front, and then give this data from back to front.

So, after the wireframes, I decided to create a mock-up, to validate the design of the application.

Choosing colours, fonts, pictures, visual effects...
In general, they are created with Figma, Adobe XD or other software by the design team.

In my case, my customer didn't care about the design, as long as it was simple.

So I decided to do directly the design in my code, using a CSS framework with predefined items, allowing a fast integration.

I sent a non-functional prototype, and the design was validated quickly.

So I developed all the front-end, and then I passe to back-end.

STEP 5

OpenAI or the hidden face of chatGPT

I was not really confident when I accepted this project, because that was a big deal to use AI on a first dev project!

But, Keep calm and read the doc was my mantra during the process of this job.

We can imagine that AI is magic, but that's wrong.
We should keep in mind these two parameters :

The Prompt: Text sent to the API, which will be used to generate the answer. Each word is important, the order, the instructions, the examples, the context...
This part is worked with the customer. He's the best knower of his profession, and he's the expert to help us to do the best prompt.
The Temperature: Option which allows to modify the predictability of the answer received from the AI. From 0 to 1. 0 -> totally predictable, 1 -> very creative.

For the next project I'll use GPT, I want to try fine-tuning to go further with AI.

STEP 6

ADAPTABILITY!

For me, that's the better quality for a dev, especially for a freelance.

All wasn't perfect and I had some disagrees with my customer.
He wasn't satisfied with the first version.

But we found a deal, to simplify the application and I haven't let him down.

It's very important for me to satisfy customers.

I did the changes, add some features (maybe I will talk about that in a new article layer) and give him the project.

Action
Ask feedback
Adaptability
Action
...

Demo:
See the demo in the video

That was a very good experience and thanks to my customer to be flexible.
I am proud because I realized a complete application from scratch, alone (almost... so thanks to developers that help me in this journey).

This project has comforted my taste in AI and my wish to work in this domain.

And you, how was your first project?
Tell me in the comments!

Asking how can I become better

Karine BAUCH — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:47:54 +0000

That will be a short article.

To become a good Python Freelance dev, I'm searching to interview some CTOs or founders of companies in the AI or Data Science domains.

For example, I ask them:

to talk about their activity and job,
what are their expectations when they work with a freelance dev,
talk about good and bad experiences with a freelance dev,
the quality and skills they think are essential for a freelance dev.

It's very interesting to share a moment with these persons who take some of their time to answer me and help me in my journey to become a great Python Dev in AI domains.

This habit will be certainly a game changer in my progression and I think we should do it sometime in our career.

And you, how do try to be better?

Quit your job to change your life

Karine BAUCH — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 14:35:44 +0000

Just over two years ago I chose to change my professional life.
I wondered a lot about the lack of motivation I was feeling in my job at this moment.

I didn't know if it was the job, the company or if it was just temporary.

So I decided to do a skills assessment, during which I had an epiphany: I want to be a developer!

Quit My Company

I talked with my managers, trying to get an educational leave, but they declined.

They suggested me a convective fracture, in fact, they asked me to quit but with benefits.

OK, I saw they don't try to keep me in the company, even for another position as a developer, so I accepted their proposal and I leave on April '23.

Do A Web Dev Training

From September '21 to March '22, I followed a training course at O'clock School. A remote school, but with real courses in videoconference.

That was a very good period of my professional transition.
I learned many things, from zero to hero ^^

In the end, we have developed a complete web application for bikers to organize their journey, hotels, and restaurants, choosing the type of road they want.
That was a big work but we worked together and realized a very cool application.

Algorithm Training

When I tried to find a CDI job, I understand that I wasn't good enough at algorithms and understanding how code works.

I found, thanks to a friend, a course built in another way than others.
I was the first to begin it and the first to finish it.
I passed 2 months to work on it and begin better.

Back-End

In my precedent job, I was a graphic designer (with other tasks too), who mainly did catalogues and other print files.

After 10 years of doing that, changing just a little thing that nobody cares about, trying several changes, and returning to the first try, depending on someone's tastes, I didn't want to do this again...

I needed more technical tasks, and obviously, I decided to become a back-end developer.

And Now?

Today, I have changed my way of learning Python skills.
Why? You will discover that in another article on this blog.

And you?

Tell me if you have chosen, or you want to quit your job to change your career in the comments.

Why I chose Python

Karine BAUCH — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 14:37:31 +0000

A few time ago, I thought that Python was just for scientists who want to handle data or for geeks who want to automate things.

But Python is powerful !

Python is really everywhere

That’s the most popular language for just over a year according to PYPL (PopularitY of Programming Languages), or the TIOBE index.

Python syntax is quite simple, even if you’re not a programmer, you can easily understand what a function do.

Python: A Matter Of Style (PEP8)

No bracket, just indentation!

Each programmer needs to respect this syntax to see his code work.

By the way, PEP8 is a style guide, a set of rules to get style standardization.

Python: From School To Cinema, And Even For The Web

Python has replaced BASIC language in the students scientific calculator.

It’s used into scripts of Industrial Light & Magic, special effects company of George Lucas, since 1996.

We find Python in 3D modelling software as Blender.

In CAD (conception aided design) live FreeCAD Project Association.

Or with Django in websites like Instagram, Pinterest, Mozilla.

We can do all we want with Python : scripts, web, ML…!

And maybe, it will replace JavaScript directly in our Apps thanks to the tag. Not ready for production but It’s an Anaconda project.

Why I Chose Python?

I think that, as programmers, we should develop severals skills, discover new things to follow what drives us and create our dreaming job.

Me, my dream is to do freelance jobs linked to data science, machine learning and AI.

This job, will allow me to resolve my customer’s problems giving us the value I have learnt and what I’m continuously learning.

That’s my vision of a developer!

And you? What’s your vision?

What’s your dreaming job?

This article was inspired by an article in a French magazine named « Programmez », if you understand french, it’s a good resource to read.

DEV Community: Karine BAUCH

What Are the Best Recruitment Processes?

Process 1: Freelance mission at a large corporation

Initial contact

The technical test

Outcome

Process 2: Permanent role (CDI) at an IT consulting firm.

Initial contact

Technical interview

HR interview and the proposal

Client interview

Outcome

Process 3: Permanent role (CDI) at a scale-up

Initial contact

Outcome

Theory vs. Reality

The Zen of Python 🐍

What, you've never heard of it?

What is this?

How to find it?

My journey as a Python freelancer

I decided to switch career

Quit your job to change your life

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 24 '23

A first dev job

My first dev job was for a surgeon!

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 28 '23

Career hack: talking with people

Asking how can I become better

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 27 '23

Why I chose Python

Why I chose Python

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 23 '23

Why I became a freelance

Working with people > Working for people

Karine BAUCH ・ Jul 31 '23

Working with people > Working for people

🔐 The security

🤔 The questioning

🗽 The decision

👩🏻‍🏫 What I’ve learned

💕 What's YOUR dream?

My first dev job was for a surgeon!

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

STEP 5

STEP 6

Asking how can I become better

Quit your job to change your life

Quit My Company

Do A Web Dev Training

Algorithm Training

Back-End

And Now?

Why I chose Python

Python: A Matter Of Style (PEP8)

Python: From School To Cinema, And Even For The Web

Why I Chose Python?

Process 1: Freelance mission at a large corporation

Process 2: Permanent role (CDI) at an IT consulting firm.

Process 3: Permanent role (CDI) at a scale-up