I am an accomplished full stack software engineer with a wide range of experience and a proven track record of delivering products but I regularly bomb coding/technical interviews because of my ADHD/ASD. Why won’t companies just hire me on my track record?
I think you would benefit from changing your attitude a bit. You’re not going to change the system, so I’d suggest changing your mindset from “how do I get a job without a technical interview” to “what skills do I need to improve to pass more technical interviews.” I understand you have ADHD but that is an issue faced by many people and there are a lot of pharmaceutical options to address it available today. Additionally, saying that contracting is not an option because you wouldn’t have full control of the result is a massive red flag to me (<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31893663" rel="nofollow">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31893663</a>) and makes it seem like the ADHD is not the main issue at all.
As a retired hiring manager, I’d ask what type of accommodation are you looking for in the technical interview? How would you have convinced me to take a chance on you? And what type of position? What is your comfort level interacting with users and customers? Are you more comfortable heads down, working in the background? Some of these may be addressed in the initial screening. I’ve had ADHD/ASD employees previously and generally it can be managed. For example, one individual was extremely uncomfortable in face to face conversations (always looking down, muttering), but a terrific orator on the phone. So I used the phone and kept that person out of customer/user meetings. Over time, they became more comfortable and brief conversations were possible. Frankly though, at no time, did this individual fall back on their difficulties as an excuse or a limitation. Accommodation emerged naturally. Respectfully, I would suggest that you tone down your anger and think of yourself less as one with “disabilities”. Rather, recognize that companies are not anxious to hire anyone that in the interview suggests they will be difficult to manage or work with. The competition is simply too great. There is always someone else. Further, in my experience as well as the literature, the incidence of ADHD/ASD in the software development space is rather common. Plenty of companies facilitate individuals with ADHD/ASD traits. I urge you to think of yourself differently and figure out how bridge the gap - accommodation is a two as street.
>Why won’t companies just hire me on my track record?<p>How do you propose to <i>demonstrate</i> your "track record" without a technical interview?
Startups will often take anyone who's willing to apply, and your full stack experience will come in handy too.<p>Another alternative is contracting. Those who hire contractors usually don't have the manpower to test extensively, and they're more likely to trust you to deliver. Or not care that much because you'll be working on a non-core element.