I got my last job as a programmer at age 65 — the first 12 candidates could not pass their programming test. I finished in half the allotted time and pointed out that there were at least 3 answers for each problem.

The editor-in-chief asked me why I wanted to work there. I replied, “The job sounds like fun.” He also asked me if I could handle a 15-minute deadline. I smiled, unfazed, and said I had short deadlines, but never one that short.

After I was hired, I changed their environment so those deadlines could be stretched out longer, and the users did not have to stop work while waiting for me.

As for interviews, I looked for one thing: can the candidate learn new stuff and how.