I'm considering starting a new job hunt, but I'm out of practice. Unlike most folks, I still haven't gotten into competitive companies after doing ~250 or so problems (perhaps because of my aforementioned IQ leading to an inability to problem solve), and I'm not interested in companies that do alternatives to coding interviews as they generally pay significantly worse than what I'm expecting, but whenever I do Leetcode problems I frequently dive into the depths of depression and self-harm because I often can't do Medium problems. I've done CTCI, but that isn't as effective in the market now.
I'm genuinely concerned I might harm myself further if I attempt more study, but at the same time, I need to fix my compensation trajectory or else I'll be in the same boat later. What do you use to avoid this?
That covers a lot of patterns you can typically use to solve a problem.
Keep practicing and don’t lose heart. Use mock interviews to get valuable feedback. You can do it.
Solving stupid leet code problems doesn't make you a better engineer. Try putting more effort in learning best engineering practices, read books, blog posts and try to implement them in your current job. Don't over think about compensation. Find a company that has good work life balance instead. Trying for more compensation is fine, but you can do find a much fulfilling job if you try to make yourself better.
Solving stupid leet code problems doesn't make you a better engineer. Try putting more effort in learning best engineering practices, read books, blog posts and try to implement them in your current job. Don't over think about compensation. Find a company that has good work life balance instead. Trying for more compensation is fine, but you can do find a much fulfilling job if you try to make yourself better.
> Solving stupid leet code problems doesn't make you a better engineer.
If companies use it for hiring screens, it does, indirectly: work experience is the main thing you need to be a better engineer, and the more time you spend working instead of spinning your wheels trying to get hired...
Solving stupid leet code problems doesn't make you a better engineer. Try putting more effort in learning best engineering practices, read books, blog posts and try to implement them in your current job. Don't over think about compensation. Find a company that has good work life balance instead. Trying for more compensation is fine, but you can do find a much fulfilling job if you try to make yourself better.
> Solving stupid leet code problems doesn't make you a better engineer. If companies use it for hiring screens, it does, indirectly: work experience is the main thing you need to be a better engineer, and the more time you spend working instead of spinning your wheels trying to get hired...
You are right, I totally understand that. The OP is depressed about not being able to solve medium problems. In that case it is better to avoid the rat race and try and becoming a better engineer is the best option.
There's a simple hack for non-FAANG job coderpad interviews.
Just do several interviews in a row to learn what the common questions are. Then memorize those 3 or 4 solutions.
There's been a move this year to fully using the 1 hour coderpad period with a large problem, so you really need to go in with a prepared solution. (Thanks a lot, a(7) interviewers.)
As one of my friends said, "Interviews are a lottery." So do your best, then move on to the next one (see above.) Don't take it personally, just keep improving.
Also, if an interviewer says, "it doesn't matter if it runs or not" or "syntax doesn't matter", assume they're lying and fix it. (Again, thanks a lot, a(7) interviewers.)
i think first of all, solve problems for their own sake, enjoy the process, learn the solutions, that is the surest way to getting better at it (or really anything in life) and getting better as an engineer as well. If your goal is "i want to get good at these stupid puzzles so i can work at google and make alot of money", you will most likely fail. When i first started leet code, i had no competitive programming background, i didn't really even remember any of the algo & ds stuff i learned in college a long time ago, but i kept at it, i used to think about some medium problems for a couple days or more (I knew back then people who had a shot at google could solve medium problems in an efficient manner in like 10-15 mins) but that never discouraged me, even if i didn't get a shot at FAANG or whatever, i knew working hard and thinking about this stuff would make me a better engineer. After 7 months of work, i could solve a-lot of medium problems in around 10-15 mins in an efficient fashion and i actually look forward to solving LC problems whenever i get an opportunity. Other than leet code, i regularly study CLRS (i love this book). I guess my point is, either learn to love problem solving, or apply to places that don't value it because its hard to become good and compete at a high level if u don't intrinsically enjoy something. Don't tie your self worth to your IQ, don't get depressed because you can't do something, i'm sure u have a job, so just keep at it and try different approaches to learning this stuff.
There's a simple hack for non-FAANG job coderpad interviews. Just do several interviews in a row to learn what the common questions are. Then memorize those 3 or 4 solutions. There's been a move this year to fully using the 1 hour coderpad period with a large problem, so you really need to go in with a prepared solution. (Thanks a lot, a(7) interviewers.) As one of my friends said, "Interviews are a lottery." So do y…
Sorry, but I couldn't find a page named `a` in section 7 of the manual ;) what does a(7) mean?