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Ask HN: Would you hire someone who memorizes the System Design Interview book?

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Ask HN: Would you hire someone who memorizes the System Design Interview book?

#1
During the system design interview, my colleague gave a common question that was found in System Design interview. The candidate seems to be able to give a perfect answer (covering what the book is advising).

Objectively the candidate passed. But deep down I felt that passing the interview doesn't show me about what real life design problems that the candidate have faced before.

Re: Ask HN: Would you hire someone who memorizes the System Design Interview book?

#7
> my colleague gave *a common question that was found in System Design interview*. The candidate seems to be able to give a *perfect answer*

Do you see the irony? Asking a “leetcode” question expecting an “non-leetcode” answer. Canned questions deserve canned answers. That’s what interviews have devolve into.

You get what you measure. You want better experience and person, have a conversation not an interrogation.

Re: Ask HN: Would you hire someone who memorizes the System Design Interview book?

#8
Yes, definitely. What's the alternative - hire people who don't answer your question correctly? Only hire people who can give a good answer that's different from the book? Hire people who have read the book but are good at pretending that they haven't? None of those make sense.

If someone giving you a correct answer is concerning, just change the questions that you use. But it would be ridiculous to penalize people for preparing.

Re: Ask HN: Would you hire someone who memorizes the System Design Interview book?

#9

Depends on the level. If it's an early career engineer ( If it's senior+ then yeah you might expect more. Especially if it's around something the engineer has worked with before.

> If it's senior+ then yeah you might expect more.

More than an exhaustive correct answer?

Re: Ask HN: Would you hire someone who memorizes the System Design Interview book?

#10
post #7

> my colleague gave *a common question that was found in System Design interview*. The candidate seems to be able to give a *perfect answer* Do you see the irony? Asking a “leetcode” question expecting an “non-leetcode” answer. Canned questions deserve canned answers. That’s what interviews have devolve into. You get what you measure. You want better experience and person, have a conversation not an interrogation.

Canned questions do not deserve an answer. If the person conducting the interview can't ask good technical questions, how could I hope to get good technical answers out of them. Interviews are both ways.

It's not a pride thing, I want to work with people who can think. Asking leetcode questions proves they don't bother.

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