Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#1

Post by shreyassaxena » Sat, Feb 27, 2016, 10:45 PM UTC

Facebook has a great interview question: "On your very best day at work — the day you come home and think you have the best job in the world — what did you do that day?" I am curious how would HN members respond? Source: Oliver Emberton

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#2

Post by yarou » Sat, Feb 27, 2016, 11:07 PM UTC

I solved a problem. Probably not in the most elegant way, not using the latest and greatest buzzworthy tool or library, but I solved it.

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#3

Post by S4M » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 12:07 AM UTC

yarou wrote: post #2

I solved a problem. Probably not in the most elegant way, not using the latest and greatest buzzworthy tool or library, but I solved it.

It's obvious that on your best day you solved a problem. The question is: which problem did you solve?

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#4

Post by yarou » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 12:52 AM UTC

S4M wrote: post #3

yarou wrote: post #2

I solved a problem. Probably not in the most elegant way, not using the latest and greatest buzzworthy tool or library, but I solved it.

It's obvious that on your best day you solved a problem. The question is: which problem did you solve?

Not necessarily. For some people, the best day is one where they don't have to do any work whatsoever.

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#5

Post by S4M » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 1:08 AM UTC

yarou wrote: post #4

S4M wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's obvious that on your best day you solved a problem. The question is: which problem did you solve?

Not necessarily. For some people, the best day is one where they don't have to do any work whatsoever.

True but you don't want to answer that in an interview.

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#6

Post by afarrell » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 1:44 AM UTC

Someone asked me for help with figuring out something out and they and I talked through the problem and they came away with a much better understanding than they had before. Possibly I did as well, possibly I was actually just teaching.

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#7

Post by ag_47 » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 2:05 AM UTC

I solved a problem that was right up my alley; using tools I'm very familiar with; a challenge that wasn't too easy and wasn't too hard/complex. It was just right. Everything happened in a "state of flow", it felt completely effortless. I feel euphoric on my way home.. the solution is almost perfect, everything fell right into place.

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#8

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 2:26 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#9

Post by yunyeng » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 3:12 AM UTC

I solved a problem with the information I recently learned, and it fit right into it perfectly. I understood how things work, and started learning deeply into subject.

Re: Ask HN: Facebook interview question

#10

Post by Rainymood » Sun, Feb 28, 2016, 8:46 AM UTC

Probably something alone the lines of: finished a huge project we've spent the last X months on ahead of time and took the whole team out drinking and gave them a day off for delivering such great work.