How to Pass a Programming Interview • Hacker News Board

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#41

Post by bargl » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:04 PM UTC

Omnipresent wrote: post #36

The practice section doesn't mention anything other than the book. Are there any other resources that people use to prep for an interview? Looking for something that tests algorithms and data structures more than solving tricky problems.

I use a combination of Coursera and Udacity to learn the algorithms, and Hacker Rank to find places to implement them.

I actually just cruised through this course and found it super useful. Edit: By cruised I don't mean did it easily but instead just watched the videos, because I was cramming whenever I could fit time in.

https://www.coursera.org/course/algs4partI

It covers Binary Search Trees pretty well and some other things on the list. I also really like this teacher.

https://www.hackerrank.com/domains/algorithms/warmup/difficu...

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#42

Post by yarou » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:04 PM UTC

Is it weird that I find this entire blogpost eerily similar to PUA strategies?

I think it ultimately boils down to confidence. To use the dating analogy, nothing drops the proverbial panties (or boxers, if you're into that sort of thing) faster than having confidence. Being physically attractive (i.e. fit and in shape) doesn't hurt either.

Take my analysis with a grain of salt, though. I happen to be hilariously bad at interviewing, and don't get me started on dating.

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#43

Post by rifung » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:07 PM UTC

Omnipresent wrote: post #36

The practice section doesn't mention anything other than the book. Are there any other resources that people use to prep for an interview? Looking for something that tests algorithms and data structures more than solving tricky problems.

I think Cracking the Coding Interview is very popular if you're specifically targeting interview questions. There's also the accompanying website www.careercup.com

I personally also like to do problems on hackerrank, SPOJ, or Code Jam, but are probably overkill (especially Code Jam) as they're much harder than what you probably should expect in an interview. Still, I find that it helps my nerves when I solved harder questions because then the interview questions seem much simpler so it might help you too.

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#44

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:07 PM UTC

smm2000 wrote: post #32

superuser2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My credential represents hundreds of hours of programming projects over several years. For that reason alone it is a much better signal than an interview will ever be. It also establishes depth and breadth of familiarity with a variety of fundamental topics demonstrated through exams and large programming projects: program design, networking, operating systems, security/cryptography, team software engineering practic…

Credentials and prior experience are used in all companies to establish your title, level, salary and position - things that actually matter when you start working. Coding interview is just a baseline that everyone hired is expected to exceed. In most companies it does not really matter how well you did in coding interview - the only thing that matter is that you passed it. After that coding interview results are not…

[deleted]

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#45

Post by LoSboccacc » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:08 PM UTC

ionforce wrote: post #30

alistairSH wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any reason an interviewer should care about syntax, etc? When I interview, I ask for psuedocode - I don't really care what language the interviewee uses, I do care that they can get their point across.

I've had people interview claiming to know X and then not code in X correctly. So... that's a red flag. We allow interviewees to pick their strongest language. But if you end up picking something that doesn't exist, well, you aren't earning yourself any points.

I wouldn't pass then since I live in post 2000 and am used to let the IDE handle the nitty gritty details while I focus on the actual meat of creating software

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#46

Post by rifung » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:09 PM UTC

noonespecial wrote: post #8

Interviewing should now be part of most CS educations, if not its own three class/semester course. Its that weird, and that important.

Isn't it already? I feel like all of the interview questions come down to things you learned in a Data Structures or Algorithms course. I suppose the design questions aren't necessarily taught in school but presumably you would learn that as you program more.

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#47

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:09 PM UTC

ammon wrote: post #39

superuser2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My credential represents hundreds of hours of programming projects over several years. For that reason alone it is a much better signal than an interview will ever be. It also establishes depth and breadth of familiarity with a variety of fundamental topics demonstrated through exams and large programming projects: program design, networking, operating systems, security/cryptography, team software engineering practic…

You're not being compared to people who lack hundreds of hours of programming projects. You're being compared to people who have that same experience, either at a worse school, or on their own. Credentials correlate with being good, absolutely. But many, many more people lack credentials than have them. This means that there is a large number of great programmers who don't have them (I think a larger number than who…

[deleted]

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#48

Post by kafkaesq » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:10 PM UTC

jameshart wrote: post #7

Programming interviews aren't pass/fail, they're match/no match. Imagine how it would read if this said "how to pass a first date".

But they're conducted as if they're pass/fail -- quite often before any real (two-way) discussion can take place.

Imagine if prospective dates gave you a 4-hour take-home test before making eye contact. That's actually the way many employers like to start of the conversation process with candidates, these days.

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#49

Post by osagatisop » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:10 PM UTC

I really wish that at some point during my CS education I would have realized how typical programming interviews worked and just how impossible they are for me. None of my internships had this sort of stuff and after a long string of failures interviewing after graduating, I can openly admit that being able to solve algorithm stuff just isn't in my blood.

It doesn't matter how many books I read or questions I practice, I just can't work these kinds of problems. If I had an inkling of what it was like beforehand, I would have switched majors or dropped out. Half a decade of hard work, tens of thousands for tuition and a useless degree at the end.

I don't know whether to laugh, cry or jump off a cliff. Maybe all three.

Re: How to Pass a Programming Interview

#50

Post by Fargren » Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 7:11 PM UTC

ionforce wrote: post #30

alistairSH wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there any reason an interviewer should care about syntax, etc? When I interview, I ask for psuedocode - I don't really care what language the interviewee uses, I do care that they can get their point across.

I've had people interview claiming to know X and then not code in X correctly. So... that's a red flag. We allow interviewees to pick their strongest language. But if you end up picking something that doesn't exist, well, you aren't earning yourself any points.

I don't get why. When I'm organizing my thoughts in code, I normally write something pythonish, but not really any real language. Stopping to think about the correct syntax does not make me solve the problem any faster or any better, and since I am writting on paper or a board I am going to have to rewrite everything anyhow. Maybe I'll even have an IDE to do most of that meaningless effort for me. It's like lazy syntax evaluation; don't do it until you have to.