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Google Interview Questions

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Re: Google Interview Questions

#2
If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation.

A better interview question: what's your Github username?

Re: Google Interview Questions

#3
post #2

If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation. A better interview question: what's your Githu…

I've had several interviews for internships with Google, and I've never had a single question like these. Lots of data structures and algorithms, never a single riddle. Like I said, these interviews were for internships, but I would be surprised if they ask those kinds of questions for full-time jobs but not for internships.

Re: Google Interview Questions

#4
post #2

If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation. A better interview question: what's your Githu…

Google doesn't ask questions like these. In fact, they train interviewers to _not_ ask questions like these.

Re: Google Interview Questions

#5
post #2

If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation. A better interview question: what's your Githu…

Google doesn't ask questions like these. In fact, they train interviewers to _not_ ask questions like these.

I was skeptical reading these questions, because when I did phone screen at Google, I got very practical questions about map reduce and skip lists. I do know that many companies still use riddles like these, however.

Re: Google Interview Questions

#6
post #2

If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation. A better interview question: what's your Githu…

I'm guessing that:

1. These were for APM interviews, not engineers.

2. These questions are no longer asked.

Usually once an interview question ends up publicized on a blog, interviewers don't ask it anymore.

Re: Google Interview Questions

#7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google doesn't ask questions like these. In fact, they train interviewers to _not_ ask questions like these.

I was skeptical reading these questions, because when I did phone screen at Google, I got very practical questions about map reduce and skip lists. I do know that many companies still use riddles like these, however.

What companies? In internship interviews at MS, Google, Fog Creek, others, I've never been asked a question anything like these. (thank god)

Re: Google Interview Questions

#8
post #3
post #2

If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation. A better interview question: what's your Githu…

I've had several interviews for internships with Google, and I've never had a single question like these. Lots of data structures and algorithms, never a single riddle. Like I said, these interviews were for internships, but I would be surprised if they ask those kinds of questions for full-time jobs but not for internships.

Yea, olympic short!

Re: Google Interview Questions

#9
I'm having difficulty seeing how these questions would help find people who can build great software or solve problems creatively:

a) I'm not sure there's a strong causal link between "being good at brain teasers" and "writing awesome code".

b) I suppose they could be viewed as measuring creativity, but it's in a stressful situation. When you're trying to solve actual problems at work you aren't going to be trying to do it in ten minutes in front of an interviewer. Also they're clearly problems with only one correct answer which seems unrealistic in comparison with reality.

c) More precisely, I suspect that this would test for people who enjoy brain teasers and have done lots of them before.

Re: Google Interview Questions

#10
post #2

If these are the type of questions that they feel qualify you, maybe it's a good thing that I don't work for Google. I, for one, am sick of programming interviews where they test aptitude by giving you riddles that end up getting posted online, so that interviews become more of "have I heard this question before or not" than a true measure of intelligence and motivation. A better interview question: what's your Githu…

Google doesn't ask questions like these. In fact, they train interviewers to _not_ ask questions like these.

I first heard several of these questions specifically from multiple friends that were doing interviews at Google and were asked about them during their interviews. This was 2-3 years ago. Has their policy changed since then? I'm sure the questions vary a lot by manager. Perhaps some of them simply reference what's familiar.
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