21–30 of 42 posts
> a month ago Keep waiting. Hiring cycles can run to 6 months or a year on the bad side. Just keep plugging away.
Also I'd suggest making work for yourself in the meantime. Freelance or a side projects. Being 'employed' in some form, even if self manufactured, is often more attractive for prospective employers.
Have you looked at any part-time/contract work? Maybe that could keep you afloat and activey coding long enough to get a fulltime job.
Edit: this quora answer is helpful for those of us without elite algorithms skills https://www.quora.com/I-am-quite-bad-at-algorithms-but-good-...
You're not old, either!
You mentioned applying to larger companies, and it's probably more common there to skip the whiteboard and brainteasers (and 80-hour weeks).
Good luck--you don't have to be 10XT1P to find another job.
If that's the frame you're taking into the interview, I can see why they don't think you're a culture fit.
Try this frame:
"I'm a proficient programmer, have leadership qualities, who delivers."
Maybe show them a link to your github with some good code as an example, it will help especially since you say you're weak on whiteboards.
"I can be a bit nervous and don't perform well with whiteboards so I would like to send you a link to some of my existing code demonstrating my skills and ability to perform as a programmer."
And the other comments are right - a month is not long ago, and one interview a week is quite solid. Keep steaming ahead.
Hey there. I didn't take Algorithms in college and am also not so good at it. Don't fret -- you'll get it. Grab a couple interview study books, the Algorithms Design Manual, etc. and study. It'll be hard and you might not feel like you're making progress -- it's ok. Keep practicing and don't lose hope. I interviewed at over 15 companies over the span of 3-4 months (I also did mock interviews, but my algs skills were…
I have been running through a few of the language books I've accumulated. I'm terrible at learning things through pedagogy and generally learn during the process of getting something done. Thanks for the encouragement though. I realize now that one month and 5 in person interviews isn't that much, but it's tough not to think I've exhausted my options.
It's not that little, either. Your parent comment has around the same number.
Well, you have to fix the problems you have. 1. You must become a jedi-knight of white-board programming. For this, go to HackerRank and work absolutely as many problems as you can. But don't program them in an editor, get a whiteboard and use that. Then type in the program when you are ready to get it graded. 2. You need to fill in some knowledge you would have gotten in college. For this, read the first few chapter…
When I was last unemployed, I made connections with people I had no intention of talking to other than for or about a job. I also kept my tech hobbies up, not cramming about algorithms and whiteboarding code. These hobbies led into questions from interviewers, which led into conversations, which eventually led to a job. My full-time job was finding a job, not memorizing algorithms and CS trivia tidbits.
My point is, you don't have to treat the job search like an exam. In my case, I've had to relocate several times when my network in a certain city couldn't come through and I needed gainful employment. In order to succeed in this industry, you need to be flexible like that if it comes down to it.
Hey there. I didn't take Algorithms in college and am also not so good at it. Don't fret -- you'll get it. Grab a couple interview study books, the Algorithms Design Manual, etc. and study. It'll be hard and you might not feel like you're making progress -- it's ok. Keep practicing and don't lose hope. I interviewed at over 15 companies over the span of 3-4 months (I also did mock interviews, but my algs skills were…
I have been running through a few of the language books I've accumulated. I'm terrible at learning things through pedagogy and generally learn during the process of getting something done. Thanks for the encouragement though. I realize now that one month and 5 in person interviews isn't that much, but it's tough not to think I've exhausted my options.
If you learn by getting something done, I would suggest pick a small enough problem, that you can solve in that language. Just know enough upfront about any language to get started, then solve your problem in a fixed timescale of 1-2 weeks. You don't need to commit a ton of time as well, 1-2 hours daily will suffice.
You will not become an expert in that language, but will learn enough through doing which comes across in `right` interviews.
That will also keep you busy till you find the next right gig, which I am sure you will. During my last job hunt, I went through the process for 3 months. So don't lose hope, keep busy and your spirits up. Best of luck.
Corporate feedback is mostly Bullshit! There's often a weird dating aspect here. Dude, face it the girl just isn't into you. Don't waste energy trying to figure it out, move on!
> I’m running out of people I know and their connections...
This is where Linkedin is actually useful. Jump on the advanced search feature. Zero-in on profiles of senior executives who you can help. Think local CIO's or VP Engineering types, mix & match keywords. Put together a hit-list of 12 individuals (likely suspects) and start reaching out to them. Not as a job-seeking supplicant, but as an engineering peer looking to network and learn more about them and what they are working on.
Simply ask, do you know anyone who could use some software engineering help?
> a month ago Keep waiting. Hiring cycles can run to 6 months or a year on the bad side. Just keep plugging away.
> a month ago Keep waiting. Hiring cycles can run to 6 months or a year on the bad side. Just keep plugging away.
This so much. I feel envious you expects a job after a month looking. I often see people looking for work for 3+ months. Also I'd suggest making work for yourself in the meantime. Freelance or a side projects. Being 'employed' in some form, even if self manufactured, is often more attractive for prospective employers.
I have tried to look through the online freelance marketplaces, but it seems the quality is awful and the pay worse. I know most quality contractors work through connections, but don't know how to open that conversation. I'm not a particularly good salesperson.