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Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

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Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#81

Post by jasonlotito »

Blazespinnaker wrote: post #79
czardoz wrote: post #3

This is what I was afraid of. I always thought interviews were something where you present your abilities, experience and knowledge. It should not be something you "prepare" for because then you're not showing off your skills, instead you're just regurgitating what you are trained to do. I do somewhat blame the whiteboard culture, but I guess that's the one that has given the best results so far. I've no doubt that i…

Preparation is a huuuuuuge part of being successful in the workplace[1]. Simply showing up just doesn’t cut it. Part of interviews aren’t even testing skills, but testing prep. Of course, you want to test for innate genetic talent as well. Good interviews do that, but as with gattaca, we see that desire and sincere interest counts too over genes. Preparation, sincerity, and genes. That’s what I like to see in potenti…

Sure. But at work, I know what I need to prepare for. Interviews don't exactly give you the questions ahead of time allowing you to prepare. So, preparation is not something they are testing for.

Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#82

Post by lr4444lr »

brailsafe wrote: post #30
czardoz wrote: post #3

This is what I was afraid of. I always thought interviews were something where you present your abilities, experience and knowledge. It should not be something you "prepare" for because then you're not showing off your skills, instead you're just regurgitating what you are trained to do. I do somewhat blame the whiteboard culture, but I guess that's the one that has given the best results so far. I've no doubt that i…

FWIW, preparing for interviews is standard practice irrespective of the industry.

I think the OP is implying through that this is creeping into top American university curricula. Having a Stanford degree in Comp. Sci. should correlate with interviewing success at relevant job openings for new graduates. This kind of "teaching to the test" and time spent on "job preparedness" is typical of community colleges and trade schools. They serve an important function, but it's distinct from the mission of a place like Stanford. As for the other aspects of job hunting school's career service department can and should handle the soft skills and referrals.

Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#83

Post by jasonlotito »

sjg007 wrote: post #75
quotheth wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should interviews test your ability to solve a problem you never expected to have to solve, rather than test your ability to prepare, research, and teach yourself?

One can argue that this is the same thing.

Sure, you could argue that, but you'd lose the argument every single time.

Interviewers don't share the questions they are expecting you to prepare for.

Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#86

Post by userbinator »

sidlls wrote: post #54
bearforcenine wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very tempting to say this. However, trying to find an alternative that is not equally or more gameable is very challenging. Take home assignments are easy to cheat on and take a lot of time. Asking questions about someone's experience is a great way to find someone who is a great conversationalist that can't code. Asking someone to program at a computer in a limited amount of time falls victim to the same issues…

Take home assignments are easy to cheat on? What does that mean (in the context of a take-home problem as an interview method)? Are candidates expected to derive solutions to coding or engineering problems themselves from first principles as their day to day? The answer is "no" almost without exception, even in serious research or hard core low level systems programming jobs.

Are candidates expected to derive solutions to coding or engineering problems themselves from first principles as their day to day?

Maybe not, but the ones who lack the ability to do so will also tend to be the coworker who constantly asks you and others inane questions, dragging down the team's productivity as a whole.

Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#87

Post by vostok »

jnbiche wrote: post #64
brailsafe wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, preparing for interviews is standard practice irrespective of the industry.

> FWIW, preparing for interviews is standard practice irrespective of the industry. This is simply wrong. I suppose if you've spent your whole life as a developer, it may seem like it would be done likewise other industries, but it's not the case. Typically, how you might "prepare" for interviews in other industries is...learning about your potential employer. And maybe reviewing your accomplishments. That's it. And…

Quantitative finance is quite similar in this regard. Maybe I don't fly high enough to meet people who wouldn't get a technical interview, but I assume that Jeff Dean wouldn't either.

Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#89

Post by lr4444lr »

jnbiche wrote: post #64
brailsafe wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, preparing for interviews is standard practice irrespective of the industry.

> FWIW, preparing for interviews is standard practice irrespective of the industry. This is simply wrong. I suppose if you've spent your whole life as a developer, it may seem like it would be done likewise other industries, but it's not the case. Typically, how you might "prepare" for interviews in other industries is...learning about your potential employer. And maybe reviewing your accomplishments. That's it. And…

I agree completely. And this is why an industry-wide respected, non-profit, credentialing mechanism increasingly makes more sense to me. There are a hundred pitfalls to implementing it and some we may never fully overcome, I'm aware, but I think they're worth grappling with to get this very technical and increasingly high-stakes line of work onto a more solid career footing with its big brothers in the engineering disciplines.

Re: Stanford CS9: Problem-Solving for the CS Technical Interview

#90

Post by lr4444lr »

sjg007 wrote: post #76
tinokid wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Those are professional schools 2) Even so, no respectable law school offers a bar prep class. Nor does any med school offer "How to ace the USMLE".

But do most law school grads take bar prep classes?

Yes, but good law schools aren't squandering the value of their most cherished currency on them - the reputation of their course credits in the world of academia.
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