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I think one reason is that the interview process isn't JUST designed to check if you can code. While I agree that the process is broken, there are legitimate reasons why companies put up high barriers to entry.
Some kind of accreditation for software would save our industry so much time. It's crazy how many hours we spend asking and answering the same basic questions over and over. Imagine if we could focus on the important stuff in interviews!
If you've been working for a while it's much more efficient to get jobs through your personal network. I have about 4.5 years of industry experience and was able to skip directly to the final round onsite with a couple companies where I have close friends/former colleagues trying to recruit me. I just started a new job with desireable BigCo that I got this way. Unless you are specifically passionate about getting in with a specific company to work on a specific product, you're much better off focusing your energy on companies where you know people who will vouch for you.
Some kind of accreditation for software would save our industry so much time. It's crazy how many hours we spend asking and answering the same basic questions over and over. Imagine if we could focus on the important stuff in interviews!
Accreditation just acts as another "has a college degree" filter. There is already a proliferation of certifications that people can attain if they wish, that may or may not help them in specific instances that try to "give you a minimum level of knowledge", but really that just means the questions you get asked assume you know that - ie they are harder and incorporate your algorithm knowledge, instead of specificall…
I am in the exact same situation - I am trying to get into machine learning from being a web developer so I am learning a lot of new things too. After months of not finding time to do courses online, I've been studying between 5-7am for the last couple of weeks. Previously I would wake up, go straight to work, come back home tired and waste time on Netflix before going to bed. Now I spend less time for entertainment…
I've found that if I want to get into something, it's a real pleasure to research, learn, tinker - that is my entertainment & relaxation.
It sounds like you are applying cold and going through the process used to filter the unwashed masses (e.g. new bootcamp grads, college grads, career changers with no network, fakers of all stripes). There are some diamonds in the rough there but it's no surprise they put that candidate population through the ringer to make sure they don't waste their engineering staff's time screening duds. If you've been working fo…
However, why should some well-connected person want to talk to some bozo who's only giving them the time of day to job hunt? Especially in a career like ours that isn't dominated by talking like sales is?
I think one reason is that the interview process isn't JUST designed to check if you can code. While I agree that the process is broken, there are legitimate reasons why companies put up high barriers to entry.
The problem isn't a high barrier to entry, what's tested is a separate skill set. It's like testing a carpenter's skill by looking at how good he hits with the hammer.
It sounds like you are applying cold and going through the process used to filter the unwashed masses (e.g. new bootcamp grads, college grads, career changers with no network, fakers of all stripes). There are some diamonds in the rough there but it's no surprise they put that candidate population through the ringer to make sure they don't waste their engineering staff's time screening duds. If you've been working fo…
It sounds like you are applying cold and going through the process used to filter the unwashed masses (e.g. new bootcamp grads, college grads, career changers with no network, fakers of all stripes). There are some diamonds in the rough there but it's no surprise they put that candidate population through the ringer to make sure they don't waste their engineering staff's time screening duds. If you've been working fo…
So it sounds like building your network is a more valuable thing to do than study for all-day interviews. However, why should some well-connected person want to talk to some bozo who's only giving them the time of day to job hunt? Especially in a career like ours that isn't dominated by talking like sales is?
Building and maintaining a professional network is something you should be doing all the time. If you wait until you need a job to network you are doing it wrong.
Yes, the system sucks. That said, there are ways you can deal with it. Everyone's situation is different, and I don't know yours. But there's basically two main approaches you can take: 1) Don't devote much time to studying, and focus on companies that don't rely on whiteboarding leetcode-style interviews. They're harder to find, but they exist. FAANG probably isn't going to be an option, unless you get lucky. 2) Go…