Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

news.ycombinator.com

181–190 of 203 posts

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#181
This incredible man from Africa that cast spell is really do a nice job because he just helped me fix matrimonial problems so if you feel you don't have anyone to trust then am teling anyone out there to contact him on his email which is: ezizaoguntemple@gmail. com and whatsapp+2348058228350

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#182

I joined Google at the age of 50. Just send a resume. They are not trying to surprise you and want you to do your best. Consequently, not only do they tell you what to expect from the interview process, the recruiter will send you a PDF that talks through what to expect along with a reading list you can use to prepare. (For example: cracking the coding interview and CLRS are on it.) That said, I just went in cold. If…

Just as one data point - I went through the onsite recently and I personally found that PDF to be unhelpful. While it does list everything you need to know, it also lists way too many things that you probably don't need to know. It's basically an exhaustive list of basically every resource and topic that could possibly show up in the algorithmic interview. In my view you just need to cover Cracking the Coding Intervi…

Once you get into a FAANG company, do you actually use these algorithms? OOP/FP design, "clean code", the System design I would see as important, but in an actual dev job how much does the hard-core algorithm stuff come up?

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#183
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've just finished the 2nd year of my CS degree. In about 3 minutes I came up with: 1) create an empty string, call it "S2" 2) loop over each char in original string 3) if the char isn't in S2, add it to the end of S2. If the char is already present in S2 then lexicographically compare the prior S2 verse S2 with this char shifted to the end. Keep the lower ordered one. This took about 3-4 minutes of thinking and is O…

input: "bcabc" 1. "b" 2. "bc" 3. "bca" 4. "bca" 5. "bca" What am I missing?

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#184
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've just finished the 2nd year of my CS degree. In about 3 minutes I came up with: 1) create an empty string, call it "S2" 2) loop over each char in original string 3) if the char isn't in S2, add it to the end of S2. If the char is already present in S2 then lexicographically compare the prior S2 verse S2 with this char shifted to the end. Keep the lower ordered one. This took about 3-4 minutes of thinking and is O…

input: "bcabc" 1. "b" 2. "bc" 3. "bca" 4. "bca" 5. "bca" What am I missing?

Take all the possible answers with duplicates removed, and return the first one in alphabetical order.

input: "bcabc"

output: "abc"

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(At Facebook, not Google) when the technical writing is used to influence a technical outcome. Particularly a strategic one. a well written memo can change the way business is done and there’s not much ambiguity around where the idea came from. That said, being an eager doc writer in an effort to claim credit or inflate the perception of your own work is a great way to lose friends and alienate people.

Why do they get offended that you are consolidating knowledge?

Not the OP, but there can be a perception (whether justified or not) that people who "just write docs" aren't coding (taken as "contributing in a meaningful way") but instead optimizing for their own career/promotion. (This is not a viewpoint I personally hold)

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#186

I joined Google at the age of 50. Just send a resume. They are not trying to surprise you and want you to do your best. Consequently, not only do they tell you what to expect from the interview process, the recruiter will send you a PDF that talks through what to expect along with a reading list you can use to prepare. (For example: cracking the coding interview and CLRS are on it.) That said, I just went in cold. If…

Just as one data point - I went through the onsite recently and I personally found that PDF to be unhelpful. While it does list everything you need to know, it also lists way too many things that you probably don't need to know. It's basically an exhaustive list of basically every resource and topic that could possibly show up in the algorithmic interview. In my view you just need to cover Cracking the Coding Intervi…

> it also lists way too many things that you probably don't need to know

The list looks reasonable to me.

What things, in your opinion, should be considered optional/lowest priority on the list?

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#187
post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've just finished the 2nd year of my CS degree. In about 3 minutes I came up with: 1) create an empty string, call it "S2" 2) loop over each char in original string 3) if the char isn't in S2, add it to the end of S2. If the char is already present in S2 then lexicographically compare the prior S2 verse S2 with this char shifted to the end. Keep the lower ordered one. This took about 3-4 minutes of thinking and is O…

input: "bcabc" 1. "b" 2. "bc" 3. "bca" 4. "bca" 5. "bca" What am I missing?

that is a single line of code in javascript, assuming you just want the value in #5 const foo = [...new Set('bcabc'.split(''))].join('')

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#188
post #161
post #75

I cold applied for an L7 position at "A" recently. Going in, I had fear that I was under qualified. My background is CompSci, Management consulting and leading teams at global 5 companies, startup founder, and other lead positions. I left the L7 interview wholly underwhelmed as I felt I was interviewed by engineers with experience an inch wide, one mile deep. Whereas I like to be a mile wide, 0.8 miles deep. My thoug…

Very interesting metaphor of the engineering talent you sized up during your interview. Thanks for sharing that. You have an interesting background, would love to learn more about your career trajectory. Do you have a blog where you write more that you don't mind sharing? Feel free to email a link if you're up to it. (email in bio) Thanks!

:) I only create things, not document my stories.

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You only check each character in the string once. A hashmap can check if the char is used already. For each char in the original string there is: * 1 check in hashmap (let's assume it was found). This is O(1) * build a new string where we remove that char from the string we are building (string2) and add it to the end. This step may look O(n) initially since we need to find that char in string2 but string2 is capped…

> EDIT: The solution is actually incorrect so this is now semantics. Interesting use of "semantics". The question of "how fast does this algorithm run?" is totally independent from the question of "what does this algorithm do?"; the second one is semantic but you're discussing the first here.

The algorithm I described was O(n), you said it was O(3). I'm assuming this happened because my algorithm was actually an incorrect solution but you subconsciously added in steps to make it a correct algorithm which changed its complexity. Hence it's semantics because we seem to be discussing two different algorithms.

Re: Ask HN: Joining Big Tech in One’s 40s

#190
post #69

I don't know where you live, but I'm guessing you're in the US. I'm 43 as well, been mostly the startup world for 20+ years - similar journey (worked, founded, etc). After my last startup got sold (not at best terms), I also took the time to relax a bit (and ended up rebooting another business and starting another instead). Anyway, after my timeout I got back into contracting. First of all, I've never encountered age…

This is a great perspective and resonates a lot for me.

Curious though, to hear your thoughts on the incoming off-payroll legislation and how you feel it will effect the UK contracting market.

Post reply on HN