A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode • Hacker News Board

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#31

Post by mettamage » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:40 PM UTC

digianarchist wrote: post #21

It's becoming obvious to me that my time is better spent learning to solve these riddles rather than actually becoming a better developer. I have a job search coming up at the end of the year and whilst I've managed to largely avoid companies that ask this type of question, I believe it's seriously constraining my career. I can't speak for everyone but the whiteboard interview has prevented me from leaving jobs earli…

According to the believers it is an unbiased way of predicting whether people are capable for the job. Google has done a lot of tests and these style of interviews predict job performance best [1].

Assuming this is true then to me it means that universities and work experience are too heterogeneous as a measure of job performance.

In my experience that is true. Not sure how well the argument holds up if everyone is simply going to study algorithms though.

[1] clement mihailescu says it on his YT channel somewhere in a vid.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#32

Post by logicslave12 » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:41 PM UTC

digianarchist wrote: post #21

It's becoming obvious to me that my time is better spent learning to solve these riddles rather than actually becoming a better developer. I have a job search coming up at the end of the year and whilst I've managed to largely avoid companies that ask this type of question, I believe it's seriously constraining my career. I can't speak for everyone but the whiteboard interview has prevented me from leaving jobs earli…

I was working on a “startup”/kinda just unemployed for two years. I studied leetcode hard, and got hired into a 300k a year job at FAANG. I know nothing about testing, git, software process, roll outs, dev ops, etc. I barely know how to do software engineering. What an idiotic hiring process.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#33

Post by jorblumesea » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:42 PM UTC

digianarchist wrote: post #21

It's becoming obvious to me that my time is better spent learning to solve these riddles rather than actually becoming a better developer. I have a job search coming up at the end of the year and whilst I've managed to largely avoid companies that ask this type of question, I believe it's seriously constraining my career. I can't speak for everyone but the whiteboard interview has prevented me from leaving jobs earli…

Working at the companies that often ask these questions (FB, Goog, Amazon, MS, Apple) work at scales that many other companies don't. They also develop novel frameworks or work on problems that might interest you.

Example: if you want to work for a cloud service provider you need to jump through these hoops, even though regurgitating Rabin Karp or Tarjan's has little to do with day to day engineering.

Another example: Canonical (Ubuntu) Microsoft (windows) and Apple (OSX) all ask these questions. If you want to have a part in building an OS you will get asked these questions.

Basically if you want to work at "big tech" start grinding and don't stop until you move into management.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#34

Post by tourist_on_road » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:42 PM UTC

pcestrada wrote: post #20

Can you imagine having to learn all this just to make a connection to a database, process some data, and then persist it somewhere?

But it might come handy when implementing - route optimization problems - Building database query optimization engine

You can argue that not everyone is implementing these from scratch every day. But it could be argued that given an opportunity, an engineer should have the skills and ability to build these systems.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#35

Post by non-entity » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:45 PM UTC

digianarchist wrote: post #21

It's becoming obvious to me that my time is better spent learning to solve these riddles rather than actually becoming a better developer. I have a job search coming up at the end of the year and whilst I've managed to largely avoid companies that ask this type of question, I believe it's seriously constraining my career. I can't speak for everyone but the whiteboard interview has prevented me from leaving jobs earli…

I really wish I could leave the field altogether, but the alternatives are things I hate even more or incredibly steep paycuts.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#36

Post by bradlys » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:51 PM UTC

OnionBlender wrote: post #19

TACIXAT wrote: post #8

This is really cool. What order are the chapters in? Seems intense to lead with dynamic programming.

I got really good at dynamic programming problems but then none of the companies I interviewed with asked me a dynamic programming problem. These were large tech companies and well funded startups. Perhaps it was just luck.

Partially luck and maybe you never solved it with a DP solution. There are problems for which DP will give an answer but it isn’t a hard requirement for you to come up with it.

I’ve received quite a few DP problems in my time interviewing.

Then again, I feel like saying I’m unusual. I’ve received a lot of very difficult problems. Almost like the people are trying to set me up for failing. ;)

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#37

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:59 PM UTC

logicslave12 wrote: post #32

digianarchist wrote: post #21

It's becoming obvious to me that my time is better spent learning to solve these riddles rather than actually becoming a better developer. I have a job search coming up at the end of the year and whilst I've managed to largely avoid companies that ask this type of question, I believe it's seriously constraining my career. I can't speak for everyone but the whiteboard interview has prevented me from leaving jobs earli…

I was working on a “startup”/kinda just unemployed for two years. I studied leetcode hard, and got hired into a 300k a year job at FAANG. I know nothing about testing, git, software process, roll outs, dev ops, etc. I barely know how to do software engineering. What an idiotic hiring process.

[deleted]

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#38

Post by bradlys » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 6:59 PM UTC

Gosh, I don’t enjoy that there is so much competition in this space. I can’t compete against people who essentially seem to have no life or other interests than getting job at Big N (or enjoy competitive programming).

It feels like this culture has ramped up in the last 5-10 years. When I started interviewing, the questions were easier. It feels like they’ve gotten more difficult - or at least the answer the interviewer wants is less attainable.

And I feel like I know why - go look at the leetcode discussion forums. There’s almost always some post at the top saying, “I did 1000 problems and won’t stop. I got accepted/rejected and learned so much. Believe.” From the outside and inside, it looks like a cult. I feel like these folks are just making it worse for everyone.

Maybe I am just bitter because I’ve passed every mock interview I’ve done but I can’t get an offer from Big N still. Startups are the worst as a non-founder/non-executive.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#39

Post by lowiqengineer » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 7:00 PM UTC

fractionalhare wrote: post #29

grumple wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if that isn’t the point, to increase developer retention and reduce competition for devs.

That could be part of it, but I don't think it's the primary reason. Rather I believe it's just one example of a more general, emergent phenomenon in capitalism, in which the top decile of jobs in high paying careers converge to interview methods which are a legal proxy for IQ testing. It is a game of cat and mouse between candidates and companies. The candidates want high pay and interesting work, and the companies…

It's funny/depressing to think all of my depression stems from not being able to do these problems fluently.

Re: A guide to learning algorithms through LeetCode

#40

Post by sukilot » Sun, Aug 16, 2020, 7:00 PM UTC

logicslave12 wrote: post #32

digianarchist wrote: post #21

It's becoming obvious to me that my time is better spent learning to solve these riddles rather than actually becoming a better developer. I have a job search coming up at the end of the year and whilst I've managed to largely avoid companies that ask this type of question, I believe it's seriously constraining my career. I can't speak for everyone but the whiteboard interview has prevented me from leaving jobs earli…

I was working on a “startup”/kinda just unemployed for two years. I studied leetcode hard, and got hired into a 300k a year job at FAANG. I know nothing about testing, git, software process, roll outs, dev ops, etc. I barely know how to do software engineering. What an idiotic hiring process.

Do you think it's unlikely for you to learn those skills quickly? People who have all those skills earn over $300K at those companies.