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Tech Interview Handbook

techinterviewhandbook.org

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41–50 of 132 posts

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#41

Post by ZephyrBlu »

makmanalp wrote: post #37
frfl wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it helps, I didn't really start to grok system design and architecture until more than 2 years full time. Before that it was just a bunch of functions/methods, classes that used each other. Slowly though, you start to notice the patterns, you see what failed badly and how it failed (bad design). You get burnt having to solve problems in badly designed code. You get stuck trying to test badly designed code. You slo…

> Of course this has nothing to do with what system design questions (most) interviewers care about. But this is the system design that matters on the job. Sigh. I just think it's so absurd that "system design" is now an interview category that's expected of new grads. I'm talking about the fanciful form of this, where the bright eyed and bushy tailed new grad is somehow working on a problem that is the equivalent of…

> Or they read a prep bible that told them this is how Google does things. Or they read an actual book about a subject (a bit better) but didn't really absorb the ideas (which is fine! happens to me too!), but wanted to use the thing they learned about anyway.

In my experience and from what I have heard from other people, this is just how people generally are.

It seems rare that people consider things rather than regurgitating them.

As a young guy who doesn't like to cargo cult like that it's sad to hear, but on the other hand it's less competition for me. Though a lot of experienced people are also like that so...

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#42

Post by ilrwbwrkhv »

posharma wrote: post #32
bovermyer wrote: post #9

This is... incredibly disconnected from my 15-odd years of experience in my career. Is this how Silicon Valley engineering careers work?

If your question is specifically referring to the leetcode style coding interviews, this is exactly how Silicon Valley engineering careers work if you want to change jobs.

Which is such a strange optimization. As an industry we should boycott leetcode style questions.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#43

Post by yupper32 »

ecshafer wrote: post #19

I disagree with this resume advice actually. He for example removes that he was in the military sniper team and won best shot, but keeps high school education? I would totally say the opposite, keep the cool the side thing that's a conversation starter, but remove irrelevant educational experience. Including the number of stars on the github projects they worked on seems so.... narcissistic? Promotional? Idk but its…

> Including the number of stars on the github projects they worked on seems so.... narcissistic? Promotional?

I don't know about the stars particularly, but what is a resume besides you being somewhat narcissistic and especially promotional?

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#44

Post by qweqwweqwe-90i »

ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #42
posharma wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your question is specifically referring to the leetcode style coding interviews, this is exactly how Silicon Valley engineering careers work if you want to change jobs.

Which is such a strange optimization. As an industry we should boycott leetcode style questions.

I wouldn't want to work with someone that doesn't have their fundamentals down. Most people spend at least 4 years studying CS, they should know their stuff.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#45

Post by qweqwweqwe-90i »

smnscu wrote: post #12
sto_hristo wrote: post #4

These interviews are becoming their own profession.

I've been an interviewer with Karat for 2.5yrs, it's genuinely great. https://karat.com/ I know you made the statement in jest, but trying to improve on the interview process is not a bad idea. At the very least, it's less engineering time wasted conducting interviews.

I had an interview with Karat, it was nice: very fast and professional. Only thing that was slightly frustrating at the time was that you guys insist on completely correct solutions. Also, the behavioral part at the beginning felt kind of forced.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#46

Post by slumpt_ »

qweqwweqwe-90i wrote: post #44
ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is such a strange optimization. As an industry we should boycott leetcode style questions.

I wouldn't want to work with someone that doesn't have their fundamentals down. Most people spend at least 4 years studying CS, they should know their stuff.

Fortunately for all the productive engineers out there, solving leetcode reflects absolutely nothing about how much they know their fundamentals or “stuff.”

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#47

Post by bussierem »

qweqwweqwe-90i wrote: post #44
ilrwbwrkhv wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which is such a strange optimization. As an industry we should boycott leetcode style questions.

I wouldn't want to work with someone that doesn't have their fundamentals down. Most people spend at least 4 years studying CS, they should know their stuff.

I studied CS for 4 years and have used exactly none of it since leaving college. Our devs all help with hiring and agree as a 20-person team that academic "experience" means almost nothing unless you have no other job experience. How little academia prepares you for anything in real software engineering has become a cultural meme.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#49

Post by Aeolun »

ren_engineer wrote: post #36
ecshafer wrote: post #19

I disagree with this resume advice actually. He for example removes that he was in the military sniper team and won best shot, but keeps high school education? I would totally say the opposite, keep the cool the side thing that's a conversation starter, but remove irrelevant educational experience. Including the number of stars on the github projects they worked on seems so.... narcissistic? Promotional? Idk but its…

Github stars show the developer is either good at creating a project that serves a real need or at least decent at marketing their project, which in a startup role might be useful when you need somebody doing multiple things

I dunno how stars help with that. I use plenty of projects that I never star.

Re: Tech Interview Handbook

#50

Post by Aeolun »

Graffur wrote: post #25
nosequel wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never put my GPA on any resume. I had a garbage GPA because the only classes I went to were CS classes so I got horrible grades in all my required electives. I was worried someone would ask and no one did.

Did you not have to submit transcripts of your results?

Why would I care about how someone did on some contrived tests 10 years ago?
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