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I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

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Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#401

Post by klyrs »

persona_reuse wrote: post #367
klyrs wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If companies told candidates why their applications were denied, sure, I'd be inclined to share my side. They don't, so fuck 'em. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Previous company, I was a principal IC and I used to interview people. I was warned by HR never to discuss how the interview went or why the candidate bombed. Their notion was: 1) We're there to find candidates, not improve people. 2) Time spent on someone you've eliminated is a loss. Cut your losses. 3) Think like you're talking to the police. Are you 100% sure you're not going to say anything that could be even rem…

I mean, I've been on the other side too, I know why companies don't share that information. But, given that they won't, why should I waste my time and energy?

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#402

Post by LanceH »

giantg2 wrote: post #238
LanceH wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I answered one of those mind benders nearly immediately in an interview. I figured out the trick as they were telling it basically. They asked me if I had heard it before. I hadn't. A final interview with the CEO and he asked if I had heard it before and I said I hadn't. I later realized based on how they were asking if I had heard it before, they thought I was lying. The question: You get on a ski lift going up. It'…

This seems like a stupid answer for it to be n-1, but it also seems like a stupid question. What's the answer?

It's n-1. I should have put the number of chairs in the question. I wasn't really trying to quiz everyone here, just identify which mind bender it was.

The "twist" on the answer is that you start below all the other chairs and finish above all the other chairs, so you must have passed them all along the way. I saw this immediately and answered "99" or whatever it was. In retrospect, I think they couldn't conceive of anyone figuring it out on the fly.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#403

Post by not2b »

codechicago277 wrote: post #381
bricemo wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, this is definitely not cheating. This is interview preparation. When I prepared for my FAANG interviews I googled so many questions that I couldn’t find another blue link, they were all purple. I prepped for them all. The more you want the job, the more you prep

The only mistake the OP made was in acting like they hadn’t seen the question before, but other than that everything was fine. These code screen questions are usually a basic gut check and the real evaluation comes later at the on-site. Honestly the interviewer did a bad job though because the question clearly gives an advantage to someone who has seen it before. Once I had a candidate struggle with my screening ques…

There's a famous story about Gauss as a child (age 7 in some accounts) figuring out this trick when a teacher who probably wanted a break had the students add up the numbers from 1 to 100. He saw that you could combine numbers from the ends: 1+100=101, 2+99=101, and there are 50 pairs, so the answer is 5050.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#404

Post by hackernewds »

jimmaswell wrote: post #393
bradlys wrote: post #376

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just because you made it in your specific case (however you seem to define this) doesn’t mean we have meritocracy.

Tech is one of the biggest success stories, if not /the/ biggest, of upwardly mobile meritocracy. Anyone with an internet connection can learn what they need on their home computer and probably make it if they have the ability and time. I hate this idea that everyone who succeeds does so only or even primarily by chance and privilege. Obviously those things will help you, but everyone I know who's tried in life has s…

You provide anecdata of your experience but no evidence of substance really. Which is fine as an opinion, but not when you make claims about others like

> the people know who espouse all this "the system is rigged, everything sucks, full communism now" stuff never had any drive or patience to do or learn anything and just want to put in the least effort possible to smoke weed and sit around like a vegetable all day.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#405

Post by LanceH »

jedberg wrote: post #264
LanceH wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I answered one of those mind benders nearly immediately in an interview. I figured out the trick as they were telling it basically. They asked me if I had heard it before. I hadn't. A final interview with the CEO and he asked if I had heard it before and I said I hadn't. I later realized based on how they were asking if I had heard it before, they thought I was lying. The question: You get on a ski lift going up. It'…

I hate this question because it has an implicit bias that most likely the interviewer never saw. It's biased towards people who have ridden on a ski lift, which generally means someone wealthier. If you're a poor kid who's never been skiing, you'll have a harder time conceptualizing the answer.

To be fair to them, they did ask if I was familiar with a ski-lift and how it worked. I believe they even drew a basic picture.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#406

Post by jimmaswell »

bradlys wrote: post #398
jimmaswell wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tech is one of the biggest success stories, if not /the/ biggest, of upwardly mobile meritocracy. Anyone with an internet connection can learn what they need on their home computer and probably make it if they have the ability and time. I hate this idea that everyone who succeeds does so only or even primarily by chance and privilege. Obviously those things will help you, but everyone I know who's tried in life has s…

I come from a worse environment than you and have risen to a higher position. (I was making $1m/yr last year - if you want any kind of token) I still don’t think tech is a meritocracy and will continue to know that. Do not buy into this delusion. Just because you made it - meritocracy it does not make.

What's your definition of a meritocracy then?

There's going to be nepotism and other unfair advantages anywhere in life, but I'm only interested in where a natural born programmer with a computer, some time after school, and not much else can end up. I think in the majority of cases this person can at least get an in somewhere, and once you have an in in tech, you'll be recognized by your team/manager if you do great work.

This is all made easier if there's free community college, good social safety nets, etc. which I fully support.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#408

Post by Isamu »

travisgriggs wrote: post #323
Isamu wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Now I just work hard enough. My review from management actually got much better once I stopped knocking myself out working too hard and instead worked just enough. That was a pivotal moment for me. That and also learning how to manage your manager.

So instead of working hard at your tasks, you worked hard at playing your manager. Seems like a “law of conservation of working hard” to me; you just needed the right kind of working hard.

>worked hard at playing your manager

No. Instead of working until my head exploded (and my manager telling me I wasn’t showing “a sense of urgency”) I focused on doing the right thing, and part of that is helping your manager succeed.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#409

Post by [deleted] »

hackernewds wrote: post #404
jimmaswell wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tech is one of the biggest success stories, if not /the/ biggest, of upwardly mobile meritocracy. Anyone with an internet connection can learn what they need on their home computer and probably make it if they have the ability and time. I hate this idea that everyone who succeeds does so only or even primarily by chance and privilege. Obviously those things will help you, but everyone I know who's tried in life has s…

You provide anecdata of your experience but no evidence of substance really. Which is fine as an opinion, but not when you make claims about others like > the people know who espouse all this "the system is rigged, everything sucks, full communism now" stuff never had any drive or patience to do or learn anything and just want to put in the least effort possible to smoke weed and sit around like a vegetable all day.

[deleted]

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#410

Post by jimmaswell »

hackernewds wrote: post #404
jimmaswell wrote: post #393

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tech is one of the biggest success stories, if not /the/ biggest, of upwardly mobile meritocracy. Anyone with an internet connection can learn what they need on their home computer and probably make it if they have the ability and time. I hate this idea that everyone who succeeds does so only or even primarily by chance and privilege. Obviously those things will help you, but everyone I know who's tried in life has s…

You provide anecdata of your experience but no evidence of substance really. Which is fine as an opinion, but not when you make claims about others like > the people know who espouse all this "the system is rigged, everything sucks, full communism now" stuff never had any drive or patience to do or learn anything and just want to put in the least effort possible to smoke weed and sit around like a vegetable all day.

It is just anecdata, but I know at least 5 people on either side (besides people who were just average and got average results), and none that act in the one way but end up with the other result.
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