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I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

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Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#481

Post by buzzdenver »

treis wrote: post #413
buzzdenver wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stuff like whether the algorithm will always stop, or whether it runs O(N) vs O(N square). The main point to me was more to be able to have a conversation about the solution rather than it being absolutely right. I remember quite a few people using randomness, the most odd (and totally wrong) one using a random sort function over an array of (1..52).

Why is the random sort wrong?

Random sort meaning that sometimes a>b, other times a<b for the same values. Whatever algorithm a language's built in sort implements probably assumes that comparisons are consistent. I remember checking a few versions of perl and some created a core dump iirc.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#482

Post by samatman »

mewse wrote: post #307
samatman wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean by hand, with a pen? The least I would do is politely decline such an interview. I would be sorely tempted to give them the choice between letting me use a keyboard or hearing from an ADA lawyer.

I mean, obviously exceptions were frequently made for folks with special needs or just personal preferences. I’m aware of many times that was done for both situations. I assure you that I’m not a monster and I would really appreciate it if you’d assume positive intent in such replies.

That isn't obvious at all, you explicitly say 'no computers allowed' and yeah, I consider a forty-page handwritten essay a sadistic way to find out more about a computer programmer.

I don't think you're a bad person for it, and ok, good to know you're willing to make accomodations, but my reaction to being asked to do this would be sharply negative. The keyboard is inherent to the profession.

Assuming you read the essay it is impossible to not judge the applicant on their penmanship. A difficult skill with absolutely no bearing on the qualification for the job.

I urge anyone reading this to not offer a 40 page handwritten essay to software developers in the first place. It's an awful idea.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#484

Post by samatman »

codesnik wrote: post #165
samatman wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean by hand, with a pen? The least I would do is politely decline such an interview. I would be sorely tempted to give them the choice between letting me use a keyboard or hearing from an ADA lawyer.

wow. Does ADA lawyer thing work with whiteboard interviews? I'm only half-sarcastic, I hate my handwriting and this makes whiteboard interviews double hard for me.

Probably not, because the ADA criterion are actually reasonable, and long handwritten essays handily fail it.

Basically, don't test for something which isn't a job criterion and excludes people based on ability. An absurd example would be asking programmers to lift a 20kg sack of flour onto their shoulder and carry it across a room: this is a legal and normal thing to ask if the job involves lifting things, do it for a desk job and you'll get sued eventually.

Whiteboarding is an actual part of the job at many companies, I just let them know that words will probably be illegible and muddle through it.

No software job calls for handwritten pages of text, it clearly discriminates on ability and it shouldn't be a part of hiring. Simple as.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#485

Post by silksowed »

iboisvert wrote: post #318
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.

Would you be able to share some tips or sources on managing your manager? It sounds like a really valuable skill

https://www.notion.so/Manage-your-manager-26a26b82bd824f97bf... found this link on HN a while back but never really put it into practice. could be useful could not

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#486

Post by drran »

texaslonghorn5 wrote: post #423
drran wrote: post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When stretched, the length of the rope will be two straight lines plus part of the circle. The length of the segment can be calculated using a formula for horizon. Then we can create an equation: (s arc distance to horizon for h)*2 + delta = (d straight Distance to horizon for h)*2, or d-s-delta/2=0. d=sqrt(h(2R+h)) km/m (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon#Approximation ) s=R*arccos(R/(R+h)) (see https://en.wi…

I believe this is overcomplicating the problem, the answer is just r' = (2pi*r + 6ft)/2pi - r = 6ft/2pi ≈ just under 1ft

Just by folding the rope you will be able to reach 6ft/2 = 3ft. Check your formula, please.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#487

Post by rsweeney21 »

benjaminwootton wrote: post #21
bloodyplonker22 wrote: post #5

He cheated more on writing a clickbait title than actually "cheating" on the interview. This is the same thing as when a kid in class thought studying was a way to cheat.

This guy is one of those LinkedIn thought leader types prone to oversharing for attention.

lol thanks! I actually hate the attention, in part because of comments like this one. Though this one was comparatively mild.

I do it to generate sales leads for my startup. We're bootstrapped so being able to generate leads without any ad spend or outbound sales means we don't have to raise money to grow. I used to write blog posts but they take so much longer. Hence no new posts on the blog since 2019.

Now I focus on LinkedIn. A single viral post on LinkedIn can get 2M-5M views on average. It will generate $1M-$2M in potential business for us. This way I can spend 50% of my time writing code, 45% doing CEO stuff, and 5% doing marketing.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#488

Post by treis »

buzzdenver wrote: post #481
treis wrote: post #413

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is the random sort wrong?

Random sort meaning that sometimes a>b, other times a<b for the same values. Whatever algorithm a language's built in sort implements probably assumes that comparisons are consistent. I remember checking a few versions of perl and some created a core dump iirc.

Ah okay. Thought you meant using something like shuffle in Ruby.

I do wonder what the result of doing a randomized sort like that would be. Probably not really random. Feel like numbers near the median would be overrepresented in the middle of the array.

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#489

Post by hirvi74 »

giantg2 wrote: post #229
stevenjgarner wrote: post #155

IMHO, this was not cheating. This is a phenomenon called success. If you are fortunate (?) to be around in the entrepreneurial world long enough, you will realize that intelligence, hard work, good time management etc are not adequate. They just qualify as deserving. There are serendipities that separate those who succeed from everybody else who was deserving. Survivor bias [1]. Calling Eli was your serendipity. The…

"If you are fortunate (?) to be around in the entrepreneurial world long enough, you will realize that intelligence, hard work, good time management etc are not adequate." Not just as an entrepreneur. I have found that these traits don't guarantee a reward for ICs, or anyone really. I used to work hard. Now I just work hard enough. Pays the same either way.

What does IC stand for?

Re: I cheated on my Microsoft interview (2019)

#490

Post by mewse »

samatman wrote: post #482
mewse wrote: post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, obviously exceptions were frequently made for folks with special needs or just personal preferences. I’m aware of many times that was done for both situations. I assure you that I’m not a monster and I would really appreciate it if you’d assume positive intent in such replies.

That isn't obvious at all, you explicitly say 'no computers allowed' and yeah, I consider a forty-page handwritten essay a sadistic way to find out more about a computer programmer. I don't think you're a bad person for it, and ok, good to know you're willing to make accomodations, but my reaction to being asked to do this would be sharply negative. The keyboard is inherent to the profession. Assuming you read the es…

I have explicitly and repeatedly pointed out that individual applicants each engaged with only a very small portion out of a very large test — the entirety of which had its questions printed across 40 pages.

There was obviously no “sadistic 40 page handwritten essay”; individuals engaged with whatever individual questions they wanted to, and would normally write their answers into the bits of blank space left in between the questions. I’d estimate that a normal applicant who answered ten to twenty questions would normally write substantially less than what would constitute a single page of text in total.

Again, I’m not a monster. I’d really appreciate it if you’d assume positive intent and ask for clarification rather than jumping to the worst possible interpretation you can invent and then stridently declaring that you’d take legal action on the basis of the fictional “sadistic” thing you’ve chosen to believe I was making people do.

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