131–140 of 289 posts
Also, complexity analysis/algorithm questions that are asked in the interview setting is not rocket science...
If you're Mexican/Canadian, a TN Visa might be a better option than H1B since there's no annual limit. I'm currently in Silicon Valley from Canada on a 2.5 day trip, with 4 interviews in that timeframe, and it's quite fun yet intense. I'd also say that if you're a self-taught programmer (I'm an EE), it's worthwhile to read a book like Intro to Algorithms[1] cover to cover before you start doing technical interviews.…
I may be wrong, but I believe that interviewing in the US while you're on a tourist visa/ESTA (presumably your case?) constitutes "seeking immigrant status" and is unlawful. You may want to avoid posting about it in public forums where your identity can be easily traced.
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I'm wondering how to answer that? Ask the interviewer. One of the things that I find most difficult about interviewing is when the candidate doesn't ask me any questions during the technical parts of an interview. If you aren't sure, you need to ask me -- I am perfectly capable of misphrasing a question or assuming you have context that you don't. Asking your coworkers for help is a perfectly legitimate problem solvi…
I sometimes ask questions and get 'What would you do if there was no one to ask?' and 'What would you do if there was no Google?' and I would like to understand this. Should I have everything rote memorized? Should everything I do be a bespoke solution?
The former is a question about your work process; for instance, if they say, "ok, so build Twitter" and you respond rationally with, "what of Twitter should I build?", they're probably looking for how you operate in an environment with underspecified work. It might be a good idea to talk about how you'd defend your decisions to draw the boundaries of the problem; why you chose to ignore e.g. streaming updates or following; &c.
Yes, you can work somewhere with free lunches/perks/nerf gun wars. However, you should always ask yourself 'Will working here make me a better person?'.
This could mean providing more financial stability or a huge boost to your resume via gaining expertise in a sought-after area. I hate the argument that 'If I work at Google, I'll be more marketable to future employers'. No...as someone who's hiring, I don't care if you were some guy/girl at google. If you worked on BigTable, awesome you're probably well-qualified for any job in that area and will be paid as much as you want. If you're employee number 70,001 and worked on designing icons for 'Google Trends', you shouldn't expect a huge payout at your next job for being 'Ex-Googler'
Getting a job in Silicon Valley, as an outsider, isn't hard. Getting a good job is hard. Many offers will come through at a lower level just because, whatever you did, you didn't do it in the Valley. That's Cali arrogance for ya. Hedge fund interviews are a lot more intense and technically difficult (and you feel good when you pass) but don't come with the VC-fueled, youthful arrogance of a proper Valley company. Hed…
In SV you can at least feel like you're producing something, however silly. At a hedge fund you're just sucking capital all dracula style.
(sorry for sidetracking the excellent piece but...) When I examine the ~13,000 hours I've spent programming I find it hilarious that interviews should centre around algorithmic problems. I've been guilty of it myself and failing FizzBuzz is definitely a true negative but it's so little of a true positive it's not even funny. What I would really love to know about you as a candidate is: - do you know how to actually n…
(sorry for sidetracking the excellent piece but...) When I examine the ~13,000 hours I've spent programming I find it hilarious that interviews should centre around algorithmic problems. I've been guilty of it myself and failing FizzBuzz is definitely a true negative but it's so little of a true positive it's not even funny. What I would really love to know about you as a candidate is: - do you know how to actually n…
If you work at Google or Facebook or any other of the tech giants, you need to know your algorithm-type questions. For the other 98% of companies, there's just no need. I've also never ever had to do strange things with binary trees.
90% of programming is problem solving. Knowing how to solve a problem is much more useful than being able to spout out the right answer.
(To echo the first poster. Number of times in 20 years outside of a job interview I've had to implement a Linked List: 0)
IMHO Google, Facebook et al are largely the cause of the current recruiting mess because companies who don't understand what makes a good employee for their company have been cargo-culting Google, Facebook et al in the hope that will "make it rain" for them.
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No argument here - if you walk into any hiring situation without some knowledge of fair market value, you are in a bad spot. I think candidates don't prepare for the question as well as they should and try to improvise on the spot, and many are not good at the improv. Having a number that is well-researched is quite useful, and being able to negotiate on your feet as necessary once numbers are discussed is important.…
Yeah, but I assure you that most of your entry level job seekers have no idea and either ask too low or some wildly inflated number (my friend over at blah blah was offered $120k...). It's more about being able to justify your expectations than having an accurate number which is why softer targets like ranges or previous salaries are usually easier.
I agree that ranges are not a bad idea, but having a target number to quote (even if it is a few K above what you are willing to take) and a basement number (will not accept below) is a good idea.
(sorry for sidetracking the excellent piece but...) When I examine the ~13,000 hours I've spent programming I find it hilarious that interviews should centre around algorithmic problems. I've been guilty of it myself and failing FizzBuzz is definitely a true negative but it's so little of a true positive it's not even funny. What I would really love to know about you as a candidate is: - do you know how to actually n…
I am now fairly involved in my company's interview process and Im constantly surprised that none of the resumes I get mention anything about the applicants character or professional demeanor. For all the fear of being "culturally unfit" for a company, highlighting what kind of role you play and how you interact with your coworkers is fundamental. Are you diligent and consistent with your work? Are you the kind of per…
The reality for most engineers is that it depends on outside factors 99%. Engineers try to be rational. Here is what the real-world answers to your questions look like and I bet you never heard them.
Are you diligent and consistent with your work? IF it's being rewarded, yes. If I get yelled for missing the deadline, then no. Do I get credit for doing diligent work or the credit goes to somebody else who managed to get more visible things done less dilligently?
Are you the kind of person that bursts through work in a flash? That's a straight-out stupid question. There is work that should be done in a burst(like a fix) and there is async work that can be done in chunks or in the background(planning, monitoring or support). Nobody is exclusively committed to burst/no-burst, or at least it's very rare.
Do you prefer to work alone or in a team? Nonsense question. It's more of a question for you rather than the interviewee. Everybody wants to be on a good team and everybody hates to be on a bad team. Also is teamwork rewarded, how are politics resolved? How do you manage politics? Who gets credit/blame for the teamwork?
How do you feel working with people below your position or above it? Same as the previous question. How do you manage politics? How is credit/blame distributed? What power do I have to push changes up and down the chain? How would you handle an under-performing member up the ranks?