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Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

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Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#11

Post by iamflimflam1 »

4death4 wrote: post #4
valval wrote: post #2

For largely the same reasons why graduating from top schools is given more credit than any old college, even if the level of teaching is similar. Getting in takes determination, intelligence, and discipline. Same with getting good at Leetcode.

This feels like a retcon. The real reason is most likely that Google started interviewing people this way and then that's the culture that developed in the industry. Once a culture develops, it's very hard to change.

This is the correct answer. Microsoft used to ask things like "Why are manholes square" or "How many dentists are there in USA". For a while it got trendy to ask those sort of brainteasers in interviews (thankfully it didn't seem to stick).

It is very hard to change established processed - especially when the people doing the interviews have gone through the process.

They had to suffer, so why should the people after them get an easier ride?

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#12

Post by Kelteseth »

your_friend wrote: post #5

That's the thing I was struggling with, I can solve many of problems for the avg company – but I don't know how to solve a leetcode problem. I bet there aren't as many companies solving the complex problems on a scale. But if we look from the perspective of the company – maybe it's just an filter to get someone very dedicated and nerdy about programming. Less churn, less questions.

Thank god I never had these interview questions at the companies I interviewed for, here in Germany. Most talks were simply a 30min chat with the actual developer there. Mostly about the job, what they do, and some of their current issues. Then they would ask me how I would tackle them.

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#13

Post by teekert »

huqedato wrote: post #6

Don't publish anymore on Medium, people!

Yeah, you're a software dev, spend an hour learning Hugo ;)

(Take this with a grain of salt, I don't want to tell people what to do, I just stop reading your blogpost when it fades out and asks me to sign in...)

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#14

Post by begueradj »

your_friend wrote: post #5

That's the thing I was struggling with, I can solve many of problems for the avg company – but I don't know how to solve a leetcode problem. I bet there aren't as many companies solving the complex problems on a scale. But if we look from the perspective of the company – maybe it's just an filter to get someone very dedicated and nerdy about programming. Less churn, less questions.

I believe it is simply an efficient way to discriminate applicants based on their age: a fresh school graduate in his/her twenties is the one who is more likely to solve LeetCode like algorithms than a senior developer in his 40s who has a respectable knowledge and insight on how software should be done, deployed and run.

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#16

Post by soco »

your_friend wrote: post #5

That's the thing I was struggling with, I can solve many of problems for the avg company – but I don't know how to solve a leetcode problem. I bet there aren't as many companies solving the complex problems on a scale. But if we look from the perspective of the company – maybe it's just an filter to get someone very dedicated and nerdy about programming. Less churn, less questions.

The reason I've been told is, they already have a bunch of dedicated nerdy candidates, and use leetcode to pick one of them. For the future tasks it's just as good as picking names from a hat, but that's what gets used. Of course if you're not Google and not have that bunch of candidates to start with, the leetcode will be a bullet heading for your leg, but reality tells not everybody sees it.

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#17

Post by sph »

your_friend wrote: post #5

That's the thing I was struggling with, I can solve many of problems for the avg company – but I don't know how to solve a leetcode problem. I bet there aren't as many companies solving the complex problems on a scale. But if we look from the perspective of the company – maybe it's just an filter to get someone very dedicated and nerdy about programming. Less churn, less questions.

I have a controversial, philosophical explanation why that is:

Leet code is useless in the real world, everybody knows it. But one would find that people that are able to sit down and learn something useless and stupid only because their boss asked it makes for better employees.

The modern corporate world does not like free thinkers, if not within easily controllable parameters.

The solution for the ones that have better to do that to memorize dumb quizzes for weeks, only to get paid to write basic React components all day, is to go work for yourself, become a consultant, or move to another career.

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#18

Post by marginalia_nu »

4death4 wrote: post #4
valval wrote: post #2

For largely the same reasons why graduating from top schools is given more credit than any old college, even if the level of teaching is similar. Getting in takes determination, intelligence, and discipline. Same with getting good at Leetcode.

This feels like a retcon. The real reason is most likely that Google started interviewing people this way and then that's the culture that developed in the industry. Once a culture develops, it's very hard to change.

It's also noteworthy that if you're building a search engine, these types of questions are actually pretty relevant. As a field Search demands both a breadth and depth in CS fundamentals in a way that rare in most other places.

Re: Why do big companies ask unrealistic software engineering interview questions?

#20

Post by alephnan »

your_friend wrote: post #5

That's the thing I was struggling with, I can solve many of problems for the avg company – but I don't know how to solve a leetcode problem. I bet there aren't as many companies solving the complex problems on a scale. But if we look from the perspective of the company – maybe it's just an filter to get someone very dedicated and nerdy about programming. Less churn, less questions.

> it's just an filter to get someone very dedicated

Dedicated is a nice way of putting it.

The school system was funded by industrialists who needed well behaved and obedient workers. Academic and Leetcode problems which exist in a vacuum select for those who follows the rules. Tech companies don't actualy want people with a mind of their own.

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