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All my career rejections

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Re: All my career rejections

#31

Post by Graffur »

decafninja wrote: post #13

Just got off a FB phone screen which I think I failed. Only got through one question, and even that required assistance from the interviewer. My understanding is that if you don't finish two problems, you're doomed. Spent the past week basically taking time off from work to do leetcode problems nonstop. Too bad it didn't help. Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen l…

What is amazing about how difficult these interviews are is that these companies (not including Netflix) put out bad products. Amazon Fire - terrible hardware, terrible software, Microsoft Windows ME, Windows Vista, Windows 8/8.1, etc etc

Re: All my career rejections

#32

Post by nautilus12 »

inertiatic wrote: post #20

The article/blog post itself seems a bit pointless, minimal content and comes along as more of a humble brag. However I guess it triggers discussion so it's not without value entirely. I have experienced countless rejections. Tens to hundreds every time I switch jobs. After just a few of these, you realize no one knows how to hire and just laugh at the absurdity of this profession.

Ooohh you sound like you could out humble brag them. Humble brag off!

Re: All my career rejections

#33

Post by bluefirebrand »

decafninja wrote: post #30
bluefirebrand wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every job I've ever had except one were for companies I had never even heard of before applying and usually in industries I'd no experience working in. One of the most rewarding parts of work for me is being able to shape the culture and future of a company even as an IC. Forgive me for the observation but it seems to me you've put big name companies on a pedestal as though they are objectively better jobs and maybe…

I'm open to entertaining any company really, but ultimately the question it boils down to is: "Is the new job/company good enough that I'd jump ship from my current job?" Not just pay of course, although I'd be lying if it wasn't a factor at all. I'd be willing to jump ship for the same (or even less) pay if other characteristics of the new company made it worthwhile.

I'm very curious what characteristics you place value on then, if you're placing FAANG companies at or near the top of the list. My impression has always been that they would be pretty shitty to work for.

Re: All my career rejections

#34

Post by decafninja »

simmanian wrote: post #23
decafninja wrote: post #13

Just got off a FB phone screen which I think I failed. Only got through one question, and even that required assistance from the interviewer. My understanding is that if you don't finish two problems, you're doomed. Spent the past week basically taking time off from work to do leetcode problems nonstop. Too bad it didn't help. Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen l…

>Needless to say, I feel horrible. Is there a reason you want to get into those companies so badly? I personally don't practice leetcode, because my ROI on those types of problems is not really great, and I'd rather do things that I find to be more interesting with the time. This does mean that, when I interview, sometimes interviewers treat me like a child for not being able to reach optimal solutions for problems t…

I mentioned this in another reply too, but the ultimate question is whether or not a particular new job/company is worth jumping ship from my current job.

I'd say little doubt, any of those aforementioned companies would be a "yes". I'm open minded about other companies - but again, it all boils down to that question. For Credit Karma and WeWork, where I did get offers, after interviewing there, the answer to that question I arrived at was "maybe" for the former (compensation was very lowballed), and "no" to the latter (weird culty vibes).

Re: All my career rejections

#35

Post by [deleted] »

Graffur wrote: post #31
decafninja wrote: post #13

Just got off a FB phone screen which I think I failed. Only got through one question, and even that required assistance from the interviewer. My understanding is that if you don't finish two problems, you're doomed. Spent the past week basically taking time off from work to do leetcode problems nonstop. Too bad it didn't help. Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen l…

What is amazing about how difficult these interviews are is that these companies (not including Netflix) put out bad products. Amazon Fire - terrible hardware, terrible software, Microsoft Windows ME, Windows Vista, Windows 8/8.1, etc etc

[deleted]

Re: All my career rejections

#36

Post by cweill »

plank_time wrote: post #12

I’ve been rejected 5 times from Google. And yet every year like clockwork they email me again asking to interview. At this point I just say yes every couple of years and try again because why not. I think I do well enough to deserve a call-back but never good enough to get hired (I made it to the hiring committee though).

I got rejected twice, and got an offer on my third try over the course of 3 years. If it's something your really want, don't give up. Also see the "interview anti-loop" http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2008/03/get-that-job-at-goog...

Re: All my career rejections

#37

Post by vjeux »

decafninja wrote: post #13

Just got off a FB phone screen which I think I failed. Only got through one question, and even that required assistance from the interviewer. My understanding is that if you don't finish two problems, you're doomed. Spent the past week basically taking time off from work to do leetcode problems nonstop. Too bad it didn't help. Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen l…

> Only got through one question, and even that required assistance from the interviewer. My understanding is that if you don't finish two problems, you're doomed.

Different loops and interviewers conduct interviews in different ways. There is no "one problem" rule.

Usually the questions are structured in layers where there's many follow-ups available. Based on the question, the interviewer, the loop, they can ask one problem or more. Unless you are the interviewer, it's not clear how far into the question you've been and what the expectations were. It is common to ask two questions though.

Context: I have 300+ interviews at Facebook and been active in the whole process.

Re: All my career rejections

#38

Post by sjg007 »

decafninja wrote: post #18
goatinaboat wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Third time failing at FB. First time failed the phone screen in 2018. Passed phone screen last year but bombed the onsite. And now failed the third time on the phone screen. Being rejected by Facebook in 2021 is probably a good thing

Truth is, I am not as enamored about the company as I was before, and that's what I tell myself, but it's still sour grapes syndrome. It would still be an astronomical step up for me careerwise. I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level.

Join the data team or the enterprise engineering side. Or join as a solution architect. Maybe there's a business unit that needs software engineers but can't get them the normal way. Your senior engineer skills will go a lot further there than competing in the general engineering pool.

I know these positions exist in all companies. Find the unseemly but necessary work and deliver. The current CEO of Google worked on Google Toolbar and turned that into Chrome.

You could even go the contractor route for 2 years and try to lever that into a full time role.

The other thing way would be to spend a year diligently leetcoding...

Re: All my career rejections

#39

Post by sjg007 »

bluefirebrand wrote: post #21
decafninja wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Truth is, I am not as enamored about the company as I was before, and that's what I tell myself, but it's still sour grapes syndrome. It would still be an astronomical step up for me careerwise. I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level.

> I would literally throw away my senior SWE status to join any of the aforementioned companies as a junior SWE level. Sorry to say it but if I was a hiring manager and saw someone with senior experience applying for junior positions that's a red flag to me and I would be thinking they probably have big confidence problems.

The big companies just level you. So apply as a senior or junior and they level you. It's about alignment to the group more than anything.

Re: All my career rejections

#40

Post by tmnstr85 »

a_brawling_boo wrote: post #25
daveslash wrote: post #8

I entered the professional workforce in the fall of 2008, as the recession was in full force. I had a college degree, but no experience or resume of which to speak - and frankly, didn't know very much outside of academia. I was lucky enough to land a job, but was laid off in fall of 2009. I was poor, sleeping on an air mattress, and in my early 20s, but determined to get a job as a software engineer, even if it meant…

That is so similar to what happened to me, only I had graduated December 2006. So I had 1.5 years until it went south and got laid off. Luckily I had acquired a condo in that time at the market peak, so I had a place to lay awake at night and worry about how I'd pay the mortgage.

This right here is the goods... only thing that would make this better is if it was a variable interest mortgage
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