Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
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Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
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Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#2Who is this article aimed at?
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#3It is sad to see the huge divergence between skills required for coding interviews and the skills required to be a good software developer/engineer.
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#4Wikipedia has an excellent article on this under https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination.
Essentially, the system used to recruit candidates into the Imperial Chinese state bureaucracy was an-ever-more-elaborate progression of less- and less-relevant testing, and more- and more-gamable (and expensive) testing. If you thought getting quizzed about FizzBuzz was bad, imagine getting quizzed about Beowulf with the same degree of seriousness.
"Intense pressure to succeed meant that cheating and corruption were rampant, often outrunning strenuous attempts to prevent or defeat them."
"In the 19th century, critics blamed the imperial system, and in the process its examinations, for China's lack of technical knowledge and its defeat by foreign powers."
This doesn't amount to any huge revelation to many of us when we're seeking jobs, nor any comfort, really.
Maybe a little bit of solace that the coding interview you inexplicably failed, which had the trappings of a serious attempt to gauge your fit, but the actual behind-the-scenes decision-making progress involved the finesse you'd expect from a group of blindfolded monkeys throwing darts, will eventually pay a dividend for all the fat dumb and happy juggernauts in the bay. Amazon may be the Sears of the 21st century, but I strongly suspect it and its cohort will meet the same fate a century later and for the same reasons.
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#5Who is this article aimed at?
> Who is this article aimed at?
Presumably at anybody looking to 'crack' the coding interview. Obviously not all of it is going to be relevant for every role but I found some useful things in there. At the very least I think it offers a structured approach on which to model your own preparation.
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#6Wikipedia has an excellent article on this under https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_examination . Essentially, the system used to recruit candidates into the Imperial Chinese state bureaucracy was an-ever-more-elaborate progression of less- and less-relevant testing, and more- and more-gamable (and expensive) testing. If you thought getting quizzed about FizzBuzz was bad, imagine getting quizzed about Beowulf wit…
You've nailed the psychological and intellectual rot at the heart of the tech interviewing craze quite eloquently. Thank you.
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#7It is sad to see the huge divergence between skills required for coding interviews and the skills required to be a good software developer/engineer.
Yes, ironically the better / more experienced I have become as a developer the worse i have become at algorithmic style questions. Why? Because I never use that stuff on the job. I make an effort to avoid complex code by proper database and application design. The only times i have ever needed to implement a sort algorithm are for interviews.
When I design system, I don't do it in an interview time frame. I read the problem, and then go and do other stuff. Part of the design will become clearer to me a couple of days later, when I am cooking dinner or cycling to work - that stuff goes on in the background in my head. It's not an area where I find sharp focus useful, more a case of going through the many options at a slower pace is more useful.
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#8It is sad to see the huge divergence between skills required for coding interviews and the skills required to be a good software developer/engineer.
Apparently it's still the best indicator for hiring engineers on large scale. It's proven that there is a big correlation between performing good during an coding interview and performing good during your day-to-day job.
Ofc the coding interview is bad, but it's the best of all available (viable) options.
tbh: most people say it's bad because interviewers focus on the optimal solution or something like that. Most of the time that's incorrect as an interview is literally capturing: "Can the candidate solve a difficult problem and transfer his thoughts into code, while being a nice guy to work with"
disclaimer: I'm doing interviews for a faang company.
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#9It is sad to see the huge divergence between skills required for coding interviews and the skills required to be a good software developer/engineer.
Apparently it's still the best indicator for hiring engineers on large scale. It's proven that there is a big correlation between performing good during an coding interview and performing good during your day-to-day job. Ofc the coding interview is bad, but it's the best of all available (viable) options. tbh: most people say it's bad because interviewers focus on the optimal solution or something like that. Most of…
"It's proven that there is a big correlation between performing good during an coding interview and performing good during your day-to-day job"*
*citation needed
Re: Coding Interview Preparation Bootcamp
#10Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apparently it's still the best indicator for hiring engineers on large scale. It's proven that there is a big correlation between performing good during an coding interview and performing good during your day-to-day job. Ofc the coding interview is bad, but it's the best of all available (viable) options. tbh: most people say it's bad because interviewers focus on the optimal solution or something like that. Most of…
"It's proven that there is a big correlation between performing good during an coding interview and performing good during your day-to-day job"* *citation needed
Unfortunately it's internal.
All faang companies spend a lot of time and resources on hiring to make it more fair for everybody and to get signals faster. And nobody internally enjoys doing a lot of coding interviews - it's as frustrating for the interviewer as it is for the candidate.
If there would be an easier way then these companies would definitely use it. A candidate usually has 5-7 interviews (if he is not failing the phone screen), which is 5-7 engineers spending at least 1 hour for the interview + 1 hour for the feedback. I am having 2-5 interviews per week, which means I spend between 4 and 10 hours per week just on hiring. If we could reduce this number we would definitely do it, as it's costing a loooot of money.
To be fair: there is some innovation and traction in those areas, s.t. some candidate s do a coding project at home and then present their solution (to reduce the number of interviews).