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Places like google give you a guide on how to prepare. So it consists of stuff like algorithms and data structures. I do wonder sometimes how much it is tailore

by xt00 10y ago

Places like google give you a guide on how to prepare. So it consists of stuff like algorithms and data structures. I do wonder sometimes how much it is tailored to getting people who are fresh out of college rather than more experienced. My take is that you basically have to spend time preparing and studying so as to get past those types of questions then finally you talk one on one with the people you likely would work with and then it's smooth sailing for experienced people. But the entry bar can be pretty tough to get past with zero prep.

forgotpwtomain 10y ago
Why should skilled developers with extensive track-records in their field be forced to use their free time to cram for college-style exams? Other professions dealing with exact-sciences / engineering don't seem to have this problem..
- filoleg 10y ago
  While I agree with the sentiment, I wouldn't call it "college-style exams", to be honest. Colleges would be quite different if exams were conducted one-on-one, and instructor would have been willing to talk with you through the problem and cared more about your thought train and approach rather than the exact solution. In fact, I am pretty sure that if you just knew the correct solution and the answer to the coding interview and simply wrote it down silently on the whiteboard (which would be the best outcome on a college exam), you would be rejected instantaneously.
  - paulgb 10y ago
    I used to interview for Google, if a candidate knew an answer immediately I'd be impressed but I'd always have a harder variation in my back pocket. And if you write out the answer in silence, be prepared for a "tell me how it works" follow-up.
  - FLUX-YOU 10y ago
    >simply wrote it down silently on the whiteboard (which would be the best outcome on a college exam), you would be rejected instantaneously. No, jesus. Some people need to switch to a presentation mindset and out of a problem-solving mindset. This is completely normal in life. I'm starting to think most interviewers are terrible only for not having a decent amount of social interaction with strangers. Let's just admit it's 90% hazing ritual at this point so we can get on with putting up guides to get through it.
  - n4r9 10y ago
    Oral examinations used to be fairly common, back when the student/examiner ratio was low enough. There's a legend that the Cambridge "Tripos" examination gets its name from the tripod that candidates sat on during that examination: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripos#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripos#Etymology
- sdenton4 10y ago
  Mostly false. Other areas have professional exams, but they're generally industry standards instead of given by the hiring company. This is more efficient if you're a candidate, since you only need to take the test once. (Or more if you don't pass the first time.) My house mate just got a professional engineer's certificate after being at work in the field for about five years. Of course, if we had this in swe land, it would probably end up looking a lot like those silly certificate programs in soon-to-be-obsolete tech of yesteryear...
  - vinhboy 10y ago
    This is actually a brilliant idea. > soon-to-be-obsolete tech of yesteryear Not if it focuses on things like basic algos, and understanding basic data structure. Then it would be timeless. And if that makes employers more confident in my abilities, then I will gladly do that. Because it's a lot easier to study for a standard test than a bunch of different tech interview scenarios.
    - poikniok 10y ago
      We already have this, it is called a CS degree.
arielweisberg 10y ago
I agree. If you take the time to interview at Google or Facebook and you actually want the job it's 100% worth it to bone up on cracking the coding interview as well as the papers they have published about their systems. Cracking the coding interview is damn near encyclopedic and many interview question you are asked that have a "trick" to them will probably have something you can adapt from the book. You go in knowing most of the tricks and it's a huge edge.
lolc 10y ago
You probably didn't intend this, but your comment reads like you're trying to give advice to the author on how to pass the screening. The author explains how these initial mails set wrong expectations. They specifically mention having zero interest in learning the algorithmic skills tested for in the screening process. It's a dishonest approach and the response laid out in the article works just fine to weed out shady recruiters doing this.
pyb 10y ago
From what I see around me, there are only 2 ways to get hired by Google. Either you are a fresh CS graduate, or you need to take 2-3 months off for fulltime study.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

by xt00 10y ago

forgotpwtomain 10y ago

Why should skilled developers with extensive track-records in their field be forced to use their free time to cram for college-style exams? Other professions dealing with exact-sciences / engineering don't seem to have this problem..

filoleg 10y ago
While I agree with the sentiment, I wouldn't call it "college-style exams", to be honest. Colleges would be quite different if exams were conducted one-on-one, and instructor would have been willing to talk with you through the problem and cared more about your thought train and approach rather than the exact solution. In fact, I am pretty sure that if you just knew the correct solution and the answer to the coding interview and simply wrote it down silently on the whiteboard (which would be the best outcome on a college exam), you would be rejected instantaneously.
- paulgb 10y ago
  I used to interview for Google, if a candidate knew an answer immediately I'd be impressed but I'd always have a harder variation in my back pocket. And if you write out the answer in silence, be prepared for a "tell me how it works" follow-up.
- FLUX-YOU 10y ago
  >simply wrote it down silently on the whiteboard (which would be the best outcome on a college exam), you would be rejected instantaneously. No, jesus. Some people need to switch to a presentation mindset and out of a problem-solving mindset. This is completely normal in life. I'm starting to think most interviewers are terrible only for not having a decent amount of social interaction with strangers. Let's just admit it's 90% hazing ritual at this point so we can get on with putting up guides to get through it.
- n4r9 10y ago
  Oral examinations used to be fairly common, back when the student/examiner ratio was low enough. There's a legend that the Cambridge "Tripos" examination gets its name from the tripod that candidates sat on during that examination: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripos#Etymology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripos#Etymology
sdenton4 10y ago
Mostly false. Other areas have professional exams, but they're generally industry standards instead of given by the hiring company. This is more efficient if you're a candidate, since you only need to take the test once. (Or more if you don't pass the first time.) My house mate just got a professional engineer's certificate after being at work in the field for about five years. Of course, if we had this in swe land, it would probably end up looking a lot like those silly certificate programs in soon-to-be-obsolete tech of yesteryear...
- vinhboy 10y ago
  This is actually a brilliant idea. > soon-to-be-obsolete tech of yesteryear Not if it focuses on things like basic algos, and understanding basic data structure. Then it would be timeless. And if that makes employers more confident in my abilities, then I will gladly do that. Because it's a lot easier to study for a standard test than a bunch of different tech interview scenarios.
  - poikniok 10y ago
    We already have this, it is called a CS degree.

arielweisberg 10y ago

I agree. If you take the time to interview at Google or Facebook and you actually want the job it's 100% worth it to bone up on cracking the coding interview as well as the papers they have published about their systems. Cracking the coding interview is damn near encyclopedic and many interview question you are asked that have a "trick" to them will probably have something you can adapt from the book. You go in knowing most of the tricks and it's a huge edge.

lolc 10y ago

You probably didn't intend this, but your comment reads like you're trying to give advice to the author on how to pass the screening. The author explains how these initial mails set wrong expectations. They specifically mention having zero interest in learning the algorithmic skills tested for in the screening process. It's a dishonest approach and the response laid out in the article works just fine to weed out shady recruiters doing this.

pyb 10y ago

From what I see around me, there are only 2 ways to get hired by Google. Either you are a fresh CS graduate, or you need to take 2-3 months off for fulltime study.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]