Counterpoint: If you find you're having to implement "the fundamentals" that often, maybe you aren't a good fit for an engineering position. Not every company

Counterpoint: If you find you're having to implement "the fundamentals" that often, maybe you aren't a good fit for an engineering position. Not every company wants someone who views every problem as a nail to hit with a CS[1-4]01 hammer. There are positions where novel applications of known algorithms are required for which no existing implementation exists and there are research positions for generating new algorithms. These positions together comprise a tiny fraction of intellectually challenging software development (and an even smaller fraction when your pejorative "CRUD" applications are considered). I'd guess outside of these two contexts and school the need to understand "the fundamentals" well enough to have them "deeply ingrained" is smaller still.