4 ms·

It is gaming if some online class and/or few weeks of prep give you an edge.

coachdarek 7y ago
I don’t think it’s just a few weeks of gaming. Maybe if you do 60 hours a week. We’ve found that an average undergraduate or masters in CS or STEM field who just knows how to code basic Python will require ~250 hours of total work to become interview ready for FAANG. That’s a lot of time which is why I wouldn’t consider it gaming a system.
- dilyevsky 7y ago
  “An average” is not what google is after (at least officially).
  - coachdarek 7y ago
    "Average" is the starting point. After learning data structures algorithms and how to communicate, they are no longer an average candidate (by FAANG standards)
    - dilyevsky 7y ago
      I guess if you really think 250 hours is what separates average from faang level that answers it.
      - coachdarek 7y ago
        250 hours is a lot of time!
        quickthrower2 7y ago
        It’s not. It’s about 30 full time days. 6 weeks unpaid leave gets you there.
        coachdarek 7y ago
        I agree, that's actually how I prepared. Unfortunately, most don't have the luxury to dedicate 30 full-time days. Many that we work with our university students with courses or full-time employees. This is why the 250 hours if a pretty big barrier to entry.
        abj 7y ago
        Those 6 weeks where you're studying full-time unpaid seems like a lot of time to me. That's 250 hours that you can't spend on what is actually important in your life (maybe friends, family, relationships).
        coachdarek 7y ago
        Yeah it sucked, but when I was living at home with my parents I had to put those things aside.
        anongraddebt 7y ago
        I'm always impressed when I hear stories of quiet, but strong dedication to reach critical long-term goals. I have a friend that is in his late twenties and is now a partner for a boutique investment shop. About four years ago he made a commitment to pass the CFA 1 in nine months. Studied a little each day after work, and then studied more on the weekends. 180 hours total. Passed the CFA 1 without any fan fare. Hardly told a soul. Did the same for the CFA 2 the following year. Didn't tell any colleagues. No fan fare. Boss was pleasantly surprised when he listed the new qualification on the firm website. He does the exact same thing the following year for the CFA 3. His wife tells someone at the firm, and when he walks into work they throw a surprise celebration for this very impressive accomplishment (many people spend a decade reaching CFA 3). A couple months later the managing director moves to have the firm make him a partner. Easy decision. You had a junior analyst quietly dedicate themselves to substantially improving their skills. Now, while his salary is certainly quite impressive as a partner and for someone that young, the true freedom he has achieved is being given responsibility of a new order of magnitude to establish things he wants to establish in that world (internal values maybe, many new types of clients, new employees he can then bring up through the firm, etc.). Point is: good on you. You're a lesson for most of us.

I don’t think it’s just a few weeks of gaming. Maybe if you do 60 hours a week. We’ve found that an average undergraduate or masters in CS or STEM field who just knows how to code basic Python will require ~250 hours of total work to become interview ready for FAANG. That’s a lot of time which is why I wouldn’t consider it gaming a system.

dilyevsky 7y ago
“An average” is not what google is after (at least officially).
- coachdarek 7y ago
  "Average" is the starting point. After learning data structures algorithms and how to communicate, they are no longer an average candidate (by FAANG standards)
  - dilyevsky 7y ago
    I guess if you really think 250 hours is what separates average from faang level that answers it.
    - coachdarek 7y ago
      250 hours is a lot of time!
      - quickthrower2 7y ago
        It’s not. It’s about 30 full time days. 6 weeks unpaid leave gets you there.
        coachdarek 7y ago
        I agree, that's actually how I prepared. Unfortunately, most don't have the luxury to dedicate 30 full-time days. Many that we work with our university students with courses or full-time employees. This is why the 250 hours if a pretty big barrier to entry.
        abj 7y ago
        Those 6 weeks where you're studying full-time unpaid seems like a lot of time to me. That's 250 hours that you can't spend on what is actually important in your life (maybe friends, family, relationships).
        coachdarek 7y ago
        Yeah it sucked, but when I was living at home with my parents I had to put those things aside.
        anongraddebt 7y ago
        I'm always impressed when I hear stories of quiet, but strong dedication to reach critical long-term goals. I have a friend that is in his late twenties and is now a partner for a boutique investment shop. About four years ago he made a commitment to pass the CFA 1 in nine months. Studied a little each day after work, and then studied more on the weekends. 180 hours total. Passed the CFA 1 without any fan fare. Hardly told a soul. Did the same for the CFA 2 the following year. Didn't tell any colleagues. No fan fare. Boss was pleasantly surprised when he listed the new qualification on the firm website. He does the exact same thing the following year for the CFA 3. His wife tells someone at the firm, and when he walks into work they throw a surprise celebration for this very impressive accomplishment (many people spend a decade reaching CFA 3). A couple months later the managing director moves to have the firm make him a partner. Easy decision. You had a junior analyst quietly dedicate themselves to substantially improving their skills. Now, while his salary is certainly quite impressive as a partner and for someone that young, the true freedom he has achieved is being given responsibility of a new order of magnitude to establish things he wants to establish in that world (internal values maybe, many new types of clients, new employees he can then bring up through the firm, etc.). Point is: good on you. You're a lesson for most of us.