5 ms·

Algorithms interviews are IQ tests, the end.

• DeathArrow 7y ago
  This isn't necessarily a bad thing. But it's not only an IQ test: it also assesses how good is someone at solving problems. The individual shouldn't come with the perfect answer in a limited amount of time but show a good thinking process which put him on the right track to solve the problem. When doing coding someone can have to solve an issue which doesn't have an answer on stackoverflow, so having problem solving skills is valuable. Also, being good at algorithmics and data structures enable someone to come up with better solutions which might matter in a particular case. I think algorithmic questions are better than asking questions about random methods from a particular framework.
  • pdr2020 7y ago
    It also assesses how good someone is at preparing to solve specific kinds of problems. Which is fine. If you're naturally talented at whiteboarding, great. If not, but you've prepared months ahead of time, great also. If you're not naturally talented, and haven't prepared because of naivety or due to some principle, well, that's not exactly a great signal to an employer.
• oreally 7y ago
  More like Algorithms interviews are a way for software engineers to stroke their own ego, the end. If software engineers actually took the time to look at how intelligence is actually measured in fields outside their own, and how it relates to job performance, we'd have a lot less broken interviews.
• zerr 7y ago
  No, it's actually a quite opposite - trivia test from the field of Competitive Programming.