What's even worse is when you have a different way to get the desired results and can defend runtimes but you're rudely interupted the second you deviate from t

What's even worse is when you have a different way to get the desired results and can defend runtimes but you're rudely interupted the second you deviate from the predecided best approach. If there was a brilliant kid with a unique approach to solving the problem he would certainly be excluded by these systems. Even worse, they say "don't worry we just want to see how you think" but I've been interupted multiple times during interviewes where the person presumes, without knowing what path I'm on, I'm on the wrong oath the literal second my answer deviates from the cracking the coding interview book. Then I'm asked to explain and I ask to just code and show it. This is even worse imho. So I have learned to literally not think outside of the box when I interview and give them the memorization of the cracking the coding interview equivalent in my preferred programming language. Trying to solve it your own way even if you have a good solution despite what they say is too risky the interviewer feels threatened by this new approach because they cannot follow you and are trained to rapidly rank you based on a very specific expectation. Even worse as a female I've learned to begin all my interviews by asking the interviewers to please...PLEASE not jump in and interrupt me to try to "help me out" I also have to provide a disclaimer that I'm about to think. If I'm silent for more than three seconds that's not thinking about how I want to approach the solution before I begin talking through my thought process it's interpreted as being completely lost. Ultimately then jumping in will count against me. I'm serious. Multiple interviews I'm terrified of being silent for more than two seconds but I've learned to literally instruct my interviewers to actually give me 3-10seconds to think before I speak and also please do not jump in with the answer. The only thing more infuriating is when they jump in and say exactly what I was about to do so when I code it they think I couldn't do it without their help. I have banned all interviewers from speaking or giving hints without my explicit permission before the interview. This is my preferred method and it has worked well. I've gotten through interviews for top tech companies twitter facebook etc etc and work for a top tech firm as a software developer from senior to Staff and I love my job but wow.... Some companies really concern me the kind of people they are filtering for these days. Regurgitating cracking the coding interview without a moment's delay is the only acceptable way now. I also agree with this guy. I was an engineer but not software for yrs and spent months practicing these tests to move into software and the moment I did I havnt used any of that since.