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> 3. Don't forget the basics - data structures, algorithms & distributed systems. Most companies asks for this. It may be a FAANG impostor syndrome but it's the

> 3. Don't forget the basics - data structures, algorithms & distributed systems. Most companies asks for this. It may be a FAANG impostor syndrome but it's there. I wish I had realized when I was younger how much of a red flag the FAANG interview processes are. They put you through hell to get the job, and if you get hired you waste most of your time wading through bullshit, and nobody ever uses any of that stuff they got quizzed on. Don't take a FAANG or Enterprise job unless you want to collect a paycheck while wading through bureaucracy. (they're not all like that, but enough of them are that I won't go back)

throwawaysea 5y ago
> nobody ever uses any of that stuff they got quizzed on I’ve seen many threads on HN debating this, and I wonder if this actually matters. Isn’t the point of a good interview process to separate good candidates from bad with a few false positives and false negatives as possible? My understanding is that the “basics” are an effective filter for people who can build fundamental levels of understanding and therefore adapt to different challenges easily.
- OJFord 5y ago
  The complaint as I understand it is that if it's just supposed to be harder/more academic 'FizzBuzz', then it ought not to be something that requires revision, cramming prior to the interview (probably sufficient in itself! So what's it testing?) because it's not memorable/derivable after years of doing something different or that's built on top of abstractions on top of abstractions on top of abstractions on top of the question. But I've never actually had an interview like it (or I have I didn't realise/object to it myself) and discussions about it tend not to be particularly concrete. For example in the spirit of 'harder/more academic FizzBuzz', I think 'given this data structure, write a function to transform it or others like it into one that looks like this' is perfectly reasonable, but say 'in big-O terms, what's the best an algorithm to invert a binary tree can be? Write it' is a bit unfair for a job writing CRUD apps.
- throwaway984393 5y ago
  It's a filter, but not a particularly effective one. It just shows a human can act like a robot and memorize/regurgitate information. It doesn't show dynamic problem-solving skills (nobody at a real job is pressured to solve a complex problem in 30 minutes on a whiteboard, and most people should be asking their teammates or researching to find the best answers), interpersonal skills, communication skills, or the specific skillset needed for a specific role. You have no idea how this person is going to adapt to those challenges just by showing you an example of a linked list. It's also possible that interview challenge questions are the only thing the candidate knows.
Gary_TheSnail_ 5y ago
I already severely dislike the interview process and I've only just started my entry-level, new grad job search, but there isn't much I can do to avoid it. I have also been looking into startups (ycombinator included) but haven't heard back yet, but I'm patient - it's a holiday break. I have been slowly developing a study plan for data structures and algorithms since it's been a while since a took a class on that and that makes up most of the interview process for new grads from what I hear from peers. If you have any advice or resources on that, I would greatly appreciate it as well. Thank you!
- throwaway984393 5y ago
  If you find a recruiter they will usually help you find ways to pass the interview. Most of them will send you to https://leetcode.com/ https://leetcode.com/ and https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/must-coding-questions-company-wise/ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/must-coding-questions-company-... You can also research a particular company's interview process and check their Glassdoor interview reviews. Here's some links to prepare for an Amazon interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMQOg9C2R08&list=PLaViNjvnjP8CScIwYs8Zr7mnabKjFBMlM&index=4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMQOg9C2R08&list=PLaViNjvnjP... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5noyXEv1o&list=PLaViNjvnjP8CScIwYs8Zr7mnabKjFBMlM&index=5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5noyXEv1o&list=PLaViNjvnjP... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzlUQCy84rQ&list=PLaViNjvnjP8CScIwYs8Zr7mnabKjFBMlM&index=6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzlUQCy84rQ&list=PLaViNjvnjP... https://dev.to/educative/top-10-object-oriented-design-interview-questions-19ld https://dev.to/educative/top-10-object-oriented-design-inter... If you're just starting out, and I'm looking to hire you, I'm looking for samples of your work. Contribute to open source projects and build your own projects. They don't have to be rocket science. Just show that you have a handle on the Software Development Life Cycle, that you can work with and contribute to teams of people, and try to incorporate all the professional software development practices into your project. After you do that with a "Hello World" app, you can show off your coding skills more, but a very simple example will do to start.
gaws 5y ago
> They put you through hell to get the job I'd gladly do this for long-term, stable employment that comes with an outstanding salary.

throwawaysea 5y ago

> nobody ever uses any of that stuff they got quizzed on I’ve seen many threads on HN debating this, and I wonder if this actually matters. Isn’t the point of a good interview process to separate good candidates from bad with a few false positives and false negatives as possible? My understanding is that the “basics” are an effective filter for people who can build fundamental levels of understanding and therefore adapt to different challenges easily.

OJFord 5y ago
The complaint as I understand it is that if it's just supposed to be harder/more academic 'FizzBuzz', then it ought not to be something that requires revision, cramming prior to the interview (probably sufficient in itself! So what's it testing?) because it's not memorable/derivable after years of doing something different or that's built on top of abstractions on top of abstractions on top of abstractions on top of the question. But I've never actually had an interview like it (or I have I didn't realise/object to it myself) and discussions about it tend not to be particularly concrete. For example in the spirit of 'harder/more academic FizzBuzz', I think 'given this data structure, write a function to transform it or others like it into one that looks like this' is perfectly reasonable, but say 'in big-O terms, what's the best an algorithm to invert a binary tree can be? Write it' is a bit unfair for a job writing CRUD apps.
throwaway984393 5y ago
It's a filter, but not a particularly effective one. It just shows a human can act like a robot and memorize/regurgitate information. It doesn't show dynamic problem-solving skills (nobody at a real job is pressured to solve a complex problem in 30 minutes on a whiteboard, and most people should be asking their teammates or researching to find the best answers), interpersonal skills, communication skills, or the specific skillset needed for a specific role. You have no idea how this person is going to adapt to those challenges just by showing you an example of a linked list. It's also possible that interview challenge questions are the only thing the candidate knows.

Gary_TheSnail_ 5y ago

I already severely dislike the interview process and I've only just started my entry-level, new grad job search, but there isn't much I can do to avoid it. I have also been looking into startups (ycombinator included) but haven't heard back yet, but I'm patient - it's a holiday break. I have been slowly developing a study plan for data structures and algorithms since it's been a while since a took a class on that and that makes up most of the interview process for new grads from what I hear from peers. If you have any advice or resources on that, I would greatly appreciate it as well. Thank you!

throwaway984393 5y ago
If you find a recruiter they will usually help you find ways to pass the interview. Most of them will send you to https://leetcode.com/ https://leetcode.com/ and https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/must-coding-questions-company-wise/ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/must-coding-questions-company-... You can also research a particular company's interview process and check their Glassdoor interview reviews. Here's some links to prepare for an Amazon interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMQOg9C2R08&list=PLaViNjvnjP8CScIwYs8Zr7mnabKjFBMlM&index=4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMQOg9C2R08&list=PLaViNjvnjP... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5noyXEv1o&list=PLaViNjvnjP8CScIwYs8Zr7mnabKjFBMlM&index=5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5noyXEv1o&list=PLaViNjvnjP... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzlUQCy84rQ&list=PLaViNjvnjP8CScIwYs8Zr7mnabKjFBMlM&index=6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzlUQCy84rQ&list=PLaViNjvnjP... https://dev.to/educative/top-10-object-oriented-design-interview-questions-19ld https://dev.to/educative/top-10-object-oriented-design-inter... If you're just starting out, and I'm looking to hire you, I'm looking for samples of your work. Contribute to open source projects and build your own projects. They don't have to be rocket science. Just show that you have a handle on the Software Development Life Cycle, that you can work with and contribute to teams of people, and try to incorporate all the professional software development practices into your project. After you do that with a "Hello World" app, you can show off your coding skills more, but a very simple example will do to start.

gaws 5y ago

> They put you through hell to get the job I'd gladly do this for long-term, stable employment that comes with an outstanding salary.