4 ms·
I kind of agree, in that a good candidate should probably already be thinking "what data structure should I use here" no matter what the problem is. Just always
by asxd 5y ago
I kind of agree, in that a good candidate should probably already be thinking "what data structure should I use here" no matter what the problem is. Just always think about what data structure to use. Every problem requires one.
More in the vein of what you're getting at though, I think helping a nervous candidate by asking obvious questions like this can be helpful: "What data structure would you recommend using for this problem?", or "What programming paradigm do you think would fit this problem best?". It's a bit of an ice breaker, and can lead to more interesting conversation than the candidate just sitting there, quietly thinking (admittedly, possibly not a good sign for a candidate if they do this, but interviews should be built around making it a good experience for the candidate as well).
- travisjungroth 5y agoI have completely the opposite opinion of your second paragraph. I’m fine with candidates quietly thinking in an interview. It’s a big part of the job. I’m not optimizing for interesting, but for signal. And dropping the signal of “can get themselves going with structured thinking” is not worth it to make it a better experience for the candidate in that moment. I’m okay with a candidate feeling uncomfortable while they’re failing an interview. If anything, I think it’s better than the standard which is to give hints, act like everything is great and then thumbs down them later. Makes people so confused. There’s also a whole thing about who gets hints fastest, confirming biases. But that’s another giant thread.