4 ms·

This whole process seems a bit psychotic. Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer? Is "has mem

This whole process seems a bit psychotic. Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer? Is "has memorized some number of coding problems" really a test of engineering knowledge? I suppose it's appropriate that after all that work, the author wound up at Facebook, the most soulless company on the list.

belval 5y ago
> Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer He is explicitly optimizing for compensation so yes, he needs to nail the interviews. It's a bit of a "don't hate the player hate the game" situation. He does what is needed to achieve the objective. > Is "has memorized some number of coding problems" really a test of engineering knowledge? Absolutely not, but the blog post is not titled "On becoming a better software engineer".
- bruce343434 5y ago
  The interesting thing is that we collectively decide what the game is and isn't by how and what we play.
  - belval 5y ago
    Eh. That might be true in the abstract, but I am not even 30, I want to buy a house, live my life, etc... Sure I could just shun any place that requires me to do leetcode style coding interviews for the greater good, but at the end of the day the global impact will be minuscule, while the personal impact would be significant.
    - bruce343434 5y ago
      true, we can only impact those who hold the power over us if we all take action at the same time, i.e. go on strike.
tuckerpo 5y ago
> Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer? Frankly, yes. Just as the SATs and ACTs are IQ tests with a shitty veil on top, FAANG interviews are meant to be the same. Everyone knows interview prep has basically zero correlation to job duties in software engineering, but you have to play the game. > the author wound up at Facebook, the most soulless company on the list. Who cares? Searching for meaning through work is fruitless, unless you're at a company that actually really aligns with your values and what you hope to see in the world. Huge comp packages allow people to pursue meaning in life outside of their 9-5. It pays the bills, and allows for hobbies. I'd attempt to be a MotoGP racer if I had unlimited free time, but I don't - what I DO have, is a pretty nice white collar job that pays well and is somewhat mentally stimulating. The paycheck allows me to do things I'm actually passionate about otherwise.
- Nextgrid 5y ago
  > Searching for meaning through work is fruitless, unless you're at a company that actually really aligns with your values and what you hope to see in the world. IMO there's a difference between finding meaning for yourself and actively making the world a worse place. You can very well ignore the former while still making sure to not do the latter.
- sarchertech 5y ago
  > Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer? >Frankly, yes. Just as the SATs and ACTs are IQ tests with a shitty veil on top If you can prep for them they aren't really IQ tests.
  - solarmist 5y ago
    There isn’t an IQ test that’s been created that wouldn’t benefit from practice. That’s why the materials are so highly guarded for actual IQ tests. So technically true, but reality doesn’t have any true IQ tests either.
    - 5y ago
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
rsanek 5y ago
> cram It's interesting that this read to you as cramming. To me, the mention of the use of Anki (spaced repetition) as well as his approach to revisiting past questions he had trouble with suggested the opposite.

belval 5y ago

> Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer He is explicitly optimizing for compensation so yes, he needs to nail the interviews. It's a bit of a "don't hate the player hate the game" situation. He does what is needed to achieve the objective. > Is "has memorized some number of coding problems" really a test of engineering knowledge? Absolutely not, but the blog post is not titled "On becoming a better software engineer".

bruce343434 5y ago
The interesting thing is that we collectively decide what the game is and isn't by how and what we play.
- belval 5y ago
  Eh. That might be true in the abstract, but I am not even 30, I want to buy a house, live my life, etc... Sure I could just shun any place that requires me to do leetcode style coding interviews for the greater good, but at the end of the day the global impact will be minuscule, while the personal impact would be significant.
  - bruce343434 5y ago
    true, we can only impact those who hold the power over us if we all take action at the same time, i.e. go on strike.

tuckerpo 5y ago

> Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer? Frankly, yes. Just as the SATs and ACTs are IQ tests with a shitty veil on top, FAANG interviews are meant to be the same. Everyone knows interview prep has basically zero correlation to job duties in software engineering, but you have to play the game. > the author wound up at Facebook, the most soulless company on the list. Who cares? Searching for meaning through work is fruitless, unless you're at a company that actually really aligns with your values and what you hope to see in the world. Huge comp packages allow people to pursue meaning in life outside of their 9-5. It pays the bills, and allows for hobbies. I'd attempt to be a MotoGP racer if I had unlimited free time, but I don't - what I DO have, is a pretty nice white collar job that pays well and is somewhat mentally stimulating. The paycheck allows me to do things I'm actually passionate about otherwise.

Nextgrid 5y ago
> Searching for meaning through work is fruitless, unless you're at a company that actually really aligns with your values and what you hope to see in the world. IMO there's a difference between finding meaning for yourself and actively making the world a worse place. You can very well ignore the former while still making sure to not do the latter.
sarchertech 5y ago
> Is it really necessary to cram like you're taking the SATs again to get a good job as a software engineer? >Frankly, yes. Just as the SATs and ACTs are IQ tests with a shitty veil on top If you can prep for them they aren't really IQ tests.
- solarmist 5y ago
  There isn’t an IQ test that’s been created that wouldn’t benefit from practice. That’s why the materials are so highly guarded for actual IQ tests. So technically true, but reality doesn’t have any true IQ tests either.
  - 5y ago

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

rsanek 5y ago

> cram It's interesting that this read to you as cramming. To me, the mention of the use of Anki (spaced repetition) as well as his approach to revisiting past questions he had trouble with suggested the opposite.