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> Considering the normalization of spending hundreds of hours grinding LC questions and the industry built around whiteboard interview preparation, my (n=1) con

> Considering the normalization of spending hundreds of hours grinding LC questions and the industry built around whiteboard interview preparation, my (n=1) conclusion is that LC interviews is not about technical assessment at all. The “hundreds of hours” grinding LC is largely for juniors without experience. I don’t know any senior engineers who had to grind LeetCode like that for their FAANG interviews.

anonymoushn 4y ago
People frequently post here saying that they are senior and needed to do that or would need to do that.
- adamors 4y ago
  Yeah, there are multiple blog posts from senior engineers who took 1-2 months off to grind LC just to get into Google/Meta etc.
  - PragmaticPulp 4y ago
    > there are multiple blog posts from senior engineers who took 1-2 months off to grind LC just to get into Google/Meta etc. Don’t read too much into blog posts. This is engagement farming to capture search traffic and trending topics related to LeetCode. Taking months off to grind LeetCode all day isn’t common and doesn’t even make sense. LeetCode can be done on a lunch break. Even one problem per day in the evenings is more than enough for a senior to prep for an interview. Having done LeetCode, I’m not even sure how a senior could justify spending 2 months doing all of the problems full-time.
    - overrun11 4y ago
      I think people like to exaggerate the difficulty of these interviews to excuse themselves for not having one of these jobs. The lifestyle/compensation gap between top tier tech and everything else is enormous and it's a tough pill to swallow that the only thing keeping you out is some light studying every day for a few weeks/months.
    - Apocryphon 4y ago
      > Don’t read too much into blog posts. This is engagement farming to capture search traffic and trending topics related to LeetCode. If that's true, then it should be fairly simple to defect from this prisoner's dilemma- just publish articles saying, "I didn't have to take months off to grind LC, I completed it through light prep and you can too!" In the realm of blog self-help, simple advice, framed with this sort of counter-common wisdom contrarianism, can be as popular as the ones that follow trends. Often even more popular. But you don't really see articles like that. You do see some pro-LC articles from interviewers' points of view, but none saying, "It's actually easy! Here's three simple tips," despite the potential for search traffic capture.
    - occupant 4y ago
      > Don’t read too much into blog posts. "Trust me, not other people" says random person on the internet, providing no evidence to support their claim. > Having done LeetCode, I’m not even sure how a senior could justify spending 2 months doing all of the problems full-time. So not only are they lying, but if they aren't lying they are incompetent. Got it.
Nowado 4y ago
Assuming one needs to be a junior to become a senior that would be using the same filter twice.
bradlys 4y ago
Disagree. I’ve interviewed quite a few people who are prepping and are senior. Even for those who have been at FAANG before - it’s common to spend multiple months prepping nights and weekends. Taking a full two months off just to study is uncommon. But if you think just doing an hour a day is sufficient - you’re wrong. Most candidates (even senior ones) fail with that level of studying. I know because I’ve talked to dozens if not hundreds of people who have tried to get into FAANG with that level of study. It definitely takes more for the average person. Some people get lucky and spend maybe two weeks studying for a couple hours a day. But they’re lucky and shouldn’t be considered the norm. Also - LC and the whole process is very fungible. You can say they did well if you happen to like the candidate for some other reason and you can knock them down if you don’t like them either. I’ve seen it go both ways where terrible candidates get offers and amazing ones get rejected. Ultimately - LC is still only part of the interview. If you are really handsome and charming - you might get an offer even if you’re not very good at LC.
- metabagel 4y ago
  I knew someone who basically contributed nothing at my company and spent most of his days studying LC. He got an offer and left. I wonder if he is still playing the system or if they are getting any work out of him.
  - ghostbrainalpha 4y ago
    You knew Jeff too? I'm at the new company and I can confirm that's what he is still doing.

anonymoushn 4y ago

People frequently post here saying that they are senior and needed to do that or would need to do that.

adamors 4y ago
Yeah, there are multiple blog posts from senior engineers who took 1-2 months off to grind LC just to get into Google/Meta etc.
- PragmaticPulp 4y ago
  > there are multiple blog posts from senior engineers who took 1-2 months off to grind LC just to get into Google/Meta etc. Don’t read too much into blog posts. This is engagement farming to capture search traffic and trending topics related to LeetCode. Taking months off to grind LeetCode all day isn’t common and doesn’t even make sense. LeetCode can be done on a lunch break. Even one problem per day in the evenings is more than enough for a senior to prep for an interview. Having done LeetCode, I’m not even sure how a senior could justify spending 2 months doing all of the problems full-time.
  - overrun11 4y ago
    I think people like to exaggerate the difficulty of these interviews to excuse themselves for not having one of these jobs. The lifestyle/compensation gap between top tier tech and everything else is enormous and it's a tough pill to swallow that the only thing keeping you out is some light studying every day for a few weeks/months.
  - Apocryphon 4y ago
    > Don’t read too much into blog posts. This is engagement farming to capture search traffic and trending topics related to LeetCode. If that's true, then it should be fairly simple to defect from this prisoner's dilemma- just publish articles saying, "I didn't have to take months off to grind LC, I completed it through light prep and you can too!" In the realm of blog self-help, simple advice, framed with this sort of counter-common wisdom contrarianism, can be as popular as the ones that follow trends. Often even more popular. But you don't really see articles like that. You do see some pro-LC articles from interviewers' points of view, but none saying, "It's actually easy! Here's three simple tips," despite the potential for search traffic capture.
  - occupant 4y ago
    > Don’t read too much into blog posts. "Trust me, not other people" says random person on the internet, providing no evidence to support their claim. > Having done LeetCode, I’m not even sure how a senior could justify spending 2 months doing all of the problems full-time. So not only are they lying, but if they aren't lying they are incompetent. Got it.

Nowado 4y ago

Assuming one needs to be a junior to become a senior that would be using the same filter twice.

bradlys 4y ago

Disagree. I’ve interviewed quite a few people who are prepping and are senior. Even for those who have been at FAANG before - it’s common to spend multiple months prepping nights and weekends. Taking a full two months off just to study is uncommon. But if you think just doing an hour a day is sufficient - you’re wrong. Most candidates (even senior ones) fail with that level of studying. I know because I’ve talked to dozens if not hundreds of people who have tried to get into FAANG with that level of study. It definitely takes more for the average person. Some people get lucky and spend maybe two weeks studying for a couple hours a day. But they’re lucky and shouldn’t be considered the norm. Also - LC and the whole process is very fungible. You can say they did well if you happen to like the candidate for some other reason and you can knock them down if you don’t like them either. I’ve seen it go both ways where terrible candidates get offers and amazing ones get rejected. Ultimately - LC is still only part of the interview. If you are really handsome and charming - you might get an offer even if you’re not very good at LC.

metabagel 4y ago
I knew someone who basically contributed nothing at my company and spent most of his days studying LC. He got an offer and left. I wonder if he is still playing the system or if they are getting any work out of him.
- ghostbrainalpha 4y ago
  You knew Jeff too? I'm at the new company and I can confirm that's what he is still doing.