4 ms·

Systems design questions are the only part of interviews that I actually like and find useful for evaluating actual knowledge - I mean, I think it’s harder to f

Systems design questions are the only part of interviews that I actually like and find useful for evaluating actual knowledge - I mean, I think it’s harder to fake it than memorizing a bunch of problems and their solutions on Leetcode.

danielgh7 4y ago
I feel like senior engineers are doing more system design and managing communication among team members than anything else
yen223 4y ago
I have the exact opposite view. It's a lot easier to fake systems designs interviews, since one doesn't have to produce a working system at the end.
- hamburglar 4y ago
  I'd argue that if you can't tell the difference between a good system design and a bad system design other than "see if it works," you shouldn't be in a position to be giving system design interviews. The idea isn't to get a working system, it's to see how the candidate approaches a system design. If it's a problem you know how to solve and you can't see problems with their approach, they're probably at least as good at it as you are.
- goodpoint 4y ago
  Producing a working system during a 1-hour interview is not a good measure of skill. That's not what interviews are for.
- random42_ 4y ago
  My experience is that you might be able to fake up to a certain point. After that, the interviewer can keep throwing curve balls and see how the candidate will approach those. Of course, it all depends on the problem given. I’ve seen system design questions that are way too abstract to be useful but the best ones I’ve been asked were very real life scenarios.
sharadov 4y ago
I have a better solution - ask a candidate to design a system that he helped design and present it. One of the places that I interviewed had me do it. Lot better than asking someone to design twitter or Netflix on the spot.
- pclmulqdq 4y ago
  This runs into big NDA issues. The candidate may also think that you are trying to mine them for knowledge.
  - ripvanwinkle 4y ago
    Yet this is common. I have been asked this twice at a FAANG and FAANG league company
  - sharadov 4y ago
    You can always obfuscate details that are sensitive, which I did.
- goodpoint 4y ago
  No. This gives a huge advantage to candidates that have been around something interesting or prepared a made up scenario in advance and are smooth talkers. It's ok to ask basic details about previous projects but then change the requirements and ask the candidate to update the design on the spot multiple times.

danielgh7 4y ago

I feel like senior engineers are doing more system design and managing communication among team members than anything else

yen223 4y ago

I have the exact opposite view. It's a lot easier to fake systems designs interviews, since one doesn't have to produce a working system at the end.

hamburglar 4y ago
I'd argue that if you can't tell the difference between a good system design and a bad system design other than "see if it works," you shouldn't be in a position to be giving system design interviews. The idea isn't to get a working system, it's to see how the candidate approaches a system design. If it's a problem you know how to solve and you can't see problems with their approach, they're probably at least as good at it as you are.
goodpoint 4y ago
Producing a working system during a 1-hour interview is not a good measure of skill. That's not what interviews are for.
random42_ 4y ago
My experience is that you might be able to fake up to a certain point. After that, the interviewer can keep throwing curve balls and see how the candidate will approach those. Of course, it all depends on the problem given. I’ve seen system design questions that are way too abstract to be useful but the best ones I’ve been asked were very real life scenarios.

sharadov 4y ago

I have a better solution - ask a candidate to design a system that he helped design and present it. One of the places that I interviewed had me do it. Lot better than asking someone to design twitter or Netflix on the spot.

pclmulqdq 4y ago
This runs into big NDA issues. The candidate may also think that you are trying to mine them for knowledge.
- ripvanwinkle 4y ago
  Yet this is common. I have been asked this twice at a FAANG and FAANG league company
- sharadov 4y ago
  You can always obfuscate details that are sensitive, which I did.
goodpoint 4y ago
No. This gives a huge advantage to candidates that have been around something interesting or prepared a made up scenario in advance and are smooth talkers. It's ok to ask basic details about previous projects but then change the requirements and ask the candidate to update the design on the spot multiple times.