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The good news is that indeed many companies nowadays would show interest based solely on a GitHub project. But you do need the ability to finish things off. Th

by Peteris 14y ago

The good news is that indeed many companies nowadays would show interest based solely on a GitHub project. But you do need the ability to finish things off. The truth is that many of the bigger coms out there have multiple requirements, and will care more about your degree, problem solving ability and familiarity with formal computer science. Perhaps because they get so many applicants, they need to rely on metrics at some stage to cut down the bulk. Even so, these things are worth knowing anyways and, speaking from experience, you can pick them up comfortably outside of a CS degree.

brewerhimself 14y ago
I am planning on picking up a copy of The Algorithm Design Manual soon. Unfortunately, my local library doesn't stock it so I'll have to fork over the cash, but it's worth it.
- Peteris 14y ago
  Haven't read that one myself, I learned mostly from Introduction to Algorithms and online tutorials. I would suggest having a go at TopCoder problems. It's a bit of a pain to set up, but once you have, there are practice rooms with problems from past contests. Written up solutions are available too. It helps you learn to design algorithms for unseen problems, which is ultimately what we're after. There are a lot of essential small tricks and methods that these problems contain and algorithm books don't get to cover at all. Also, competing is a good idea. It helps you evaluate yourself and there's more motivation to do well. Having a rating of 1500, say, would place you in a good position to crack even the most competitive phone interviews. I did TopCoder for a few years in high school, and now I can confidently and quickly get most of the algorithmic questions that companies ask. It takes a while to get there, but it's worth it.
  - brewerhimself 14y ago
    I will get CLRS eventually, but I think I want something a bit softer to get started with. The Algorithm Design Manual has a lot of little anecdotes thrown in that I think will be fun to read. :P I've heard of TopCoder before, but I never bothered to give it much attention. I'll give it a shot though! Cheers.
- deleted 14y ago
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by Peteris 14y ago

brewerhimself 14y ago

I am planning on picking up a copy of The Algorithm Design Manual soon. Unfortunately, my local library doesn't stock it so I'll have to fork over the cash, but it's worth it.

Peteris 14y ago
Haven't read that one myself, I learned mostly from Introduction to Algorithms and online tutorials. I would suggest having a go at TopCoder problems. It's a bit of a pain to set up, but once you have, there are practice rooms with problems from past contests. Written up solutions are available too. It helps you learn to design algorithms for unseen problems, which is ultimately what we're after. There are a lot of essential small tricks and methods that these problems contain and algorithm books don't get to cover at all. Also, competing is a good idea. It helps you evaluate yourself and there's more motivation to do well. Having a rating of 1500, say, would place you in a good position to crack even the most competitive phone interviews. I did TopCoder for a few years in high school, and now I can confidently and quickly get most of the algorithmic questions that companies ask. It takes a while to get there, but it's worth it.
- brewerhimself 14y ago
  I will get CLRS eventually, but I think I want something a bit softer to get started with. The Algorithm Design Manual has a lot of little anecdotes thrown in that I think will be fun to read. :P I've heard of TopCoder before, but I never bothered to give it much attention. I'll give it a shot though! Cheers.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]