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0 pointsatoav3y ago0 comments

I suck at those questions, and I hated those competitions. Yet I was the only one who would create things (hard- and software) in their spare time. I think some of these questions are insulting. Do you wanna get someone who solves actual realworld issues and interacts with real world challenges or what?

That being said I am easily the best/fastest programmer in my organization despite there being people who have 20 years more experience.

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Aeolos3y ago· 2 in thread

> Yet I was the only one who would create things (hard- and software) in their spare time.

I have found this to be a very good signal in the hiring process.

People who have technical side-projects (machining, 3d printing, electronics, game programming, open-source) tend to be really good at conceptualization, problem-solving, cost-benefit analysis, problem-solving, staying-power, which are critical elements to the success of a software project.

Trivia CS knowledge questions, such as the one presented here, have their place too: they test whether someone can think on their feet, which is not a bad skill to have. However, all things consider, who would you rather hire? - someone who can do an O-time analysis, but has not finished any real project? - someone who failed the O-time analysis, but has built something to the end?

I'd obviously prefer someone who can do both, but the person who has released an open-source project for their ultra-niche hobby (say, a sock knitting pattern designer, used by 5 very passionate individuals; or a climbing wall with LED lights showing you the path) gets my vote otherwise. They may not have come up with the trie solution, but what they've done is conceptualize, build and deliver something concrete to users.

Which means they have proven and refined the precise skills every software project needs.

the_af3y ago

> Trivia CS knowledge questions, such as the one presented here, have their place too: they test whether someone can think on their feet, which is not a bad skill to have.

Well, the author does mention a surprisingly high number of allegedly senior programmers fail at coming up with the simple brute-force solution. At this early stage in the challenge, this isn't "a trivia CS knowledge question", it's simply knowing how to code the simplest iteration over a string and knowing there is something called "a dictionary" which allows lookups! If you don't know this, what do you know?

andreareina3y ago

I've seen stats students fail to give the expectation value of a dice roll. No trick to it, just a regular unweighted d6. Interviews do weird things to people.

cultureswitch3y ago

A mix of hubris and disdain of theoretical pursuits.

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