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0 pointsshantly6y ago0 comments

>> because you can't invert a binary tree in 20 secs in leetcode

> It's a simple recursion. why wouldn't I be able to do it? I fully expect to solve algorithms & data structures questions into my 60s faster than the average 20yo can (because of my background. Point is, it doesn't correlate with age, if you can't do it at 40 you probably weren't great at it at 20).

My main problem is that I look like an idiot while writing code. I pointy-clicky navigate too much for many's taste—doubly so when someone's watching because I start second-guessing every keystroke and so avoid keyboard navigation—and tend not to remember much about languages I haven't written a ton of within the last 48hrs, and even then if it's some feature or function I haven't used in a couple weeks I'll either look it up or poke and prod my way to the correct syntax ("it's either this way or that way... OK, red squigglies, must be that way" or "I think null can just be used as falsy but undefined is gonna throw in this language? Yep, there it is, cool, I'll guard it then" or I'll not be 100% sure about the order of arguments for a "map" function even if I used it ten times yesterday and I'll look at the IDE's hint to get it right, stuff like that). I'm much better at the "what" and "why" than the "how", without support from tools and the freedom to faff about a bit, unselfconsciously.

All that's even worse on a whiteboard, of course. If someone bet me $100 I couldn't write a solution to fizzbuzz on a whiteboard in any language of my choice, that'd compile if input verbatim, without looking up some stuff in the couple minutes before doing it, I would not take that bet. There's a decent chance I'd manage, but I quite literally would not bet on it.

I mean I've been (technically) designing & shipping software for pay for a long time and everyone's always told me I'm pretty friggin' good at it. I've often been the go-to guy for weird crap and "hard" problems. But I look like a total dipshit who doesn't know anything and probably wrote my first "hello world" last week, if you watch me do it in interview conditions. I pretty much only have a career in software at all because not every place does those.

0 comments

virgilp6y ago

I never would claim that your algorithmic skills define you as a professional - on the contrary with age I got worse at contest-style coding while getting generally better (I believe) at the trade. It's just that my experience is that the companies would generally require pretty basic stuff.

On your points,it sounds more like bad interviews if they're about syntax, not about the logic.

throwaway873786y ago

It sounds like you are making a lot of rationalizations for not investing the time to practice live-coding and whiteboarding. Those are skills that can be learned, like any other.

shantlyOP6y ago

Sure, and I am training those. It's just tough to keep up with when you're happily employed, since you're spending 40+ hours a week working but not doing those things. The longer you're happily employed somewhere the harder it is to keep up with that stuff. People skills? Talking about your work? Plenty of that on the job unless you go out of your way to avoid it. You'll naturally accumulate knowledge, tricks, stories, successes to talk about. Bumps and bruises, too. Algo interview stuff and whiteboard coding? That's purely extra time training on evenings and weekends.

OTOH I'm already near the top of my earning potential as an IC in my area (and for most remote work that doesn't require some prior connection with FAANG & co or excellent skills at algo interviews) so I'm looking to move to roles that don't require that particular kind of prep and are higher-paid besides, tending to be more about concepts, people, and communication (architect, manager, that sort of thing). So I've done just fine working (and interviewing) the way I do, and hopefully the sorts of interviews I'm bad at won't be relevant to me a job or two from now, anyway.

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