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points by kayashaolu2 2 days ago | 0 comments

The heart of the coding interview is to get signal on a candidates’ ability to solve a problem without all of the inputs given to them, see how they and explain their thought process as they do it.

Because of AI, what it means to “not have all of the inputs” has changed as anyone can cut and paste a Leetcode problem to a chatbot and solve it.

I think we are going to iterate a bit to figure out a better signal than the typical coding interview. For junior engineers, I think coding questions will move towards MBA style problems when someone is given more of an open ended question with a codebase and you see what the candidate does without context to reduce the problem.

[–] toadi 2 days ago

I used to have a stack of books with references notes on my desk. The internet came and I could search and even stack-overflow improved this. Doing a whiteboard riddle from rote knowledge is something I always fail. That particular solution I maybe used it once or twice in my 30 years as SWE. Why would I remember this. I do remember where I can find the solution for it.

[–] blitzar 2 days ago

The heart of the coding interview is to get signal on a candidates’ willingness to join the cult.

[–] braj0 1 day ago

I dunno why you are getting downvoted for this. Enthusiasm to take orders is often valued far more then pure intellect. Have other people not made this observation or had this experience? Companies want good soldiers who follow orders not free-spirits.

[–] blitzar 1 day ago

Unwillingness to grind and memorise leetcode is a signal the candidate is not serious about getting the job ... in no way is it a signal of their coding ability