After practicing bunch of Leetcode questions (around 300), and looking at videos from hiring managers that claimed to work at FAANG, or even the example interview at FAANG itself. I am actually more confused, whether Leetcode is the thing that they are looking for or not. Here is what I observed:
- Some Leetcode questions require tricks/complex algorithm that you absolutely won't find in the span of 45 mins. If you do, either you are ultra genius, that able to find and modify a variation of Kadane's algorithm in 45 mins (even though it is a simple one), or you just have seen the question before and you just somewhat memorized it. Obviously the answer is the latter. In this case, what do actually FAANG companies really looking for? Is it the proof that a candidate has been finishing hundreds of questions?
- I've seen videos on interview example on Youtube, and they all present medium to easy Leetcode questions. The onsite interview at FAANG is mostly hard questions. So that means there are disconnect from how FAANG actually interviews and how these interview samples are conducted. And again, solving a hard question that you've never seen before optimally require way more than 45 mins, unless you've seen the question before, which goes back to no. 1
- Hiring managers or recruiters that gave advice. Saying stuff like "talk a lot, talk to the interviewer, interview is a 2 way street" and other feel-good self-help stuff that has nothing to do with the actual interview and don't help at all. Claimed that what the companies are looking are your thought process. Nope, lies. What companies are looking is whether you can solve this problem optimally in 45 mins. If you have thought process, speaking during the interview, etc, and you couldn't even finish the question in brute force, then you fail. If you able to finish the question with brute force, but not optimal, you also fail.
- Experienced senior engineers that definitely rusty on Leetcode and just did basic DS&A brushup and definitely couldn't pass Leetcode hard, got offered with TC way higher than these fresh grads.
So, I'm quite confused on what are the companies really looking for? I think I concluded that FAANG companies are indeed practicing what they say "eliminating false positives and have a really high false negatives". Therefore the whole interview Leetcode fiasco is just a number's game.
A few things:
- If you are senior engineers and have track record at other companies, then you don't need Leetcode to prove your worth. Since statistically, you are already worthy and can perform in your job.
- If you are not a senior engineer from other FAANG companies, then you just have to play the number's game. I.e, keep interviewing (and Leetcoding) until somehow the combination of your studies and the mood of the interviewer and the questions that come up during that interview day rolls in your favor.
- Some Leetcode questions require tricks/complex algorithm that you absolutely won't find in the span of 45 mins. If you do, either you are ultra genius, that able to find and modify a variation of Kadane's algorithm in 45 mins (even though it is a simple one), or you just have seen the question before and you just somewhat memorized it. Obviously the answer is the latter. In this case, what do actually FAANG companies really looking for? Is it the proof that a candidate has been finishing hundreds of questions?
- I've seen videos on interview example on Youtube, and they all present medium to easy Leetcode questions. The onsite interview at FAANG is mostly hard questions. So that means there are disconnect from how FAANG actually interviews and how these interview samples are conducted. And again, solving a hard question that you've never seen before optimally require way more than 45 mins, unless you've seen the question before, which goes back to no. 1
- Hiring managers or recruiters that gave advice. Saying stuff like "talk a lot, talk to the interviewer, interview is a 2 way street" and other feel-good self-help stuff that has nothing to do with the actual interview and don't help at all. Claimed that what the companies are looking are your thought process. Nope, lies. What companies are looking is whether you can solve this problem optimally in 45 mins. If you have thought process, speaking during the interview, etc, and you couldn't even finish the question in brute force, then you fail. If you able to finish the question with brute force, but not optimal, you also fail.
- Experienced senior engineers that definitely rusty on Leetcode and just did basic DS&A brushup and definitely couldn't pass Leetcode hard, got offered with TC way higher than these fresh grads.
So, I'm quite confused on what are the companies really looking for? I think I concluded that FAANG companies are indeed practicing what they say "eliminating false positives and have a really high false negatives". Therefore the whole interview Leetcode fiasco is just a number's game.
A few things:
- If you are senior engineers and have track record at other companies, then you don't need Leetcode to prove your worth. Since statistically, you are already worthy and can perform in your job.
- If you are not a senior engineer from other FAANG companies, then you just have to play the number's game. I.e, keep interviewing (and Leetcoding) until somehow the combination of your studies and the mood of the interviewer and the questions that come up during that interview day rolls in your favor.