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Discussion on: You're not worth hiring unless...

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derekanderson profile image
Derek Anderson

WHY?

Isn't it more important to listen to their approach to solving the problem? You clearly can't expect any candidate to "everything" you know.

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andrewbrown profile image
Andrew Brown 🇨🇦

I will come to the correct solution but if the process to the conclusion is not the same as the interviewer then it's invalid. I remember I had an algorithm challenge which I think was a multidimensional array where you had to count the occurrences of 1s scanning the rows and the scanning the columns.

The senior interviewer kept interrupting me because they thought I was down the wrong path and we're trying to lead me to the solution thinking like a comp-sci.

Their production server during the interview had was down and the senior interview left and and I was able to continue down my own process where the junior interview did not interrupt and I solved the problem with a lower space complexity than what they were expecting.

I tend to break down problems to their smallest components and then assemble the answer. To me its like cleaning your desk before getting to work. So it appears I'm doing busy work or refactoring instead of just working with what's there.