DEV Community: Stepan Naryshkov

4 Reasons That Make Me Hate Home Test Assignments

Stepan Naryshkov — Fri, 03 May 2024 12:51:22 +0000

I believe everyone has faced a home test assignment at least once. It can be either a good or a bad experience. In my case, I've completed about 10 or more, but only once did I receive constructive feedback that actually helped me understand what I needed to improve. Most often, I just got a standard reply:

Unfortunately, we are moving forward with another candidate.

When you’re job hunting, this doesn’t necessarily stop you, but it doesn’t help you improve either. So, let's delve into the four reasons that make me despise home test assignments.

1. No Feedback

Feedback is crucial. Every time I complete a home task, I wonder why companies expect us to invest hours or even days when they aren't willing to spend just 10 minutes on us. I'm not asking for detailed feedback, but a few pointers on why I was rejected would be more helpful than silence. In a role where I hired developers, I ensured every candidate received feedback. We found this approach beneficial, leading to many positive responses and creating a win-win situation.

2. Unclear Requirements

It's frustrating when a company gives a home task with minimal requirements to test creativity. This often leads to misunderstandings, like choosing the wrong framework or designing a UI that doesn’t align with expectations. Such ambiguity can result in hours wasted on deciding which library to use, only to find out later that the task was deemed too complicated.

3. Strict Deadlines

Companies often underestimate the time required for tasks. They might say it takes three hours, but the requirements suggest a full day’s work. Once, when I questioned this, I was told to stick to the three-hour limit, leading to a rushed job without tests or proper documentation. Feedback then criticized the lack of quality, which is unrealistic under such constraints.

4. Setting Up the Project from Scratch

Being asked to set up something like Webpack from scratch within a tight deadline is daunting. It once took me an hour just to configure Webpack, consuming a significant portion of the allotted time. I prefer when companies provide a boilerplate or allow the use of tools like Create React App, which streamline the setup process.

Final Thoughts
What are your likes and dislikes regarding home test assignments? I’d love to hear your experiences.

By the way, if you're interested in more insights, check out my YouTube channel focused on front-end development. You might find something useful!

Self-Introduction in Software Engineering Interviews

Stepan Naryshkov — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 09:00:00 +0000

👋 Hello, I'm Stepan, and I've been through my fair share of software engineering interviews. One question that almost always comes up is, "Tell me about yourself." 🤔 This guide aims to help you maximize this opportunity to impress your interviewer with the perfect self-introduction.

🎯 The Importance of First Impressions

First impressions are crucial. 👀 Your interviewer is not just assessing your skills but also gauging if you'd be a good fit for the team. 🤝 While you might have introduced yourself countless times in social settings, doing so in an interview requires a strategic approach. Your introduction should be a tailored narrative that aligns with the role and the company culture. 🏢

What to Include in Your Self-Introduction with HR

Name and Pronunciation:🗣 Start by saying your name and offer alternative pronunciations to make it easier for people from different backgrounds. For instance, if your name is Stepan, you could say it's pronounced like Stephan in the U.S. and Shtephan in Germany. This helps people say your name correctly.
Location:🌍 Mention where you're from. This information can be crucial for the company to know if relocation is needed.
Education:🎓 If you're a recent graduate, have a PhD, or any other noteworthy educational background, include it. However, if you don't have a degree related to the job, like a CS degree, you might choose to skip this part.
Experience:💼 Briefly talk about your years of experience and what your job role entails. Keep it short and to the point.
Reason for Applying:❤️ Explain why you're interested in the position and the company. This shows you've done your homework and are genuinely interested in the role.

This is my core template for self-introductions with HR. Any additional questions they have will likely come up during the conversation.

🤗 What to Include in Your Self-Introduction for a Behavioral Interview

Name:🗣 Start off just like you would in an HR interview by stating your name.
Education:🎓 Briefly mention your educational background, especially if it's directly related to the job.
Experience and Strengths:💪 Spend a good amount of time discussing your experience. Highlight your strong points that are relevant to the job. For example, if you're a great leader or an expert in accessibility, mention it. Be prepared to answer follow-up questions on these topics.
Core Values:🌱 While discussing your experience, weave in the core values that you adhere to, especially if they align with the company's values. For instance, if you're applying to Microsoft and one of their core values is "Respect," you could talk about how you respect your colleagues.
Research the Interviewer:🕵️‍♂️ If you know the name of your interviewer, do a quick online search. If they've written articles or have a notable online presence, mentioning that you've read and appreciated their work can be a good touch.

This should give your future manager a solid understanding of who you are and set the stage for a productive conversation in the next 30-60 minutes. 🙌

💻 What to Include in Your Self-Introduction for a Technical Interview

Name and Experience:🗣 Start by stating your name and giving a quick overview of your technical experience. Unlike in a managerial or behavioral interview, focus more on your technical skills here.
Be Brief and Check for Interest:⏳ Keep your introduction concise. It's a good idea to ask the interviewer if they'd like you to go into more detail. This ensures you have enough time left for the coding task, which is often the core of the technical interview.
Balance is Key:⚖️ While it's important to make a good impression with your self-introduction, remember that completing the technical task is crucial. A great self-introduction won't save you if you can't complete the task at hand.

By keeping these points in mind, you can provide a balanced self-introduction that leaves ample time for the technical challenges that follow. This approach can help reduce stress and set a positive tone for the rest of the interview.

📝 Summary
Mastering the art of self-introduction in interviews is crucial for making a lasting impression. This article provides a comprehensive guide on what to include in your self-introduction for different types of interviews: HR, Behavioral, and Technical. 📚

Tailoring your introduction to the specific interview type can set a positive tone and make you more memorable to interviewers. So, what are your go-to key aspects for self-introductions during interviews?🤷‍♂️

Javascript Singly Linked Lists: Where, When, And How

Stepan Naryshkov — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:00:41 +0000

👋 Every time I learn about Singly Linked Lists, I find myself thinking, "I've never used this before, and I have no idea where to use it." 🤔 If you've ever felt the same way, this post is for you!

What is a Singly Linked List? 🔗
Queue Implementation 🔄
Stack Implementation 📚
Undo Feature 🖋
Browser History 🌐

1. What is a Singly Linked List? 🔗

There's a ton of information out there about what a Singly Linked List is, but let me write it one more time for good measure!

📦 Node Structure 📦

A Singly Linked List is made up of elements known as nodes. Each node consists of two parts:

Data: The actual value or information.
Next: A reference to the next node in the list.

class Node {
  constructor(data) {
    this.data = data;
    this.next = null;
  }
}

📜 List Structure 📜

The list itself has two main pointers:

Head: Points to the first node in the list.
Tail: Points to the last node in the list.

class SinglyLinkedList {
  constructor() {
    this.head = null;
    this.tail = null;
  }

  append(data) {
    const newNode = new Node(data);
    if (!this.head) {
      this.head = newNode;
      this.tail = newNode;
      return;
    }
    this.tail.next = newNode;
    this.tail = newNode;
  }
}

Having a head and a tail allows for efficient operations, such as quick access to the first and last elements, and makes appending elements at the end an O(1) operation.

Here's a simple visualization to help you understand:

Now we are ready to discuss where to use it

2. Queue Implementation 🔄

What is a Queue?
A queue is a data structure that follows the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle. This means that the first element added to the queue will be the first one to be removed.

Why Use a Singly Linked List?
Using a Singly Linked List for a queue implementation allows for dynamic resizing and efficient use of memory. You can easily enqueue an element by appending it at the tail and dequeue an element by removing it from the head.

Example Scenario: Task Scheduling
In a multi-threaded environment, tasks can be scheduled based on their priority or order of arrival using a queue. A Singly Linked List can be particularly useful here due to its dynamic nature.

class Queue {
  constructor() {
    this.head = null;
    this.tail = null;
  }

  enqueue(data) {
    const newNode = new Node(data);
    if (!this.head) {
      this.head = newNode;
      this.tail = newNode;
      return;
    }
    this.tail.next = newNode;
    this.tail = newNode;
  }

  dequeue() {
    if (!this.head) return null;
    const temp = this.head;
    this.head = this.head.next;
    return temp.data;
  }
}

3. Stack Implementation 📚

What is a Stack?
A stack is a data structure that follows the Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle. The last element added is the first one to be removed.

Why Use a Singly Linked List?
Arrays are commonly used for stack implementations, but Singly Linked Lists offer dynamic resizing without manual intervention, better memory efficiency by allocating space only when needed, quicker element deletion with O(1) complexity, and no wasted space, unlike dynamic arrays that may double in size.

Example Scenario: Expression Evaluation
In algorithms that require expression evaluation or syntax parsing, a stack is often used. A Singly Linked List can be a good fit for such cases.

class Stack {
  constructor() {
    this.top = null;
  }

  push(data) {
    const newNode = new Node(data);
    newNode.next = this.top;
    this.top = newNode;
  }

  pop() {
    if (!this.top) return null;
    const temp = this.top;
    this.top = this.top.next;
    return temp.data;
  }
}

4. Undo Feature 🖋

What is an Undo Feature?
An undo feature allows users to revert their last action. This is common in text editors, drawing applications, and many other software.

Why Use a Singly Linked List?
Each node in the list can represent a state of the document or drawing. By traversing the list backward, you can easily implement an undo feature.

Example Scenario: Text Editor
In a text editor, each node could represent the text content at a given time. The undo feature would simply navigate back through the list to previous states.

class UndoList {
  constructor() {
    this.head = null;
  }

  addAction(action) {
    const newNode = new Node(action);
    newNode.next = this.head;
    this.head = newNode;
  }

  undo() {
    if (!this.head) return null;
    const temp = this.head;
    this.head = this.head.next;
    return temp.data;
  }
}

5. Browser History 🌐

What is Browser History?
Browser history is a record of web pages that you have visited in the past.

Why Use a Singly Linked List?
Each node in the list can represent a visited web page. The head can point to the most recently visited page, and the tail can point to the first page you visited in that session.

Example Scenario: Web Browser
In a web browser, you can use a Singly Linked List to implement the forward and backward navigation features efficiently.

class BrowserHistory {
  constructor() {
    this.current = null;
  }

  visitPage(url) {
    const newNode = new Node(url);
    newNode.next = this.current;
    this.current = newNode;
  }

  goBack() {
    if (!this.current) return null;
    const temp = this.current;
    this.current = this.current.next;
    return temp.data;
  }
}

I'd love to hear your thoughts! 💭 Have you ever implemented or used a Singly Linked List in your projects? 🛠️ What were your use cases? Share your experiences in the comments below. 🗨️ Your insights could be the gem 💎 someone else is looking for!

If you found this post insightful and want to dive deeper into the world of coding, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel: WebForDevs. 📺

AI-Powered Tools for Developers

Stepan Naryshkov — Mon, 20 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the way we write code. With the help of AI-powered tools, developers can write code more efficiently, reduce the number of errors, and improve the quality of their software. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the most popular AI-powered coding tools, including ChatGPT, Copilot, CodeGuru, TabNine, and IntelliCode.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an AI language model that can generate human-like responses to text prompts. Created by OpenAI in 2020, ChatGPT can be used for a range of applications, including chatbots, language translation, and content generation. While ChatGPT can generate natural-sounding responses and has a large knowledge base, users should be aware of the potential for bias and inappropriate content.
The largest version of ChatGPT, GPT-3, has 175 billion parameters, making it one of the largest language models in the world.

Copilot

Copilot, created by GitHub (Microsoft) in 2021, is an AI-powered code suggestion tool that provides contextually relevant code snippets based on the code you're writing. It can be used to save time and increase productivity when writing code. While Copilot can suggest code snippets quickly and accurately, users should be aware of the potential for insecure or inefficient code.
Copilot was trained on a dataset of over 10 million lines of code from open-source software repositories on GitHub.

CodeGuru

CodeGuru is an AI-powered code review tool created by Amazon Web Services. It uses machine learning to identify performance issues, security vulnerabilities, and other code quality issues in your codebase. It can also provide recommendations for improving your code. CodeGuru can help you improve the quality of your code and reduce the number of errors in your software.
CodeGuru's machine learning algorithms can analyze code up to 10 times faster than traditional rule-based approaches, allowing it to provide more accurate and timely feedback.

TabNine

TabNine, created by TabNine in 2019, is an AI-powered code completion tool that suggests code snippets based on the code you're writing. It can be used to save time and increase productivity when writing code. While TabNine can suggest code snippets quickly and accurately, users should be aware of the potential for irrelevant or incorrect code suggestions.
TabNine was initially released as a plugin for the Atom text editor in 2019.

IntelliCode

IntelliCode, created by Microsoft in 2018, is a code suggestion and completion tool that uses machine learning to provide contextually relevant suggestions based on the code you're writing. It can be trained on your own codebase to provide more accurate suggestions. While IntelliCode can suggest contextually relevant code snippets, users should be aware of the potential for insecure or inefficient code.
IntelliCode is available as a plugin for Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code.

In summary, AI-powered coding tools can help developers write code more efficiently and reduce the number of errors in their software. However, users should be aware of the potential for bias, inappropriate content, and insecure or inefficient code. As with any tool, it's important to use AI-powered coding tools responsibly and to supplement them with good coding practices and manual code review.

Don't overlook accessibility: Why it's crucial for website development

Stepan Naryshkov — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 18:12:55 +0000

Does my site need to be accessible?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 16% of the world's population, or over 1.3 billion people, live with some form of disability. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, among others.

When it comes to web accessibility specifically, it's important to note that not all people with disabilities have the same needs or use the internet in the same way. However, research suggests that people with disabilities are more likely to use the Internet than those without disabilities. According to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021. Some 62% of adults with a disability say they own a desktop or laptop computer, compared with 81% of those without a disability.

And when it comes to smartphone ownership, there is a gap of 16 percentage points between those with a disability and those without one (72% vs. 88%).

Now, we see that there are a lot of people worldwide with disability and I want to share several reasons why it is important to have an accessible website, including:

Legal compliance: In many countries, including the United States, it is a legal requirement to make websites and web applications accessible to people with disabilities. Not meeting these requirements can result in legal action and fines.
Inclusion: Making your website accessible means that people with disabilities can access your content and services, which is important for ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in society.
SEO: Accessible websites are also better optimized for search engines, as they are more likely to be accessible to users with different devices and browsers. But according to this article Google doesn’t monitor WCAG conformance, but might in the future.
User experience: Accessible websites provide a better user experience for everyone, not just people with disabilities. This includes features such as keyboard-only navigation, high-contrast versions of text and images, and clear and simple instructions.
Business benefits: An accessible website can increase your customer base and reach a wider audience, including people with disabilities.

By making the Internet accessible to everyone, we can ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to access information and participate in society.

How to start making a website accessible?

Conduct an accessibility audit: The first step to making a website accessible is to understand where it currently stands in terms of accessibility. You can conduct an accessibility audit using automated tools, manual testing, or both. This will help identify any accessibility issues and prioritize them for fixing.
Review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): WCAG is the international standard for web accessibility and it provides a set of guidelines and success criteria for making websites and web applications accessible. Reviewing the guidelines will give you an idea of the types of accessibility issues to look for and how to fix them.
Consider the user experience: When designing and developing your website, consider how people with disabilities will interact with it. This includes providing alternative text for images, ensuring that text can be resized without losing content, and providing closed captions for videos.
Test with assistive technology: As part of the development process, test your website with assistive technology such as screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and screen magnifiers to ensure that it is accessible to people with disabilities.

"Don't overlook accessibility" is an important reminder that website accessibility should not be ignored when developing a website. This is crucial because failure to make a website accessible can lead to legal compliance issues, exclusion of people with disabilities, poor user experience, loss of customers, negative impact on SEO, and loss of credibility. It's important to make accessibility a priority during the development process in order to ensure that everyone can access and use the website. Therefore, it's crucial for website development to not overlook accessibility and make it a key consideration in the development process.

Useful links

Tools:

Accessibility Insights - Tool to test accessibility from Microsoft (free)
Lighthouse - Accessibility Audits from Google (free)
WAVE - Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool from WebAIM (free)
aXe - The Standard in Accessibility Testing from deque (free)

Screen Readers:

JAWS® - The Worlds Most Popular Windows Screen Reader (not free)
NVDA - NVDA allows blind and vision impaired people to access and interact with the Windows operating system and many third party applications (free)
VoiceOver - VoiceOver from Apple
Narrator - Narrator is a screen reader in Microsoft Windows (free)

Checklists:

a11yproject - This checklist uses The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a reference point.
webaccessibilitychecklist - A checklist for creating accessible websites and web applications.
Web Accessibility Checklist - Web Accessibility Checklist, Deque University

Conclusion

Let's work together to make the Internet a more accessible place for everyone. By raising awareness and taking action, we can create a digital world where everyone has the opportunity to participate and thrive. So let's start today and make sure that accessibility is at the forefront of our minds as we design, build, and navigate the digital landscape. Together, we can create a more inclusive and equitable internet for all.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for your interest in the topic of accessibility. Your support and attention is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out. I hope that this post has been informative and helpful in raising awareness about the importance of accessibility. Thank you again for reading.