Acing Programming Interviews

Programming Interviews

• Software firms conduct programming interviews to hire proficient programmers.
• Coding skills are key for applicant identification
• Traditional interviews are ineffective at identifying applicants who can't code.
• Programming interviews effectively differentiate those who can code.
• Employers seek to distinguish the best programmers which makes a programming interview more difficult.
• Interviewers assess abilities by posing coding challenges and evaluating solution speed and accuracy.
• Limited interview time means that testing skills only partially reflects real-world development relevance.
• Interview challenges assess on-the-spot abilities without standard resources.
• Time constraints necessitate short solutions, often involving unusual tricks or obscure features.

Preparing for the Job Search

• Preparing oneself is crucial prior to starting a job search.
• One should seek jobs aligning with their interests and skills.
• Being a good coder alone is insufficient; market understanding and skill packaging are essential.

Self-Assessment

• Knowing the kind of programmer you are is crucial to finding the right job.
• Identify programmer type through self-reflection.
• There should be a self assessment to determine the things you do and don't like.

Application vs systems programmer

• Systems programmers maintain computer systems: frameworks, tools, compilers, drivers, servers.
• Application developers work on end-user pieces, interacting more with nontechnical individuals.

Coding User Interfaces

• User interface design, also known as UX or human-computer interaction (HCI), combines programming, graphic design, and psychology.
• User interface work is visible and vital in mobile app development.
• Mobile's constraints call for greater creativity and innovation in UI design.

Debugging and Testing

• Debugging others' code demands strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Debugging can be rewarding.
• Testing, also called quality assurance (QA), combines detail-orientedness and creative bug finding.

Architect vs Coder

• All coding jobs have design aspects, but some lean more into design.
• Software architect roles suit those who enjoy designing large-scale project structures.
• Architectural positions may reduce coding in favor of meetings and interactions.

Considering Programming Responsibilities

• Consider non-programming responsibilities.
• Some coders aim to become managers.
• Management roles require leadership and managing both technical and human aspects of software development.

Company Size Preferences

• Big companies offer job stability and career paths, but can be bureaucratic and rigid.
• Small companies may offer less pay, but early employees can have greater advancement and a more informal environment.

Market Awareness

• Market awareness constrains even the ideal job search.
• Understand the current job market.

Gaining Market Insights and Social networks

• A number of sources of information exist about the developer job market.
• Social networks are critical as LinkedIn/Facebook transform recruiting for all organizations.

Online job sites

• Online job sites are key: Dice (tech-specific), Indeed, and Monster (general)

Bookstores and professional development

• Professionally published books matters, assessing community interest in topics.
• Colleges create development courses.
• Colleges and universities try to keep abreast of what companies want and create career courses.

Outsourcing

• Outsourcing and offshoring are part of the technical employment.
• Outsourcing utilizes third-party services in another country.
• Offshoring happens when work is completed by a dedicated team in another country.

Avoiding Outsourcing

• Aim for jobs less vulnerable to outsourcing.
• Software development firms protect intellectual property.
• Work for firms develop intellectual property.
• Firms may outsource for cost reasons.
• Research company's behaviors.
• Work for an outsourcer surprisingly hires personnel in the United States.

Career Advancement

• Advance out of coding to design roles where good designers are less easily replaced.
• Gain domain-specific knowledge, which is expertise outside of programming.
• Pursue management to be less susceptible to outsourcing

Developing Marketable Skills

• To be competitive, acquire marketable skills to attract employers.
• Need to stand out to gain prospective employment.

Upgrading credentials

• Upgrading credentials by getting masters degrees at established companies can help you stand out.
• Take university courses or participate in coding contests.

Certifications, Side Projects, and Academics

• Programming certifications show limited value.
• Very few jobs seek programming certifications.
• Side projects expand skill sets through work outside primary focus.
• Open-source contributions are valuable.
• Good grades display competence.
• Good grade show competence in relevant courses.
• Keep learning through books and blog.
• Continuous learning can expand horizons and is highlightable in interviews.

Internships and Coding Competitions

• Internships give a huge advantage.
• Securing Internships help to secure post-graduate employment.
• Code contest sites like offer programming challenges.
• TopCoder
• HackerRank
• CodeWars
• Code contest sites that allow users to "face-off" allow you to gain rank you can put on resume.

Getting Things Done

• Hiring managers want developers who deliver.
• It is important to show skills and education on paper.
• Displayed knowledge cannot be a companies singular service.
• Recruiters seek a pattern of accomplishments.

Online Profile Management

• Recruiters assess online profiles for candidate quality, which is why it is important to manage the online presence.
• Recruiters use online profiles to find desirable candidates.
• Online Profiles consists of:
• Impressions made online can affect your like hood of hire.

Google Search Results

• Google search results is where employers will make their first impression of what kind of employee you will be.

LinkedIn profile

• LinkedIn is a free social network, that can help you put your education, skills and work experience online.
• Colleagues and customers can endorse you on the platform.

Github profile

• GitHub profile allows a employer to valuate your profile, and a good place to clean up profiles and reflect more impressive work.
• Remove or fix privacy settings for incomplete low ranking repositories.

Stack Overflow and other profiles

• Stack Overflow profile can also be valuated to see if you have made and mistakes or knowelgable statements.
• They valuate what you ask, how long do you take to ask questions, and so on.

Angel Investor sites and personal website

• Angel investor sites can be used to connect startups with potentials hires.
• AngelList is the big player in this category.
• Create a personal website to reflect programming skills and general attitude toward technology and tech companies.
• Tighten profle so that nothing unprofessional appears public.

Job Application Process

• Job applications specify the entire process of getting a job and all aspects of career fair, referrals, and more.

Connecting with Companies

• Companies can be connected through headhunters, asking friends and acquaintances and leveraging social networks.
• Identify mid-size companies in trades and local business.
• Can utilise Dice, AngelList, or alumni job posts.
• Use LinkedIn to gain a general idea about the company and its members.

Getting Referrals, Using Headhunters, and contacting directly

• Referrals from existing employees are the best way.
• Utilize social networks to identify potential job oppurtunities.
• Keep track of former cow-orkers.
• Headhunters help find candidates and assist job-seekers.
• They are paid when the applicant gets hired.

Being Discouraged

• Don't get dis-couraged if a job oppurtunity doesnt show up immediatley.
• Ask around for great recomandations.

Speaking to Companies Directly

• Companies can be contacted directly.
• Company websites will have some means of applying, and in the event that you don't see an application, see if there is an email adress available.
• Many jobs will get filtered by automated screeners who are looking for the right key workds.

Job Fairs and Technology Driven Sites

• Job fairs are an easy way to learn about a lot of companies.
• There are coding websites like TopCoder and HackerRank which help you gain a profile.

What happens When

• With enough skill and experience, the next step is to attend a screening interview and one site interview.
• These questions are used to help better evaluate.

Screening Interviews

• Screening interviews are normally done through the phone that lasts 15-60 minutes.
  • The employee should ask questions in a quite space, with a pen and computer.
• Often, this interview will occur with a company recruiter
• The employer is trying to ask if you will be willing to travel or relocate if nessesary.

More interviews

• Some companies will conduct another interview where they ask technical questions to see if you show up in the resume or are lacking key skills.
• If the feedback goes well with a screening interview, the recruitior will bring you into a week.

One Site interviews

• One Site interviews determine if offers will be extended.
• There must have a good understanding of computers/language
• The interviewers will normally consist of 3-6 people from 30 - 60 minutes. -It is important too arrive early, and turn off your phone.

One site Interviewers

• You will be greeted by the recruiter or hiring manager, and may even get to see where you will be working.
• Some may be engineers in the groups or other engineers chosen from the group.
• Interviewers get feed back on their choices.
• Each group will decide if you are to receive an offer.

One site lunch

• The company will take you out for lunch at a high end resterant.

Meeting the boss

• At the end of the day, you will meet the boss.
• When the boss spends a lot of time getting you to work for the company, its a good tell tale sign if the interview went well.

Interview Attire

• Traditionally most people get business attire.
• A lot of tech company make it casual, and the running joke is it must be a job interviewee.
• It is probably not good to work formal when everyone esle is not, or dress incausally when dress more formal.
• Dress appropriately for whatever you interviewing for.

Recruiter's role

• Recruiter's role consists of hiring from both humans and outside soruces.
• Hiring for travel or hiring assistance.
• Make the call back for compensation assistance.

Treating Recruiters with Respect

• Recruiters should be honored with great respect for being honorable
• Friendliness from a HR to close a deal.

Working with recruiters

• They try help sign with the company at lower rate.
• After getting on the job they want to get you at the lowest rate.
• They make the decisions after receiving offers the recruiters only help accept at the lowest rate.
• Recruiter is only there to sign as many users at the lowest pay.
• Manouvering help at a carrier path. - The interviewer will try to trick you to going to the best for their best choice.
  • Most of the time its in the recrutiers benefit.

To fight territorial recruiters.

• You must collect details from each individual interviews from interviews.
• Collect any important people.

offers and negotiation

To be completed with you will receive any signing bonus, salaries or other details.

• The recuiter may give you an offer that is not your first choice on the spot, which you must not agree to, spend at least a day on important decisions.

Recuiter preasures

• Recruiter often employs to a variety of the preasures.
• The time it takes, The bonus or other things.
• You can talk to your hiring managers.
• You will get more money if your about to be accepted during the before part of the job.

Acepting an offer

• Know for all the details before accepting the offer, and know the other parts to keep in touch.

About Offers

• All details may be important or more easy part of a business.
• This is why all information is helpful when it comes to your details.