Ask HN: Should I cram in learning algos/data structures, just to get a job?

1 points by coralreef 10y ago ↗ HN

I'm an indie app developer and I mostly enjoy working on that end of the stack (UI, UX). I taught myself programming about 4 years ago, shipped millions of downloads, had an app acquired for a small sum, etc. I also finished a certificate program in Computer Programming at a local university, but it was light on applied algorithms and data structures (I learned about the ideas behind o-notation, binary trees, linked list, etc. but never actually solved any problems with them).

I've considered buying a book like "Cracking the coding interview" and studying it for a few months, just so I can potentially land a job. The idea of a coding interview terrifies me. Are my expectations realistic? Can you really learn enough to pass a technical interview with a few weeks of practicing puzzles?

2 comments

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sharemywin 10y ago ↗

I don't think it will hurt. 90% of any interview is confidence. Also, anything you put recently on your resume make sure you know it enough detail so you can answer syntax questions. My problem is I always "studied" for the last interview. Every job description is looking for something. So, they will ask you about your skills that match the ones they want. I know that sounds simple, but if you interview for all kinds of jobs and have a lot of experience spanning 10-15 years it can get difficult to explain it and answer tech questions on the code you did 8 years ago. If your an experienced developer in something it shouldn't be that hard to get a job in it. Also, look into "contracting" less HR BS. "Tell me a time you pee'd yourself in public and what did you do about it?"

thefastlane 10y ago ↗

"Should I cram in learning algos/data structures, just to get a job?"

that's a key aspect of landing a job these days at many companies.

"Can you really learn enough to pass a technical interview with a few weeks of practicing puzzles?"

my two cents: not necessarily. i'd suggest setting out to study algos/data structures directly, rather than just doing practice problems by themselves. pick up a book on algorithms (e.g. Sedgewick) or do an online course. you want to get to where you have an understanding of algorithms and data structures such that you can implement them from scratch from memory -- on a whiteboard. i think going through coding exercises will be more fruitful if that foundation is in place.