Google asking for preferred interviewing language c++ vs Java
Apr 21, 2021
19 Comments
I usually do algorithm problems with c++, very familiar with the algorithm stl. Problem is my coding style might be nitpicked because I haven’t use it professionally. Do I have to use smart pointers?
I also have the feelings that c++ interviewer tend to be competitive programmers..
Should I still choose it? I am proficient at Java too but it is so much more verbose that might slow me down.
Which one?
Or is it fine to mix and match in google interviews?
comments
Also don't overuse the STL, during coding you can ask if you can use STL function of write your own version. The answers will depend on the problem and on what the interviewer is looking for.
Big part of the job is to chose the right tools for the problem at hand. I see it as an orange flag when people chose c++ and java for the coding interview. They better nail it from start to end. If they chose an overcomplicated language and then forgot a ; and have a solution that doesn’t even compile, this is red flag.
Just my 2cents. I also saw hired who used c++. I just think it is harder.
I would agree with you that sometimes you get bad interviewers and you can’t help it - and an interviewer that fails you for missing a semicolon is a bad interviewer. But so is an interviewer who doesn’t judge you on your performance but instead makes preconceptions about you based on your language choice.
Interviewing in a language you aren’t strong in is a bad choice every time. If you get unlucky and get a bad interviewer who looks down on you for choosing a language they don’t like…you got unlucky and that’s unfortunate.
Learning a new language isn’t a bad thing, but you shouldn’t have to learn a new language just to interview especially if the job doesn’t actually entail using said language. Thinking otherwise is evidence that our process is failing us.