Can solve the problems I’ve seen before but struggle to solve new ones. Should I start interviewing and hope for luck or practice more? 64 easy / 150 medium / 37 hard
How fast can you solve easy, medium and hard? You should budget for up to 1 easy and 1 hard or 2 mediums per interview, which means that you'll likely have to get quick enough to solve each easy in 10 minutes, each medium in 20, and each hard in 30.
I try LeetCode mock interviews. For FB they have 1 easy + 2 med, i usually finish in 30 min. But those problems I’ve seen before and know optimal solutions.
Hards which I never seen I can’t solve at all. Although Regex matching, Remove parentheses, Trapping Rain Water 3d, LRU etc I can solve within 10 min.
Depends on your target level of companies. In my opinion, if you can code up the solution to most new mediums in 25~30 mins, you are pretty much good to go anywhere (except maybe top tier fintech - they ask for more than just LC mediums). Of course, depends on luck a bit, but you will have a good chance at most companies.
LC says 'Integer to Roman numerals conversion' is medium while it's a pretty elaborate list of if-else conditions inside of a loop, aka Dynamic Programming? While 'Reverse Polish Notation' is also a medium but a lot quicker to solve in my opinion!! What if a candidate was unable to solve a LC medium in that time, but has good communication, asked the right clarifying questions, edge-cases, took an optimal solution approach from the start, specially on a white-board without an IDE, is it a no-hire situation?
Should have started long ago. You don't know if you are good until you interview. Start with tier 2 companies.
Damn what have interviews become...
I believe this is fair. You want big TC - play this poker game
That’s the thing, I’m not even aiming for FANG/unicorns or big money. I just want a decent job with decent pay. But even no name companies are putting candidates through the same process.
Based on technical interviews. You should be able to comfortably solve Leetcode hard questions. 3x per hour or gtfo + ghosted.
This sounds depressing
3x per hour is rookie numbers. You should be LCing that rate with one hand while HRing that rate with the other just for the right to speak.
Start interviwing. You never know where you lack unless you are in a real interview environment. Also if system design is applicable to you, do those as well. I am 120 LC count, but still take a lot of time to do Unseen Mediums Optimally. I can give Brute Force but the mediums require some optimality trick which we are required to either think/ should seen before Rn, i would advise you to redo all the problems again. I started forgetting most after 3 weeks if i dont revise them. You dont need to memorize, just need to have those small little tricks ingrained in your memory through spaced repitition
Yep a out of 250 solved I redid about 100. This is a good advice to everyone.
I must emphasize that you need to start doing practise rounds with say MSFT / AMAZON etc. They have a pretty good interview process and you get to learn a lot about your shortcomings. It doesnt necesarrily need to be coding, soft skills/communication matters as well. For me, after my MSft interview, i knew “strings” was the topic i need to strengthen myself on..so on and so forth..
Update?
Both. The best practice for interviews is real interviews.
Gotcha! What is the cool down period for Google btw?
1 yr (if you were close to an offer they'll bring you back for another on site interview in 10 mo).