How many golf balls fit in a school bus, and handling ”brain teaser” questions

Do I tell recruiters that I’m waiting to hear back from other companies?: An anonymous question came in asking whether the person should tell other recruiters that they're waiting for responses from other companies. I like transparency in communication, but how much you share is a personal preference. I was always willing to b... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

7 min listen

I graduated from a bootcamp a year ago and can’t find a job. What am I doing wrong?: An anonymous question came in Twitch Chat outlining a long list of programming languages and technologies they learned at a code school / bootcamp, and have not been able to find a job in the year since they graduated. I asked for more context in chat, a... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

17 min listen

I cancelled an interview and the recruiter sent me a rude response. Should I do anything?: A question that I was requested to answer on Quora mentioned that they cancelled an interview and got a very rude response from the recruiter. This is highly unprofesional of them, and I suggest giving the company some feedback. Here are some ideas how t... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

6 min listen

How can we put a demo link on our resume for things like APIs, desktop/mobile/terminal apps, etc.?: Great question from our Discord community regarding my strong preference to having a demonstration link on your resume for project work. If you develop applications which are not browser-based, it's more difficult to let someone explore what you've built... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

5 min listen

Should I pursue a full-time dev job, or build a company around a full-stack app I wrote?: A user in Twitch chat asked my opinion on their employment situation. They're not currently paid to be a software developer, but built some software that makes the company more productive. They asked whether I thought they should turn that software into ... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

14 min listen

I don’t understand how to solve leetcode problems. Can I just fake it by memorizing answers?: We had an anonymous question come in on Discord from a person who is struggling to understand how to analyze leetcode problems to work out the algorithm type (the "pattern") and/or the data structure to use. They asked whether they can just memorize the ... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

7 min listen

How do I talk to my employer about getting a Master’s degree while working full-time?: A user on Twitch asked for advice about getting a Master's degree as a full-time program, while wanting to keep their full-time role at the company. Communicating the value that it will bring to them will be very important. --This episode came from a liv... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

8 min listen

What are my thoughts about roles like Data Analysis in the tech industry?: A live chat user on Twitch asked a great question about Data Analysis roles and what I thought of the role. I can't recall the NPR story I listened to a few years ago recarding data analysis and "letting the data tell the story", but I believe it was abo... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

4 min listen

What do I think about companies who give personality tests as part of their interview process?: A question from Twitch chat came in asking my thoughts on why a company would be asking interview candidates to submit a personality test as part of their interview process. While it feels "clinical" to score an applicant based on personality assessments... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

6 min listen

How have tech companies adjusted their interview questions over time?: We had more conversation about the kinds of questions that companies ask, and how other companies tend to (not not always) follow the major tech firms like FAANG companies, often copying their interview process. --This episode came from a live-stream eve... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

4 min listen

Another company asked for a take-home assignment. I’m tired of doing these, what can I do?: A student from Turing.edu asked my advice on how to handle a situation where they were asked to make yet another take-home assignment. The student was tired of making so many one-off projects that get discarded after the interview, and asked for my advic... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

8 min listen

Job interviews and assignments are time-consuming. Should we get paid for our time as candidates?: An anonymous question from Discord asked about whether tech industry candidates should be paid for their time to work on take-home assignments. Some companies will not entertain the idea, but there are some out there who could be convinced. If you are an... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

9 min listen

What kinds of projects should be on a tech industry resume?: Live question from a Twitch user, asking what kinds of projects I like to see on a tech resume. Everything you show on a resume should make it easy and clear what value you bring to my company, whether it's your skills, your background, or your project w... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

11 min listen

FLIP THE SCRIPT -- Try negotiating BEFORE you interview, instead of waiting for a job offer!: Wait, what?? Yes, you read that correctly -- you CAN (and should) start the negotiation process as early as possible in the interview stages with a company. You can negotiate things right off the top with the company recruiter to flip the script a little... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

7 min listen

Should a resume only be one page long in today’s tech industry?: Another Twitch streamer (https://twitch.tv/strager) asked in chat whether I'm strict on tech industry resumes being only one page. If I can find value in what you present, a second page CAN be okay, but the most eye-catching details need to be clear, con... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

7 min listen

Are there any software-related roles at FAANG companies with easier interview processes?: We had another question in Discord about whether I knew of any FAANG software development roles that were "easier" to get through the interviews than other kinds of roles. My thought is that any team who needs software developers would be using the same ... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

4 min listen

Can I add certificates on my resume for development? Are they worthwhile?: A question from live Twitch chat mentioned that they were getting a certificate from an online program and whether it would look good on a resume. My thought was that training is good, proving the VALUE of that training is better. --This episode came fro... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

10 min listen

Why do interviews ask about recursion etc when it’s not really used on the job that much?: We had an anonymous question logged in Discord asking why technical interviews keep asking about data structures and algorithms that are rarely used on the job. In my own 26-year career, I've only needed to implement recursion twice, and I made one "trie... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

10 min listen

I was asked a brain-teaser at a FAANG company. I thought they didn’t do that any more? by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

3 min listen

What are some online communities for entry-level developers to continue to learn and grow?: We had a long-time Twitch friend drop by and ask advice about where to find online communities that allow junior developers to thrive, such as Women Who Code, FreeCodeCamp, and meetups. --This episode came from a live-stream event. Drop by any time and a... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

9 min listen

How can I prepare best for interviews this fall for internship roles next summer?: A live Twitch chat question came in asking for advice on how to best prepare for interviews starting in a few months (fall of 2022) for summer internship placements in the summer of 2023. Preparation is key, but knowing what the company even expects when... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

14 min listen

How do you answer questions in the interview about your salary expectations?: A great question in Twitch chat asked about how to approach companies that ask you for your salary expectations early in the process. The common wisdom of "do not be the first one to say a number", but sometimes the pressure is on. Here are some ideas on... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

5 min listen

What are my thoughts on ”ageism” in the tech industry? Does it impact job hunt and hiring?: A great conversation in Twitch chat came up about asking my age, and whether being almost 50 impacted my job hunt and how I view age in the tech industry. I say it a lot, but if you can tell a good story, and show relevance to a company, and why you matt... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

4 min listen

Will wearing a mask affect my interviews if the company doesn’t strictly require them?: This is a very good question from our Discord community. This person is concerned about COVID-19 and other health-related issues, and was asking whether wearing a mask to an interview would have a negative effect on getting a job with a compay, if that c... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

5 min listen

What is the safest way to answer the question, ”Why did you leaveyour previous job?”: Another anonymous question from our Discord community asked how to "safely" answer a common behavioral question about why you left your previous job. Answering this in a "safe" way comes down to deflecting from the reasons you left and focusing more on w... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

6 min listen

I’ve been away from tech for 4 years. Should I apply for less-senior level roles?: A question from our live Twitch chat asked about getting back into the tech industry after an extended break of 4 years. Their worry is that some of their skills are no longer current, and they would have some learning curve to "get up to speed" on thing... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

15 min listen

I have 5yrs experience, but not good at DSA. How can I best prepare for FAANG interviews?: Anonymous question from our Discord community about having 5 years of work experience, but recognizing that they're not good at data structure and algorithm questions. They are seeking advice on how best to prepare for FAANG interviews. --This episode ca... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

9 min listen

How do you advance in your career as a developer? Is there more growth opportunity in management?: A fantastic question from Twitch chat about advbancement paths as a developer, and whether there is more growth opportunity if they switch to a management track. I draw a lot of parallels between the two tracks. --This episode came from a live-stream eve... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

10 min listen

STOP reading ”you must know these 100 things to be a REAL developer” lists -- they’re GARBAGE!: Leetcode is NOT the only thing to study for interview prep, and people need to stop reading lists that demand that you know "these 1,000 study topics/skills/technologies to be a REAL developer". Stop gaslighting/gatekeeping people! Go apply for the job. ... by The Tech Interview Guide Podcast

6 min listen

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How many golf balls fit in a school bus, and handling ”brain teaser” questions

How many golf balls fit in a school bus, and handling ”brain teaser” questions

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