Interviewers asked me to implement atoi, which I did. Then they told me not to use the "string" class, claiming it is part of the "STL" library. In reality, the "string" class is not a part of the STL, contrary to their belief, but part of the "standard" library. Still, I accepted their suggestion and coded a low-level version of the solution as they asked. I made a few mistakes, as the IDE compilation and syntax highlighting didn't work, which prevented me from catching these errors during the interview. They then inquired about my previous work experience, which I described in broad terms. They didn't seem to understand or show interest in this area of computer science.

Overall, I felt that they had made their decision by the end of the interview. The entire experience was very boring, and it felt like nothing of significance happened. They didn't seem to know what to ask, nor did they possess skills in my area of expertise. They also couldn't describe any projects at Valve related to my area of expertise. By the end of the interview, I believe both parties were wholly unenthusiastic. I felt we actually wasted our time.

implement atoi conversation about past experience