Interviewing Q&A and Videos

I feel like I'm doing this wrong. When I want to see what jobs are available, I go on LinkedIn, hit the "jobs" tab, type in "frontend jobs", and scroll through the search results. But that's often unproductive because nothing looks enticing. I scroll past companies that I don't know (because I assume the pay or the benefits will be mediocre), past companies that I've heard negative things about (which is a lot of them), and then I'm left with no options at all. I wanted to work for a FAANG company, but after all the layoffs and hearing stories from my friends who have boring work and teams, constantly feel anxiety around their jobs, and feel like code monkeys, I am a bit turned off from applying to FAANG-type companies. I work for a well-known fintech company now but I don't have a good manager and the upcoming changes in upper management don't look promising. Plus, I've been here for 3+ years and I want to know how other companies operate, know more people, and just learn more within software engineering too. Here's what I'm looking for great team (a team I can learn lots from, I get along with, and have folks who care for me as a person). I've had this before so I know this is not an impossible ask innovative work great manager good health insurance/benefits (such as vacation) good work-life balance Location doesn't matter and I'm ok with a remote job too. One tactic I thought of was to look up "great places to work" and apply to companies from that list. But in general, how should I look for jobs and companies to apply to when I'm not targeting a specific company? Plus, is applying to FAANG level companies worth it for the resume boost and the experience? Appreciate any insight into this! Thanks!

I am currently seeking to transition into a career as a compiler engineer, a field I find deeply fascinating. The interdisciplinary nature of compiler engineering, bridging areas such as computer architecture and graph theory, intrigues me greatly. Additionally, the sector offers promising financial rewards, especially with companies like Meta, Nvidia, and AMD that are at the forefront of hardware accelerators experiencing significant growth. I am convinced this growth trajectory will continue, making this career path an ideal blend of intellectual fulfillment, professional growth, and competitive compensation. Due to recent layoffs, I find myself unemployed, and I am seizing this moment to pivot towards compiler engineering. However, I acknowledge that there is a steep learning curve to becoming an ideal candidate for such positions. The required skill set typically includes: Proficiency in C++ Experience with GPUs Knowledge of an Intermediate Representation Language (e.g., LLVM) Understanding of computer architecture Previously, I worked as a senior backend engineer, specializing in tool development using functional programming languages such as Scala and Ocaml. My experience spans across FAANG companies and two startups. To bridge the gap in my skill set, I have been actively contributing to open-source projects similar to LLVM and honing my C++ skills through consistent practice on Leetcode. Despite securing a few interviews for compiler engineering positions, I have not been successful, primarily due to difficulties with compiler-specific questions. I seek advice on the following: How can I enhance my chances of entering the compiler engineering field, especially without being part of a compiler project community or holding a position of authority within such a project? What strategies can I employ to prepare for and succeed in domain-specific interviews, considering my lack of prior experience in this area? Any guidance or insights from those who have navigated a similar path would be immensely appreciated.

Hello folks, I have an upcoming Staff ML Eng. interview with Meta. Could someone please suggest some good resources for behavioral preparation? I have finished the join taro course.

What would you recommend if you run into a problem where you do lay out a high-level implementation and approach, but once you're in the code writing phase, you either come up with new edge cases or possibilities and then end up second-guessing yourself and going down a rabbit hole? The same question can also be extended to mistakes. Given how competitive the market still is for software engineers, it feels like the margin for error is lower than ever. Before, you could be more collaborative with the interviewer, but nowadays, it feels more of a lone-wolf activity, and sometimes even adversarial based on the general pressure to find that unicorn engineer. This was a question I wanted to ask Edbert, but I had an obligation that took me away from his talk.

Heard a lot about Bar Raiser round during Amazon interviews but I also see some people posting it as an award. Would like to know more about this and the kind of mindset needed for it.

In applying for jobs, how do I strike the right balance between prepping for the few interviews that I have, while also trying to get more interviews? There is a temptation to go heavy prepping for the interviews I have with mocks and leetcode so that I can ace them. However, if I only prep for my 1 or 2 interviews, if I end up getting them, I won't have as much leverage as I would have by having 5+ offers like Rahul and others got. I know that that's the ideal. I know that there are unique circumstances for everyone in terms of how many interviews people can get from a bunch of applications based on where they are in their career and how well they've done. Still, I don't think I'm managing my time properly and I'm focusing too much on prep right now and don't have enough simultaneous interviews. Part of it is that I'm focusing too much on getting referrals rather than just applying, while part of it is that job apps are often more than just uploading a resume and submitting. Often, they want you to answer some questions about why you think you're a good fit for the role and what made you interested in the company and other such questions. Even if they don't ask these questions, the mere process of applying to multiple roles on the same site can take a few minutes of filling out the same checkboxes and text fields for each position. I feel like I should just sit down on a Sunday and pound through the ~80 Big Tech companies on my list, and then this will be a moot point. Prob the solution right there. Lastly, I know this is a terrible time to apply to Big Tech, so I know that is a factor in getting interviews.

I received offer from Bytedance where the HR asked if garden leave will be applied since I am working at their competitor (a FAANG company). I am keen to this contract as it is for a higher seniority and the job scope seems to be more impactful than what I am currently working in. I checked my employment contract and there seems to be no mention of garden leave or anything similar to . But at the same time, I am hesitant to confirm with HR at the risk of revealing my intent to leave before signing Bytedance contract. Any thoughts on moving jobs from FAANG companies to competitors? I am based in Singapore. But would like to get your perspective on this.

Hello, I am a recent graduate with a background in Software Engineering and Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. I have Amazon’s final virtual interviews, consisting of four rounds, in 10 days, and Google’s final virtual interviews, also comprising four rounds, scheduled for early November. Although I passed the online assessments for both companies, I am not at all confident in my upcoming interviews. I have realized that my Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) skills, as well as my proficiency in Leetcode, are quite very rusty. There have been times when I struggled to solve many of the Leetcode problems. I am currently using Neetcode to practice DSA and advanced algorithms, but I am feeling demotivated about tackling these coding problems and breaking into MAANG, despite having secured interview opportunities. I would greatly appreciate any advice on how I should approach my preparation if I were to start over from a beginner's perspective. For Amazon’s interview, I have been following a 1-to-0 approach rather than a 0-to-1 strategy—focusing on reviewing solutions, understanding problems, and recognizing patterns using Neetcode and Grokking the Coding Interview, rather than actively solving the questions. With only 10 days remaining, how can I enhance my performance under pressure and prevent freezing during Amazon's coding interviews? Additionally, how can I sustain this momentum for Google’s interview preparation? Thank you for your time and guidance.

I want to start practising for interviews as will be looking to move next year but do not want to leave my current role which is paying me well. My fear is that if I interview with a company just for the sake of practising and if I receive the offer, declining it will feel manipulative as I never intended to work there. How do I deal with this?

Hi, I recently got an offer for mid-level Software Engineer role from Meta, London. While I'm really excited about the opportunity, due to some personal reason, it's not possible for me to move to London and I'm preferring to work either remotely or any location from India. Is it possible to convince my hiring manager for working remotely? Would really appreciate some pointers on this.

I am asking this question on behalf of a friend who graduated with a major in Information Technology in 2020. He is not part of the Taro community, so I thought of putting this question to help him out as he is going through a tough time. He couldn't secure a job during campus placements. Due to COVID-19, he lost about 1-1.5 years. He then joined a BootCamp, paying a hefty amount, and got a job through the BootCamp, but the pay was very low. Unfortunately, he was laid off without any notice due to organizational restructuring. After being laid off, he continuously looked for a job but didn't get any opportunities. After a few months, he started upskilling himself as a Full Stack Developer. During this time, he became proficient in DSA and built and deployed some side projects. The timeline is as follows: Graduated - July 2020 Joined the BootCamp - March 2021 Started Job - April 2022 Laid Off - November 2022 Now, he is facing issues due to the career gap after his last job. He has applied to almost 1.5k job openings and received only a few responses, which didn't go very far. He is now considering a Master's Degree to cover the gap, but the cost is very high, and it's very competitive in India to get into a good college for a Master's. He wants to make a career in Technology, so what are his options now? What are some things or methods he could try to get a job despite his career gap?

After more than 20 years of IT experience across different areas (analysis, development, operations, architecture, management, ...) in various industries (e-government, healthcare, manufacturing, consulting, ...), how would you organize your CV well? Would you list all the companies you worked in since your graduation from college and what you did in each (and therefore make a relatively long CV)? Or would you detail only the most recent 3 or 4 companies/projects where you worked along the last 10 years and add a summary of what you did in the older years without listing company names and what you did in each one by one (and therefore limit the CV to round 3 pages)? Any other approaches?

I am a self taught developer and have primarily focused only on Android. I'm not a genius and I know I lack in many of the lower level foundation areas. Examples would be I've been doing Android development and really do not know much about the JVM or ART for the matter and how they work. I have never had to learn algorithms at all with my 7 years in the industry. The list goes on. I do see myself as a solid Android developer and can churn out work but the goals I am striving for I won't hit at my current knowledge level. In my opinion. However I am a process person and for me I basically need to put together a personal step by step plan on what to learn in order. What are some suggestions?!

List of companies besides Google that you’ve heard respond well to accommodation requests for testing anxiety / neurodivergents / ADHD ? (e.g. more time for live coding interview, flexible with breaks, headsup on question 1 hour prior to interview, etc.) (Updated with list of companies with good and bad reputation for accommodations) ### Good Google 1Password CleoAI ### Bad Needs improvement

I initially looked out for an opportunity because I was not really satisfied with the role and compensation. I landed an opportunity in a mature product company My current org matched the compensation and the role. Still, with yoe I have and the state of the team and product we are building I feel I deserve much better. It's been just six months since I joined. I aim for MAANG and that's why I feel unsettled.

I'm interviewing with a unicorn (1000+ employees) now and had my last interview on Monday which I passed. I'm now at the virtual onsite, which is 5 interviews totalling 2 hours and 40 minutes across 5 interviews. I scheduled it for Wednesday and Thursday next week. My question relates to the timing and spacing of these interviews. They don't seem to mind that there are 9 days from my last interview to the onsite. In the interim, I interviewed with another company today (and made it to the next round). For the onsite, I have to present a project I worked on in detail with slides, so I will need time over the weekend and weeknights to do this. My question is, can/should I ask for more time until I do my interview, pushing it Monday and Tuesday of the following week? This would put 2 weeks in between my last interview and the onsite. The pros of this are a) more time to prep for it; and b) more time to get offers from other places. I guess what I'm getting at is what is a 'reasonable' amount of time to ask for? Am I pushing too much if I ask to move to the following week? Thanks!

I got offers from Meta, several top hedge funds (Citadel, Millennium, etc.), Series E unicorn and a series C robotics startup and I want opinions on who to move forward with. From a SWE’s perspective, Meta wins, but 10 years down the line, I don’t see myself as a SWE. I see myself doing (1) a startup, (2) going into VC or working in (3) product management or a more business-focused role. For the first 3-4 years of my career I want to get engineering training, position myself to do interesting and impactful work, networking with a talented team and building the skills that’ll set me up for the 3 career paths that I’ve discussed. I’ve listed companies in order of preference : Series E Unicorn 1. Company is customer-focused (engineers always talk to customers) and engineers wear many hats. These are skills for building startups. 2. Getting startup experience is great for going into VC. 3. I’m working on one of their core products, so there’s a lot of chances for growth. High performers become PMs in 2-3 years 4. 30-40% ex-FAANG and lots of MIT, Berkeley and Stanford alum Meta 1. Meta trains you to become a great SWE, and you need to be a great builder for startups 2. Meta doesn’t seem to prep me for the VC world, but the brand name alone will help get your feet in the door 3. I have the optionality to climb the corporate ladder to do product management Hedge funds 1. Hedge funds don’t really train you to be a great SWE or a great VC, but the brand definitely helps 2. I work really close to PnL for a division that is undergoing hypergrowth, so lots of interesting things to be done 3. Can also break into management relatively quickly Series C robotics startup 1. I’m a SWE and the place that makes the money are the robotics engineers, so not really positioned to make a huge change Unicorn > Meta/HF > robotics startup I want to join the unicorn since it aligns well with what I want to do in the future, but the brand of Meta is really hard to pass on (only brands I have is MS from T5 CS and BS from T10 CS). On one hand I have a long career down the line, and this is one of many decisions I'll make, and if the unicorn doesn't work out, then it's not a big deal. On the other hand, I feel like if I don't choose prestige and the unicorn fails, I'd have a much harder time in life. It's like messing up an RPG build. I’m curious what people’s thoughts are and what things I’m not considering?

Hi there, I would like to know your thoughts and advises about getting a job being immigrant in the USA. Context: I live in México with my wife, who is a software engineer (SWE) and got an offer from a USA company (visa sponsorship) and we want to take the opportunity. Since I'm a SWE too (8 YoE), I want to get a job in the USA too! But my visa will not let me work in the USA. I'm thinking that I could: Start looking for jobs with visa sponsorship. Prepare for interviews. What do you think about it? Are there resources that you would recommend me (about anything related)? Thanks for reading me!

I m hearing a lot of podcast regarding coding will be dead and we have no need for programmers and all these kind of stuff. So, my question is why to do it then? Why do LeetCode and why to do other stuff for entry level software engineering jobs? What’s the future?

I'm an earlier-in-career engineer currently working at a quickly growing startup. Things are going well, but I do think I want a Big Tech name on my resume someday. Right now, Big Tech hiring is frozen, but it will open up again eventually. I'm wondering how can I make sure that I'm prepared when it all opens back up - Should I be regularly studying Leetcode in the meantime or something?