“Is there hope for those who are not on LeetCode?” – Reddit users discuss
Recently there was a request on Reddit. The developer started going to interviews for the first time in four years and was surprised at how much more difficult they had become. And he worries that without solving problems on LeetCode, it will be more difficult to find a job:
I recently started looking for work again. <…> I have applied to about 150 companies, I am interviewing in about 15 different places. My resume, experience and portfolio are good. But over the past four years, the selection has become much more difficult: 2-5 stages of interviews, even for not the most prestigious companies. So with only 15 positions I’m wasting a lot of time and the process seems hopeless.
Besides, I’m not on LeetCode. Recently I tried to solve at least 15 problems, but it takes too much time (which I already don’t have enough due to my current work, interviews and life in general). Until now, I have also worked with LeetCode, but it seems that now <...> 2-3 stages of technical interviews with tasks from there are the norm for any company. I expect to fail them and never find another job.
Honestly, it’s frustrating because I’m a really good worker, completing (and exceeding) all tasks.
Has anyone survived without LeetCode? What was your job search experience like?
This is what they told him.
Does LeetCode really help you pass interviews?
I haven’t encountered him at interviews.
Answer
TheKabillionare
Just swallow your pride and go to LeetCode. Try postponing interviews for a couple of weeks if possible.
I have six years of experience, and in the last month I failed five technical interviews in a row because I did not prepare for them in advance (I thought my skills were sufficiently improved, but the tasks in the interviews are very different from the real ones).
In addition, it doesn’t take much time to get used to the site. Understand Grind 75/Neetcode 150, remember what works and how – and practice.
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cyhsquid77
Perhaps I can give you some hope. Six years of experience, full stack, team lead. Last week I found a new job <…>. I completed only five interviews, two of which were technical. And not a single question in the LeetCode style, only something in the style: “here is a function, how would you implement it?”
<…> That is, there are places where you are not forced to solve problems with LeetCode, but it is not a fact that there are many of them.
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kdot38
I know that many here say that LC is not needed, there is even list of placeswhere they are not forced to solve problems from there.
But I haven’t had a single interview without LC. And honestly, it was worth it because this way I was able to find a better job <…>.
You may be lucky enough to get by without an LC, but you may have to be less picky about where you work (or immediately look for companies that definitely don’t require LeetCode).
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Mindless-Low-6507
Yes, this is how interviews are conducted. And companies carry them out in several stages, even if they are not FAANG <…>.
LC is actually a pretty fair way to evaluate candidates. It provides an opportunity for people with the wrong education to enter the industry <…>.
The LeetCode website itself offers a very simple way to keep your skills at a high level: a daily question that takes 10-30 minutes <…>.
The reason LC is so popular is because of the nature of the industry. Potential employers can’t always tell how good you were in past jobs (and should look for ways to test).
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EuroCultAV
A couple of thoughts <…>:
- Pick topics and focus only on them for a week or two. Complete 1-2 Easy or Medium tasks per evening. Remember the principle of the solution in case they get caught in the interview. And save the answer. <…> Do not pass interviews until you have completed a month of practice.
- Consider working under a government contract. The benefits are small, but with enough experience you can easily make over $100k. Typically, state-owned companies only conduct what I call a “pulse check” <…>.
- Do some digging on Glassdoor before applying. If I see that a company conducts an interview in three or more stages or a group interview that lasts more than three hours, then I simply do not apply <…>.
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Soleau
<…> The cost/benefit ratio of LeetCode is insane, and people who don’t put even a little effort into practicing are constantly at a disadvantage.
I’m not kidding when I say that you can literally double your income by playing around with LeetCode a little. This is an experience (useless and annoying, by all accounts) that can bring profit. <…> And yet people constantly complain, instead of spending a little time on it.
Just spend an hour a day solving Netflix problems. If you can’t, look for answers in open sources and analyze them to understand the principle. Eventually, you will be able to “click” more and more tasks <…>.
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Tough-Difference3171
Is there hope for those who are not on LeetCode?
As a rule – NO.
Sometimes yes.
You seem overly confident with your “I had a great career without LeetCode”, as if the world owes you for it <...>.
There are people who solve these problems <...> and are also good at development. Why should a company hire you and not them? How can you prove that you are better than them?
Proposal:
Spend some time applying to companies that interest you. Use them as a “draft” and thus improve your skills in working with LeetCode (yes, it is assumed that you practice in your free time on such sites). Once you can easily interview for these companies, start looking at more attractive positions.
