[jsgoller1]

Both - my interviewing skills got better mostly from doing mock interviews and exposure to the questions that would be asked during an interview, but I'd say my programming skills got better from learning more about algorithm and data structure design, as well as carefully thinking about edge cases so as to beat the battery of test cases that each LeetCode problem has.

[seanmcdirmid]

We really have to be careful here, because many CS programs have or are planning CS courses specifically designed around LeetCode problems as a way of giving their students a leg up in the interview process. If these kinds of interviews become more widespread (and there are a lot of companies trying to copy google here), this will only intensify and possibly begin push out other CS courses with more useful content.

That kind of future would be very dystopian for the field.

[scarface74]

From a very pragmatic standpoint, the most useful courses in college are those that help you get a job.

[seanmcdirmid]

Taken to an extreme that can get ridiculous (eg if colleges start teaching courses titled “fake it until you can make it”).

[scarface74]

What’s the difference between “faking it until you make it” and “learning on the job?” I don’t think I have had a single job in 20+ years where I didn’t spend the first six months in Imposter Syndrome territory.

[seanmcdirmid]

Maybe that is what the big corps think? Then why not just replace CS programs with boot camps that focus on passing the tech interview?

[scarface74]

Could someone pass the LeetCode style tech interview without understanding computer science terms?

For the record: I see nothing wrong with having a two year degree that spends the first year focusing on algorithms and the basics of computer science and the second year focused on a practical emphasis where graduates can hit the ground running. Whether that be embedded programming, game development, big data, web development, etc.