[ModernMech]

I hear this a lot, but I've been in interviews were, yes, it really is about writing the BFS (or whatever algorithm they were asking for). I can remember one, where I was asked to write write an algorithm that, given a vector of points, calculates the euclidean distance between every pair of points. I wrote out a one-liner in MATLAB that accomplished the task in about 2 minutes, but then they wanted to see it in C++. Then I wrote it out in C++, which I don't know so well, so it ended up being in pseudo-C++. Then we spent the remainder of the time quibbling about syntax errors and missing import statements. It was very clear to me the interviewer only wanted to see perfect, compiling C++ on the white board, and had no interest in my problem solving or thought process.

[mk89]

> It was very clear to me the interviewer only wanted to see perfect, compiling C++ on the white board, and had no interest in my problem solving or thought process.

It depends on the position you apply for, I'd say.

Some jobs require C++ and algorithmic skills. If you don't know how to write a basic algorithm in C++, then you might not be the best fit - and you might not want to join the company as a junior developer.

[ModernMech]

FWIW, this example was for a company that refused to tell me what the job description was and what the position was. They didn't tell me ahead of time which languages they preferred or what kind of work I would be doing. It's a company everyone knows and is renowned for their secrecy. While they refused to tell me what they were looking for, it became clear during the interview they were looking for something very specific.

[throwawaymath]

I'm fairly certain I know which company you're talking about - I'd recommend you redact the specific question they asked, because I'm aware that they do check online (including HN) for interview questions that were asked. You have plausible deniability as long as you don't name the company, but given the NDA they throw at you it's probably better to be safe than sorry :)

That being said - sorry to hear that was your experience. That shouldn't have happened, but it does.

[jenscow]

Well, at least you knew upfront there was a high chance of it being a waste of time.

[Twirrim]

> Some jobs require C++ and algorithmic skills. If you don't know how to write a basic algorithm in C++, then you might not be the best fit - and you might not want to join the company as a junior developer.

If it's down to syntax errors, and the logic is correct, what the heck does it matter? Almost everyone writes code in an IDE that will deal with those syntax errors.

[mk89]

Let's say you have 2 people in front of you and they both design the same algorithm and come up with the same solution (sometimes that's really the case).

One writes code that cannot be compiled while the other does. Who scores higher?

Now, let's say you are a big company and have 100 applications for that position and do the math...