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by barry-cotter 1625 days ago
> But I don't get to ask eigenvectors and challenging algorithm problems in an ML Engineering position at the same while you already proof yourself with a Masters Degree and enough professional experience.

People know pity passes exist for Master's degrees. You can't trust that someone actually knows what they should know just because they have a degree. Ditto professional experience. The entire reason FizzBuzz exists is because people with years of profesional experience can't program.

1 comments

We aren't talking about FizzBuzz here; but rather the fashionable practice of subject people to 4-6 hours of grilling on "medium-to-hard" problems that you absolutely cannot fail, or even be slightly halting in your delivery on. And which can only be effectively prepared for by investing substantial amounts of time on by-the-book cramming.

On top of the fact that these problems are often poorly selected, poorly communicated, conducted under completely unrealistic time pressure, often as pile-ons (with 3-4 strangers as if just to add pressure and distraction), and (these days) over video conferencing (so you have to stare in the camera and pretend to make eye contact with people while supposedly thinking about your problem, on top of shitty acoustics), etc, etc.

It's just fucking ridiculous.

I'm quite happy these places makes it so clear they're not places I would be happy to work. I always ask about the interview process and tell the recruiters I'm not interested if they expect really lengthy processes. I'm fine with things dragging out of they have additional questions after initial interviews, but not if their default starting position is that they need that.