Programming Interviews Are Usually More Interesting Than The Actual Job | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Programming Interviews Are Usually More Interesting Than The Actual Job

The interview questions usually rely on problem-solving skills that never get used in a typical day at work.

34
Programming Interviews Are Usually More Interesting Than The Actual Job
Bennett H

I’ve only ever interviewed for software jobs as an adult. I usually enjoy the brainteaser-type questions that I get asked in programming job interviews, which is the only time in my professional life that I get to solve those kinds of fun “puzzles.”

A typical question might be: You have two light bulbs and a 15-story building. Every bulb is identical, so they will all break when dropped from above a certain height. Your task is to determine the highest floor that the bulbs can be dropped from without breaking them (and once you drop a bulb and it breaks, of course, you can’t re-use it for your test). If you have two bulbs, what is the fewest number of “drops” you need to determine the answer? (The problem, and the solution, are described in full here.)

More recently, there’s been a trend away from pure brainteasers towards programming-related questions, but the programming questions still rely on creative problem-solving, so they’re in the same spirit as the light bulb riddle.

I think these kinds of problems are fun, and I consider it a benefit of working in software jobs that I usually don’t have to answer clichéd interview questions like “What is your greatest weakness?”

But the odd thing is that these interview questions bear so little resemblance to the kinds of problems that you actually solve on the job. Others have criticized the “light bulb riddle” types of questions because they have exact answers, whereas real-world programming questions are more open-ended and nuanced and a solution that looks right today may have unforeseen consequences a year from now.

But I’m talking about a different issue – that most programming tasks don’t require much problem-solving skill, but mostly rely on memorizing information or knowing where to look it up.

A typical programming task might be: “We need a program to automate the process of opening the web browser, going to this web page, moving the mouse pointer to this button, clicking this button, and verifying that the expected text appears on the next page.” There is no problem-solving here -- every part of this task relies purely on knowledge that has to be memorized, or looked up.

What is the function that opens the browser? How do you detect the x-and-y coordinates of the button? How do you move the mouse pointer there and mimic the action of clicking the button? The most helpful thing to have in this case is some sample code that has solved the problem before.

I’m not complaining overall. Most software jobs pay well, and of course, if the problems you solve end up being much easier than you expect, well, you’re getting more money for less hard work than you anticipated. But it is a bit odd that the interview questions are so much tougher (and more interesting) than the tasks that you have to solve on the job, and I end up going to recreational math and puzzle-solving hangouts just to get the kind of interesting problems that I wish I could get at work.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

How The Holidays Have Changed

It all started when we learned the truth about Santa.

2464
best wishes for Christmas
Pinterest

It is no secret that many American traditions have changed over time. As we grow older we change in so many ways that it only makes sense that we also change the way we celebrate special occasions. Of course when it comes to the holidays there are some family traditions that many of us still excitedly look forward to, whether it is eating your favorite dish or seeing favorite cousin. However, we all know that the holidays have overall changed a little from what they used to be.

Keep Reading...Show less
theatre cast

Everyone who has done musicals knows that once you go there you can never go back. It's like a virus. It never leaves and you find yourself attracted to all types of theater things. You're drawn to it like a moth to a flame. There are certain things you know to be true, whether you did a musical once or have done them your entire life.

Keep Reading...Show less
couple winter
Pexels

When you come home over Christmas break, it's hard to find fun in your hometown. During the winter, it's hard to find the motivation to go out and find things to do. However, there are plenty of fun things to do in almost any town, and there are tons of fun date ideas that aren't taken advantage of. Here are nine fun winter dates to go on.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

25 Things To Do In The 25 Days Leading Up To Christmas

The best holiday deserves an entire month of celebrating.

4499
Christmas Socks  Fireplace
Wesley Tingey

Christmas is arguably one of the most popular holidays of the year. Whether you think Christmas celebrations should be strictly reserved for December, or you're setting up your tree and lights on November 1st, Christmas time is the best time. Filling an entire month with Christmas activities seems like it could be impossible, but I am here to fix that for you. Here are twenty-five of the best things to do in the twenty-five days leading up to Christmas.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments