Is Grinding LeetCode Worth It?

Summary

The video discusses whether beginners should practice LeetCode for their first job in software development. It suggests that while LeetCode is beneficial for interviews at big tech firms like Google and Microsoft, it's less relevant for roles in other industries. The speaker, with over 20 years of experience, has never encountered LeetCode in non-tech interviews. They argue that LeetCode problems may become obsolete due to AI's ability to solve them, predicting a shift towards more collaborative coding interviews. The advice is to research a company's interview process and prepare accordingly, focusing on portfolio projects and coding principles for non-tech interviews.

Takeaways

• 🔍 The necessity of grinding LeetCode problems depends on the type of company you're targeting for your first job.
• 💼 If aiming for big tech firms like Microsoft, Google, or Meta, LeetCode practice is highly recommended due to their focus on data structures and algorithms.
• 🏢 For businesses outside of big tech, such as in healthcare, finance, or insurance, LeetCode may not be as crucial as these companies prioritize practical business logic over algorithmic challenges.
• 🛠️ Practical experience and understanding of data structures and algorithms are beneficial for any developer, regardless of the company type.
• 📚 LeetCode can be a good resource for learning and practicing, but it should not be the sole focus if it doesn't align with job requirements.
• 🤖 The rise of AI and its ability to solve LeetCode problems might diminish the value of these problems in interviews, as they can be easily memorized or templated.
• 🔮 The future of coding interviews may shift towards more whiteboard-style and pair programming exercises to better assess a candidate's true abilities in a collaborative setting.
• 🔍 It's important to research a company's interview process to understand what to expect and prepare accordingly, including potential LeetCode problems.
• 🗣️ Communication skills and the ability to discuss coding principles and portfolio projects are essential for interviews, especially in non-big tech companies.
• 👩‍💻 Tailoring your preparation to the specific requirements of the company you're interviewing with can increase your chances of success in the hiring process.

Q & A

Is grinding LeetCode necessary for a beginner developer to get their first job?

It depends on the type of company you're targeting. If it's a big tech firm like Microsoft, Google, or Meta, grinding LeetCode is recommended as they often include data structures and algorithms problems in their interviews.

What is the 'secret handshake' to get into big tech companies mentioned in the script?

The 'secret handshake' refers to the practice of grinding LeetCode problems, which is a common preparation method for interviews at big tech companies that focus on data structures and algorithms.

Why might companies outside of big tech not prioritize LeetCode problems during interviews?

Companies in sectors like healthcare, finance, accounting, and insurance tend to have different types of problems and may not require candidates to implement their own data structures and algorithms. They often prefer practical skills and ready-made packages over custom implementations.

What is the speaker's opinion on the effectiveness of LeetCode problems in job interviews?

The speaker believes LeetCode problems are not indicative of what developers do on the job, are more about memorization than true problem-solving, and can be easily solved by AI, making them less effective as interview questions.

How does the rise of AI affect the relevance of LeetCode problems in interviews?

The rise of AI and the improvement of AI tools make LeetCode problems easier to solve, potentially reducing their value as a measure of a candidate's abilities since AI can provide solutions.

What alternative interview methods does the speaker predict will become more common due to AI?

The speaker predicts that whiteboard-style interviews and pair programming exercises will become more common as they require interaction and can't be easily substituted by AI.

Why might take-home coding tests become less reliable in the future according to the script?

Take-home coding tests may become less reliable because if the candidate is not supervised while coding, it's hard to determine if the solution was generated by the candidate or with the help of an AI tool.

What should a candidate do to prepare for a job interview at a company that might include LeetCode problems?

A candidate should research the company's interview process, possibly through resources like Glassdoor and LinkedIn, and ask the recruiter about what to expect and prepare for during the interview.

What other skills and topics should a candidate focus on if they are interviewing for a non-LeetCode focused company?

A candidate should focus on their portfolio projects, understanding coding principles like dependency injection and unit testing, and be prepared to discuss and justify the decisions made in their projects.

How can a candidate find out if a company includes LeetCode problems in their interview process?

A candidate can find out by doing research on platforms like Glassdoor and LinkedIn or by directly asking the recruiter about the interview process and what to prepare for.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Should Beginners Grind LeetCode for Job Interviews?

The video discusses whether beginners should practice LeetCode problems to prepare for their first job interview. It emphasizes that the necessity depends on the target company. For big tech firms like Microsoft, Google, and Meta, which are known for including data structures and algorithms in their interviews, practicing LeetCode is highly recommended. However, for businesses in sectors like healthcare, finance, accounting, and insurance, LeetCode problems are less relevant as these companies focus more on practical, business logic-related tasks. They typically use existing packages and libraries for complex operations rather than implementing their own data structures and algorithms. The video also touches on the rise of AI and its impact on coding interviews, suggesting that LeetCode problems may become more about memorization and less about true problem-solving. It critiques the use of LeetCode by big tech companies for not being indicative of job tasks, being memorization-based, and being easily solved by AI tools. The video concludes by advising job seekers to research a company's interview process, prepare for LeetCode if it's part of the process, and focus on portfolio projects and coding principles for non-LeetCode interviews.

Keywords

💡LeetCode

LeetCode is an online platform that provides a collection of coding challenges to help developers prepare for technical interviews. In the context of the video, LeetCode is associated with the practice of 'grinding' or intensively practicing coding problems to prepare for interviews, especially for big tech firms like Microsoft, Google, and Meta.

💡Data Structures and Algorithms

Data structures and algorithms are foundational concepts in computer science that deal with organizing and manipulating data efficiently. The video discusses how big tech companies often include problems related to data structures and algorithms in their interviews, making proficiency in these areas crucial for candidates targeting such companies.

💡Grinding

In the video, 'grinding' refers to the act of intensively practicing and solving coding problems on platforms like LeetCode. It is presented as a strategy that some developers use to prepare for technical interviews, particularly those at big tech companies that emphasize data structure and algorithm questions.

💡Big Tech

The term 'Big Tech' is used in the video to describe large technology companies known for their rigorous interview processes, which often include data structure and algorithm questions. Examples given include Microsoft, Google, and Meta. The video suggests that candidates targeting these companies should consider 'grinding' LeetCode problems.

💡Pragmatic

Pragmatic in the video refers to a practical and realistic approach to software development, as opposed to the theoretical focus on data structures and algorithms. Companies in non-tech sectors like healthcare, finance, and insurance are described as being more pragmatic, valuing real-world application of software over the ability to solve complex coding problems.

💡Business Logic

Business logic is the part of a software application that encapsulates the operational rules that determine how data can be created, displayed, stored, and changed. The video mentions that in non-big tech companies, the focus is more on business logic and data manipulation rather than implementing custom data structures and algorithms.

💡AI and Coding Problems

The video discusses the impact of AI on coding problem interviews, suggesting that with the rise of AI, solving LeetCode problems may become more about memorization than actual problem-solving. AI tools can provide templates and solutions, potentially reducing the value of these problems in assessing a candidate's skills.

💡Take-Home Test

A take-home test is a type of interview assignment where candidates are given a coding problem to solve outside of the interview setting. The video suggests that with the advancement of AI, the validity of take-home tests might be compromised, as it becomes difficult to ascertain whether the candidate or an AI tool generated the solution.

💡Whiteboard Interviews

Whiteboard interviews are a common method in the software industry where candidates are asked to solve problems and explain their thought process on a whiteboard. The video posits that as AI tools become more capable, interviews may evolve to focus more on whiteboard-style interactions to assess a candidate's genuine problem-solving abilities.

💡Pair Programming

Pair programming is a software development technique where two programmers work together at one workstation. One person writes the code while the other reviews each line of code as it is typed in. The video suggests that pair programming exercises might become more prevalent in interviews as a way to ensure that candidates are demonstrating their own skills rather than relying on AI assistance.

💡Portfolio Projects

Portfolio projects are examples of a developer's work that they can showcase to potential employers. The video advises that for interviews not focused on LeetCode problems, candidates should focus on building a strong portfolio and being able to discuss coding principles and the decisions made in their projects.

Highlights

The necessity of grinding LeetCode depends on the type of company you're targeting for a job.

Big tech firms like Microsoft, Google, and Meta are known for including data structures and algorithms problems in interviews.

For big tech companies, LeetCode is considered a 'secret handshake' to get an interview.

Non-tech companies like those in healthcare, finance, and insurance may not prioritize LeetCode.

Practical experience with data manipulation and business logic is more valued in non-tech companies.

Implementing custom data structures and algorithms is often unnecessary in business applications.

LeetCode problems are becoming more about memorization due to the rise of AI and available solutions.

AI's ability to solve LeetCode problems questions their value in assessing a candidate's skills.

Interviews may evolve towards whiteboard-style and pair programming exercises to mitigate AI's impact.

Take-home tests may become less reliable as AI tools improve, potentially leading to their decline in interviews.

It's important to research a company's interview process to prepare effectively for interviews.

LeetCode can be beneficial for understanding data structures and algorithms, even if not used daily on the job.

If LeetCode problems are part of a company's interview process, it's advisable to prepare for them.

Focusing on portfolio projects and the ability to discuss coding principles is crucial for non-LeetCode interviews.

It's acceptable to ask recruiters about the interview process and what to expect.

The importance of being able to speak intelligently about coding principles and justify decisions in your work.

The conclusion emphasizes the value of being prepared for various interview styles and the evolving role of AI.

Transcripts

should I grind leak code as a beginner

developer to get my first job and the

answer is it depends and a lot of people

don't realize this because if you go out

to social media sites like Reddit you'll

see people on there talking about how

they've grinded hundreds of hours of Le

code problems in preparation for that

first interview so let's talk about the

reality of the field now if you're

targeting one of the big Tech firms

Microsoft Google meta those companies

are rather famous for putting data

structures and algorithms problems into

the interviews and if you're going for

one of those companies then yes

absolutely you should grind leak code

because that's kind of the secret

handshake to get into those companies

but on the other side you have somebody

like me and I've got over 20 years of

experience in the field but I've always

focused on Developer jobs for businesses

that weren't big Tech so we're talking

Healthcare we're talking Finance we're

talking accounting and insurance those

companies have different types of

problems and different types of people

working for them and those companies

typically don't care about lead code I

have never been asked a leak code

problem interviewing for one of those

types of companies and I've never seen

companies that really ask for that and

the reason is those companies are a

little more pragmatic they understand

that their applications are mostly about

loading data from some kind of data

source doing some manipulation in

business logic and then storing it back

and when you're working in that type of

software you're not implementing your

own data structures and algorithms and

if you need something complicated

there's usually a package or something

that you can just go out and grab that

will do that work for you if you're

implementing those things yourself

you're probably over complicating things

and doing something you shouldn't be

doing so interviewing leak code

you want to go to Fang do it grind it

you want to become a better developer

and really understand data structures

and algorithms and how those data

structures work yes go play with Le code

if you enjoy it but don't feel like you

have to do it because it's not something

that you really use on the job and now

of course we have the rise of AI and

these leak code problems are really easy

for the llms to solve because there's so

many Solutions out there for them to

pull in as templates so these leak code

problems are going to become more like

memorization they already kind of are

and that's why I don't think they're

really good questions it's something

I've always kind of poo pooed at the big

tech companies about that they use these

Le code problems because number one like

I said they're not indicative of what

you do on the job number two their

memorization and regurgitation they're

not really true thinking and problem

solving that you would want to get out

of a developer and three the llms are

really good at it so why would you ever

ask somebody to write their own when you

could ask the AI just to do it for you

and that day is coming sooner rather

than later I also want to take a step

aside Beyond leak code and talk about

these coding problems in interviews

because I also think that AI is going to

mean the death of the take-home test

because if you're sending somebody a

take-home test and you're not watching

them write the code and the AI tools

keep getting better you're not going to

know if the person actually knows what

they're doing or if they just had the AI

tool do it for them so something I

expect to see interviewing evolving to

is more whiteboard style interviews and

more para programming exercises where

you're going to be required to have a

conversation and build code with another

human being because that's going to be

the only way they can really be sure in

this AI future so that kind of wraps up

my thoughts about leak code if you like

it do it if you're going to Big Tech do

it you should always do your research

about a company in their interview

process because you shouldn't be

surprised if you get in there and they

ask you a leite code problem you can go

to glass store and Linkedin and do your

own research and you can find out what

their interview process is like and if

you can't find it you can absolutely ask

the recruiter it's perfectly fine to say

hey I'm coming in for an interview what

should I expect what should I prepare

for because they'll give you that

information if you ask for it and if

leak codee problems are on those list

then by all means grind it and if

they're not you should be focusing on

your portfolio projects and your ability

to speak

intelligently about coding principles

like dependency injection and unit

testing and be prepared to talk about

your portfolio pieces and justify the

decisions you made because that is the

stuff that's going to get you hired in a

non-leak code interview happy coding

[Music]