Programming Interviews Exposed - Softcover

Mongan, John; Kindler, Noah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471383562 ISBN 13: 9780471383567

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2000

Synopsis

Everything you need to know to survive the programmer′s interview and get the job you wantWhether you are a veteran programmer seeking a new position, or a whiz–kid starting your first job search, interviewing for a programming job requires special preparation. The interviewer will present you with several challenging programming problems, and give you an hour or so to find the most elegant and economical solutions while being watched the entire time. This helpful guide will give you the tools necessary to breeze through the test and make a lasting impression that will land you the job! Readers will learn how to ask effective questions, how to decide what language to code in, and how to choose the best approach to solving a problem. Included are 50 interview problems and in–depth analysis of the possible solutions.

About this title

Review

This is a fascinating and compulsively readable book. Although ostensibly aimed at interviewees, it's just as useful for interviewers--if only to ensure you're not using clichéd questions. Basically, it consists of short, concise and sensible advice on personal presentation and preparation followed by long discussions of small, non-obvious, programming problems. The authors present the kind of question for which you might be asked to code an answer at interview--using C for preference--followed by obvious and then less obvious solutions with background discussion on the purpose of the question, programming traps to avoid and areas worth mentioning to your interviewer (but not coding for).

Publishing such a book is a comment on the times. In the eighties and early nineties such programming problems were a mainstay of computer magazines--now they're in a book aimed at professionals. Presumably nobody reads Knuth's classic books on algorithms now. Within the pages you'll find such classics as the "find the heavy ball using a balance" problem, linked list searches, sorts, counting the ones in a binary number and string permutations (using recursion).

Few of the problems are intrinsically difficult but finding the most efficient solution in a few minutes under exam conditions is stressful. Read this and you'll be prepared for most common algorithmic questions. In fact read it anyway, lift yourself above the slog of writing yet another module for Accounts Receivable and give your brain an invigorating fun, workout. Isn't that why you started programming? --Steve Patient

Review

Although designed for computer science undergraduates, this odd but intriguing book will find a broader readership because of its interesting discussion of problems and solutions. The author, both veteran programmers, based this work on questions they were asked during interviews with big league companies. About 22 pages cover social etiquette and dress and about 220 pages deal with solving programming queries that interviewers pose, from linked lists and tree navigation to sorting and recursion; highly recommended for all college, university, and large public libraries.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0471383562
• ISBN 13: 9780471383567
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272