Cracking the Coding Interview, 4 Edition - 150 Programming Interview Questions and Solutions

Interview War Stories | Spider Senses
My Spider Senses are Tingling
I can think of lots of interviews that just fell into the general category of weird and uncomfortable:
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The Java coder who apparently considered hygiene optional, and had the interview
room smelling like week-old blue cheese within ten minutes (my eyes were watering).
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The young fresh-out-of-college graduate with a tongue piercing that kept tick-tick-ticking
against his teeth as he talked (after half an hour, it was like Chinese water torture).
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The girl who wore an iPod through her interview, with the volume turned loud enough
that she actually had to ask the interviewers to repeat themselves a few times.
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The poor, hyper-nervous fellow who was sweating like a marathon runner for half an
hour.
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The girl who wore a T-shirt with an obscene political slogan to her interview.
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The guy who asked (seriously) at the end of his interview, “So, are there any hot chicks
in our department?”
Those are the interviews where we politely thank the people for their time, shake their hand
(except for the sweaty guy), then turn to each other after the door closes and ask – did that
really just happen?
Nobody is saying that you have to be a bland, boring robot in a Brooks Brothers suit and
tie. Remember, the interview team wants you to be “the one”, but they’re also very worried
about the possibility that you’re going to be more of a distraction than an asset. Don’t talk or
behave in a way that will set off their early warning radar. Whether or not somebody bothers
to behave professionally during an interview is often a very good indicator of what kind of
teammate they’re going to be.
Rudimentary social skills are part of the answer to “Would I have a beer with this guy?”, or
at least, “Will I mind working next to this guy for six months?” From the interviewer’s point
of view, they’re picking a neighbor that they’re going to live and work with 200 hours per
month for foreseeable future. Would you really want a neighbor that smelled like a hog rendering
plant?
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Cracking the Coding Interview