My talk at Ruby Oceania in Melbourne - BigO complexity of the job search
Action Plan
- stages of job search
- tips and tricks for each part, focus on techies side
- resources and tools
About me
class Friendlyantz
def initialize
@name = 'Anton'
@title = 'Engineer, Software Stuntman, Dev`s Advocate'
@hobbies = [ 'Kitesurfing', 'Camping', 'Art', 'Motorcycling','eSkating' ]
end
def current_location = 'Melbourne, Australia'
def work = 'Fresho🍋'
def click_bait = 'https://friendlyantz.me/''
Job Search Stages
- If made redundant
- CV update
- apply
- screening with HR
- screening with manager
- technical challenge + code review
- system design challenge
- behavioural interview
- offer / negotiations
If made redundant
- go to Fair Work - book Unfair dismissal consultation on day 1
- you will get a free 1hr sessions with top pro-bono lawyers (wait is about a week+)
- you have 21 days to apply.
CV
- KISS - keep it simple
- make it easily accessible and editable
- list key deliverables
Key deliverables:
- ensured team of 6 was fully caffeinated with Antarctican coffee beans ground to 14nm particles
- Connected with David Heinemeier Hansson on LinkedIn
- Organized team bonding through company potato sack race resulting in increased team cohesion
- Spearheaded 5 Microsofters
Apply
go as wide as you can
get those conversations going,
even if these are not the jobs you want
first apply for non-ideal jobs you are not afraid to miss out on
- just practice the interviews / build up the pace
- apply JavaScript - soooo many jobs,
- TypeScript, Python - all doable languages for takehome challenge
don’t waste time tailoring every application
HR's don't care, just get a meeting
- linkedin jobs
- indeed.com
Screening - HR / Manager
have a beautiful story
- why you looking for change
- what are you looking in a new company
- try to avoid money discussion
- managers can do basic tech questions sometimes
- test your browsers / OS permissions to work with Chrome, Firefox, MS teams and have screen-sharing permissions
Coding challenge
- take home
- live
Understand basic algorithms (contested topic)
understand basic data structures
- static VS dynamic Arrays / String
- HasMap
- LinkedLists / Nodes
- Queue / Stack
- Tree
- Trie
- Graph
- Ring buffer
- Least Recently Used (LRU)
understand basic search algos
- Binary Search
- Linear Search
understand recursion
- preparetion / check
- recurse step
- go back the stack ## understand tree traversal
understand basic sorting
- bubble
- quicksot
- heap sort
- merge sort
understand BigO complexity of TIME and SPACE
- Algo primer - fantastic free resource by a GigaChad
ThePrimeagen - Big-O complexities for both space and time,
- another bigO resource.
BigO basic rules:
- constants are ignored
- worst case is generally is considered
- every loop is an n-complexity. loop = O(n), loop-withi-a-loop = 0(n^2), etc
- if you half your input in every iteration, it’s generally O(log n)
do basic LeetCode challenges
- focus on hottest challenges. don’t just do everything LeetCode gives you
- https://neetcode.io/ - do all EASY challenges, then some MEDIUM, and then try HARD
familiarise with HackerRank platform some companies use it to do take home test, so you need to be comfy with it’s quirks, but practice on LeetCode
use chatGPT to explain basic things, don’t ask complicated questions to avoid hallucinations.
Put MAJOR effort with any coding assignments
- provide a test suite,
- review before submitting.
- have good README and ideally Makefile
- may be add basic CI script / makefile for GitHub Actions
- search GitHub for already submitted solutions for some inspiration and ideas
keep up with industry trends and news
know basic design patterns
- Structural
- Behavioural
- Creational
Other resources
have questions for them
- how is their engineering culture?
- learning days / budget
- what’s their plan for 1, 2, 5 years
- what version of Ruby / RoR they use, if not latest - then why
System Design
Go wide / don’t dive into details first
- understanding basic designs of
- messaging app, shopping app, social app, link shortener etc
- watch mock interviews with big guns
- -> heaps on YouTube, i.e. Exponent channel
- skim system design primer
Design Data Intensive book
- quick youTube overview of all chapters
- quite rich book, but gives a lot of food for thought for modern distributed system design that will put you way ahead of competition.
Familiarise yourself with Excalidraw
- everyone uses it for diagraming
- on the right you can load awesome icons
Typical System Design timing
- 5-10min: define function and non-functional requirements
- 10-15min: high-level system design of all components. from CDN down to DB
- 10-15min: in-depth review of components
- 10-15min: wrap up, review, discussion of changes
Behavioural Interview
- how you handle conflict / disagreement (EVERY interview)
- have questions for them
Offer
- Negotiate -> RubyConf talk “A People Pleasers Guide to Salary Negotiation” - Colleen Lavin’
- try to align timing for few offers
- time to think - 3-5days. for startups very short
- be proactive with communication, firm and polite - communicate often
- review contract - HRs are not your friends
Other tips
- Maintain pace and routine, have a timetable
- eat healthy and exercise
- don’t give up
- don’t waste time and mix your activities
- participate in meetups and bookclubs
- learn and keep the dopamine loop
if you_need_help => reach out!
remember: this is a fantastic time to learn!!!
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