Comment by Goronmon
3 years ago
...explain to me how a hash map works. For get about explaining the finer points of sorting algorithms
I've been in software development for 15 years and being able to explain either of these things has never come up and I probably wouldn't be able to give a decent answer without reviewing the topics specifically.
Yes, companies are hiring for competency not tenure or years of life lived while holding job. If you want the latter, I have heard it is more structured that way in Japan and much of Europe.
I would expect most people I hire to be able to explain how a hash map works.
Depends on what exactly your company is doing? Why do you care if an applicant understand how a hash map works; and what's particular about a hash map?
I'd care more about an applicant understanding the concept of a hash; or hashing in general. If an applicant shows that he understands that a hash is a magical and fascinating mathematical concept; and it can have uses in Information/Computers, that would be more interesting (to me) than someone who memorized a hash map definition.
He can always learn about a particular application of hashing (hash map, for example). But the latter shows aptitude and capacity to learn these later on the job.
> why do you care if an applicant understand how a hash map works; and what's particular about a hash map?
Because a hash map is:
1) a pretty basic concept in data structures
2) Variations on hash maps are used all the time in the real world. If you use objects in javascript, dictionaries in python, or maps in C++, then you are using things that essentially implement hash maps.
Point number 1 is like if I went to an orthopedic surgeon and they couldn't tell me what the liver does. You can say "well the liver has nothing to do with my finger that got smashed in a car crash, so what do I care." Or you can say, "that seems like a red flag. Maybe I'd be safer choosing a different doctor."
* Note: I have no idea how often the liver comes up in orthopedic finger surgery and for all I know it's a lot. But I think you get the point.
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To me, "what a hashmap is" is just an extremely basic engineering concept. Your reference to "memorizing" (to refer to the topic you don't like) vs. "understanding" (to refer to the topic you do like) is value-laden and also suggests to me that you think a hashmap is more complicated than it actually is - it is truly just one step from understanding what a hash is.
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Yes, companies are hiring for competency not tenure or years of life lived while holding job.
Oh I wasn't trying to say that this knowledge was valuable or not. I was just pointing out that you seem surprised that experienced people wouldn't be able to provide a good answer to that question. And the answer is that in many jobs, its not useful knowledge.