Hey everyone! I've been working as a professional games programmer for a couple of years now, and I've recently realized that my skills don't translate well to typical coding challenges like those on LeetCode. In my day-to-day work, I navigate game engines, debug issues, and implement gameplay features with ease. But when faced with questions like 'Longest Common Prefix' on LeetCode, I find myself completely lost. This has led me to feel a bit of imposter syndrome, especially since it seems like such basic stuff in C++ and data structures—things I covered extensively in school.
I'm reaching out for advice! Are there any books or strategies to help someone who mainly works in game engines tackle these kinds of programming challenges? If anyone has had a similar experience, I'd love to hear how you expanded your skill set to handle data structures and algorithms better, especially for job applications. Thanks in advance!
5 Answers
Great points about programming interviews. They often don’t accurately represent the real-world coding you’ll do. LeetCode is more like a necessary evil—sometimes you just have to get good at it. I recommend setting aside time each week while you still have a job to tackle these problems, and use resources like online tutorials to help when you're stuck. You'll see improvement before you know it!
I feel you! LeetCode problems are often not reflective of actual coding work and more like brainteasers. As a senior frontend engineer, I've found that while I can lead projects and solve real-world issues, LeetCode questions can sometimes stump me too. It's good to practice them, but remember to look for companies that value practical experience over these tests. You do what you do well, and that's what counts!
That makes a lot of sense! I’ll keep practicing for improvement while looking for better interview processes.
LeetCode is primarily for interviews, and it doesn’t necessarily reflect your abilities as an engineer. Many top developers haven't done LeetCode problems, especially in specialized fields like game development. If you want to practice, they have solid courses on data structures and algorithms, and it’s definitely worth considering!
Sounds good! I’ll check out that course. Appreciate the advice!
For sure, LeetCode is about pattern recognition and problem-solving skills. The more you practice, the more you’ll start to see these patterns emerge. I often have to brush up on algorithms myself since I work in a specialized area like Android development. Embrace the grind and keep at those coding problems!
That’s encouraging! I’ll make it part of my routine to practice nightly and really dive back into data structures.
Honestly, LeetCode isn't the best measure of a programmer's overall skills. At its core, most LeetCode problems are simple logic puzzles, so as a pro, you should be able to handle the easier ones without much issue. But I get it—if your daily work doesn't involve these types of problems, they can seem super daunting! Just focus on practicing your basics in C++ and data structures, and you'll get the hang of it.
Yeah, it's tough when the day-to-day doesn't translate directly. I plan to practice consistently from now on to polish my fundamentals.
Why freeze in front of a problem? You’ve got basics like caching to tackle similar issues—it’s all about practice!