This post by Jared Nelson is a look into the modern hiring practices of large technology companies.
I have to say that his summary items at the end are especially damning – organizations are hammering people on algorithms that they know not only that they will never use, but aren’t even remotely close to relevant.
I know when I’m hiring a developer I care much less about their ability to implement any particular algorithm – chances are someone already has it wrapped up in a library for free and easy use. What matters is that they know how to understand that what they’re trying to do is probably a solved problem that they just need to go find the solution for.
Another item to consider is the type of company you’re looking at. I imagine most companies looking for someone to develop a standard line of business app will be a lot less focused on algorithms and more focused on more relevant, actionable skills.
Anyway, Jared’s post is long, but very much worth taking the time to read!