Problem is, there is not a lot of incentive for people looking for a job to use LC and similar to understand algorithms and data structures, and with good reason;
Many interviewers do not ask the questions to check for thought process or problem solving ability, they treat it like some TV quiz: Ask question, get answer, compare answer to note in hand, applaud if its the same answer, next question. Why? Because its a lot easier to sit there watching the candidate squirm at the whiteboard, while thinking about what's for lunch, than engaging the candidate and gasp talking to him/her.
This creates incentive for people taking these BS interviews to learn-for-the-test: Get a list of the current top50 questions asked regularly at interviews (there are resources for that) and memorize them.
Why? Two reasons:
1. It is alot easier than understanding the concepts and purpose of different algos and data structures.
2. Trying to solve them by applying actual understanding, runs the risk of getting stuck on an unfamiliar problem, or producing a slightly sub-par solution instead of the "correct" answer, and getting booted out despite demonstrating the exakt thing aka."problem solving ability" the interviewers allegedly look for
And, unsurprising, because there is money involved, an industry has sprung up around this: Pay-For-Tech-Interview-Training is a thing, including regular updates on popular questions.
The result of course: Companies running the risk of hiring people who are great at answering LC questions but fail when they actually have to solve a problem where they cannot copypaste the solution from SO.
Many interviewers do not ask the questions to check for thought process or problem solving ability, they treat it like some TV quiz: Ask question, get answer, compare answer to note in hand, applaud if its the same answer, next question. Why? Because its a lot easier to sit there watching the candidate squirm at the whiteboard, while thinking about what's for lunch, than engaging the candidate and gasp talking to him/her.
This creates incentive for people taking these BS interviews to learn-for-the-test: Get a list of the current top50 questions asked regularly at interviews (there are resources for that) and memorize them.
Why? Two reasons:
1. It is alot easier than understanding the concepts and purpose of different algos and data structures.
2. Trying to solve them by applying actual understanding, runs the risk of getting stuck on an unfamiliar problem, or producing a slightly sub-par solution instead of the "correct" answer, and getting booted out despite demonstrating the exakt thing aka."problem solving ability" the interviewers allegedly look for
And, unsurprising, because there is money involved, an industry has sprung up around this: Pay-For-Tech-Interview-Training is a thing, including regular updates on popular questions.
The result of course: Companies running the risk of hiring people who are great at answering LC questions but fail when they actually have to solve a problem where they cannot copypaste the solution from SO.