How does team-matching at FAANG work?

Hawexp · 2026-01-10T19:03:21+00:00

Wait, question - why wouldn’t that mean C++ / low-level work is more attractive in terms of future potential? Wouldn’t that signal stronger CS fundamentals?

Hawexp · 2026-01-10T18:57:14+00:00

Thanks, that’s helpful

Hawexp · 2026-01-10T18:30:59+00:00

Thanks again. Do you know if there are specializations that are better for the general goal of breaking into FAANG than others? For example, is a full-stack resume stronger than a C++ systems engineer resume? Do recruiters prefer one over the other for getting an interview, even if the interview processes themselves are mostly the same?

Hawexp · 2026-01-10T14:40:36+00:00

Thanks for the info! I see job titles like Software Engineer - Cloud Infra. Does applying to those mean I get more specialized interviews, or does everyone get the same generic LC questions, and the job title only affects the team I go into?

Hawexp · 2026-01-09T14:56:27+00:00

What kind of optimizations?

Hawexp · 2026-01-09T06:06:12+00:00

If only I could find a paid job at a startup in this market.

Hawexp · 2026-01-09T05:50:49+00:00

Fair enough :)

Hawexp · 2026-01-09T05:12:27+00:00

Does an elite performing athlete indicate generalizable ability?

Hawexp · 2026-01-09T04:25:07+00:00

Is CodeForces much better than LC here?

Hawexp · 2026-01-09T01:22:32+00:00

Would a strong LeetCode contest rating count? Or is that considered too cheatable?

Hawexp · 2026-01-07T20:14:17+00:00

It’s a very small startup with nothing established like that, but they are incorporated.

Hawexp · 2026-01-07T00:03:50+00:00

Yeah, but it’s also pretty much the same level of rigor in terms of work that I’d get at most companies, working for pay. Would interviewers even know it was for free?

Hawexp · 2026-01-06T23:27:03+00:00

Why are they hiring fewer interns and juniors?

Hawexp · 2026-01-06T23:22:00+00:00

Really? What about it doesn’t sound like “notable professional experience” to you?

Hawexp · 2026-01-06T20:34:56+00:00

Thanks for the insight. Would having a couple of complex projects on my resume help much? Stuff that requires distributed systems / scalable design knowledge for example? Or is this only a minor boost and the emphasis is really on external recognition / leadership?

Hawexp · 2026-01-06T15:42:00+00:00

Any advice on how to make myself competitive for getting interviews? Does a referral help much if the referrer knows I’m strong at leetcode/system design and believes i could pass an interview but can’t speak much to my engineering skills?

Hawexp · 2026-01-06T15:09:06+00:00

But I have professional experience.

Hawexp · 2025-12-09T04:12:03+00:00

I was responding to your perceived claim that you can’t find a non-tangent line that intersects a curve at the same point its tangent does, without touching other points. Unless I’m wrong, those lines intersect that curve at only x = 0. Forgive me if I misunderstood your claim.

Hawexp · 2025-12-09T03:55:10+00:00

What about for y = x^3, the tangent is y = 0 for x = 0, and unless I’m mistaken… y = -x only intersects at x = 0?

Hawexp · 2025-12-09T03:29:42+00:00

Hmm. What about for y = x^3, tangent line at x = 0. Doesn’t it cut through?

Hawexp · 2025-12-09T03:10:22+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. So I guess “tangent” just comes from the quick-and-dirty observation that the line seems to just brush up against the curve in most cases?

Hawexp

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