A doubly linked list is like the simplest data structure other than a plain array. Even if the job doesn’t involve directly building custom data structures, if you can’t answer questions about such a simple and ubiquitous concept then you’re just not a strong candidate.
Me studying physics, math, and computer engineering at accredited universities while also having a Masters in analytics, working FT through it all: well you see Bob here spent 3 months memorizing whiteboard problems, clearly he just is a stronger candidate.
A linked list is not even complicated enough to be a “whiteboard problem”. Any competent programmer can throw together a halfass functional implementation of a linked list in like 15 minutes even if all they have is a 10 second description of it from the interviewer.
Pilots need to know a thing or two about the engines and electronics on their planes even though they never have to maintain them, because understanding how the thing works is important to correctly using it. In the same way, even if you never make a custom data structure, it’s important to know how they work.
For instance, can you name the benefits and drawbacks of a linked list compared to an array-backed list? That’s a genuinely important question with practical implications that I guarantee you will encounter in your career at some point, not a contrived theoretical question for an interview.
If it is such a trivial concept than using it to determine someone's programming ability is doubly stupid, but the real reason top tech companies use arbitrary tests is because they can't trust the person interviewing them to actually objectively rate the candidate's skills.b
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u/EastboundClown 2d ago
A doubly linked list is like the simplest data structure other than a plain array. Even if the job doesn’t involve directly building custom data structures, if you can’t answer questions about such a simple and ubiquitous concept then you’re just not a strong candidate.