It is the first time I had a coach to help me to prepare most important onsite on June 6 2018, Amazon prime video in Seattle, USA, and I like to get ideas how to think hard and deep on algorithm and data structure.
Here is the blog after the end of coaching session: say goodbye to my coach
Here is the blog to document all the coaching session I got. 10 session of mock interviews
And also I like to check in all the source code into github. To use stack to find next large elment is my most favorite algorithm. I should have practiced more and read more on this monotonic increasing/ decreasing data structure, there are a few of cases to apply the technique.
How I made a decision who to hire as my coach in May 2018? Hire my coach, hire the best.
There is a famous algorithm called Monte Carlo. I wrote a blog how to apply the algorithm to help life decision. Monte carlo algorithm
I documented detail in the following blog: hire and develop best
July 18,2018
I got the advice to work on easy level algorithms on Leetcode.com. I should try to work on one easy level algorithm using 10 to 15 minutes. Try to complete 10 to 15 algorithms in one day. I solved 101 algorithms on Leetcode.com.
August 5, 2018
Here is the blog I wrote to document 45 minutes coaching from my ex-coach.
I also documented the coaching compared to a two time Google intern I got after a mock interview. Here is the blog:
Comparison between two advisors
August 14, 2018
I just finished another 50 Leetcode algorithms, most of them are easy level. Here is the blog about the progress.
Sept. 2, 2018
I celebrated 180 Leetcode algorithms problem solving here.
Sept. 23, 2018
I celebrated 230 leetcode algorithms problem solved here.
Say goodbye to string easy level algorithms
Oct. 1, 2018
I completed 239 leetcode algorithms. I am still working on easy level hashtable algorithms. I played Leetcode weekly contest 104 and worked on three algorithms.
Oct. 9, 2018
Solved 252 algorithms. I am working on Stack easy level algorithms.
Nov. 13, 2018
Solved 300 algorithms. I am working on middle level tree algorithms.
Nov. 20, 2018
Solved 320 algorithms. I am working on middle level tree algorithms. There are 8 medium level tree algorithms left for me to solve! I start to get comfortable to work on medium level tree algorithms. More patience, and think carefully about use cases. I can solve them one by one.
March 26, 2019
I made another practice on union-find algorithm and it was still too challenge for me to solve a problem in less than 60 minutes. I spent more than a few hours to warm up.
I solved 371/ 1011 algorithms. I like to spend more time to work on algorithm problem solving.
April 24, 2019
I solved 392 algorithms on Leetcode.com.
I have to push myself hard to work on more algorithm practice. I could not pass online code assessment in March 2019, and then I had to prepare April 24, 2019 code assessment from Microsoft.
I ran mock interview code screen with a real company until I ran out of all algorithms. I practiced a few of them, after that, I just spent less than five minutes to go over all problems, and then I go over the discussion panel to see the ideas how to solve the problems.
May, 2019
I had my first onsite in Vancouver with Fortinet. I learned a few things about Http protocol, how to work on my communication, confidence level. It was such great learning experience for me.
Follow up
Sept. 11, 2019
I spent $1000 Canadian dollar to pay using paypal. I should be more careful to spend money on coaching sessions.
Oct. 17, 2019
I solved 433 algorithms, 218 easy/ 167 medium/ 48 hard level algorithms.
I had onsite interview with Amazon and Facebook in August 2019.
I had phone screen with Docusign in Sept. 2019.
I had onsite interview in the city of Burnaby with Fortinet in June 2019.
Nov. 1, 2019
I solved 451 algorithms, 231 easy, 172 medium, 48 hard level algorithms.
I started to work on 60 easy level algorithms first, and also I played weekly contest again. So I had chance to solve 9 easy level array tag algorithms, 5 medium level algorithms since Oct. 17, 2019.
Nov. 12, 2019
I solved 457 algorithms, 235 easy, 174 medium, 48 hard level algorithms.
Dec., 2019
I passed Dialpad code screen (Nov. 25 - Dec. 9), phone screen (Dec. 10), and then I had onsite (Dec. 16) in the city of Vancouver. So excited after 4 months onsite with Facebook.
I learned that I should have worked on restful web service early in 2010 when I started to work on MP Lighting. It took me 10 years to catch up latest technology, do not fall back on ASP knowledge I learned back from 1998 to 2001. I am a hard working person, I learned the lesson to be a self-learner.
Feb.5, 2020
From my personal finance, 1999 to 2019 over 20 years my finance illiterate, I only grow my portfolio to 25,000 US dollar over $5,000 dollars, average annual return is less than 2% which is smaller than inflation 4%, whereas S & P 500 index grows 300% more from 2010 to 2019, technology sector over 500%. My 401 K and IRA in US from 1999 to 2019 can be looked up in my blog.
Everything I do is out of date, I guess. I like to study Kobe and motivate myself to be a learning machine starting from 2020.
Knowledge is power. I should have learned the lesson when I had my first 401 K deposit back in 1999. It took me 20 years to learn that. Now I like to be a top finance learner in the world. I will write every day on the topic, learn and push myself to focus on basics.
I will write topics like Christian, how to be a Christian, what are my weakness and how I live and struggle over 20 years as well. Stay tuned. Life is better with friendship, but lack of creativity, hardwork, I lower my expectation and enjoy the simple life. But life can be much better with power of knowledge, and grow with those FANG companies. That is capitalism about.