u/Al_Pallll

Why on god's green earth do companies ask this question during Leetcode interviews?

First of all, only a moron is going to give away such a valuable advantage. Noble? Honest? No doubt. But terrible at looking out for their own best-interest.

Second, I feel as if the bar for Leetcode interviews has been set so absurdly high, that the only way to have high odds of success is to do hundreds of problems and learn all the patterns! If I haven't seen the problem, or a direct variation before, then I didn't study enough.

I took school extremely seriously from a young age. Was always super driven, and decided to study CS because of the ROI and an interest in computers. Joined the Rainforest company after graduating from a top university, and have been there for the last 6 years.

It has NOT been a fun six years. Unrelenting pressure to deliver, watching teammates get PIPs, and constant layoffs have made me pretty stressed and unhappy - even if the paycheck is good. Have been searching for another role for the last 2 years but haven't been able to land anything close to my current pay ($270,000) because I won't spend months of my life studying leetcode after 10 hour work days. Not to mention, the company is making it clearer than ever that we're an expense they're not happy about paying. We got an email the other week that they're removing the candy bowl from reception as a cost saving measure. They've started stocking the cheapest 1-ply toilet paper in the bathrooms. It's a multi-trillion dollar company...

Frankly, I'm tired and have lost my passion and excitement for this field. However, I'll always be grateful for the opportunities it provided. I've managed to accumulate over $1,000,000 during my short career, which gives me the freedom to step away and pursue more meaningful, balanced work. I might try accepting one of those sub $150,000 jobs to see if I can get away with working 10 hours a week - but if that doesn't work out I'm going to become a fly fishing or whitewater rafting guide. Even if I never save another penny, I'll should still be able to retire on ~$2,000,000 in 10 years when I'm 37. I don't regret choosing this career at all, but it feels like it's getting worse over time, and I don't have much interest in sticking around to watch that happen.

I am pretty unhappy in my current job for a variety of reasons. WLB is notoriously terrible at my company. I seriously dislike the part of the country that my office is located in - it makes it borderline impossible to enjoy my preferred hobbies outside of work. As a result my entire life centers around a job that I loathe.

But sticking it out indefinitely is objectively the best possible choice, considering it has allowed me to amass seven figures in my 20's. The idea of leaving feels financially reckless if not borderline insane. I've been looking for other roles for years now, but with the current job market I haven't been able to land anything that pays remotely close to my current role.

Obviously, this is a first world problem. But I can't help but feel that some of my best years are slipping away. I almost hope for a layoff, or for AI to reduce compensation for my role, because then the calculus of leaving would start to make a lot more sense.