Coding Contest: A New Norm for Getting Hired As a Software Developer

Gone are the days when a software developers' job was offered solely on the basis of academic achievement. Today, employers prefer to hire people with outstanding coding skills. An uptick in managers who prefer coding interview tools over other techniques is a promising trend that has been noticed in hiring. Pair-programming tools, which allow the interviewer and interviewee to collaborate on a piece of code, have effectively replaced the iconic whiteboard interviews. Coding competitions or contests allow the hiring managers to assess the candidates' skills and competency while also letting them compare the applicants to other programmers from around the world.

Companies now are constantly looking for talented programmers to join their engineering teams. More importantly, as problem-solving using Data Structures and Algorithms now takes the centre stage in the coding rounds, technical interviews can be terrifying when one does not know who they are competing with, and where they stand. Although the aspirants applying for the position have the ability to code, they require a platform to compare their coding skills in order to get an understanding of their coding credibility. Here comes the need for coding platforms to help aspirants with the qualities that help them in getting hired by IT companies.

Below mentioned are three companies that assist organizations and aspirants in the hiring process through their coding contests:

1. CodeChef:

CodeChef is a platform where programmers aspire to create waves in algorithms, computer programming, and programming contests. At CodeChef, the team works hard to revive the geek in the student by hosting several programming contests. One could also find training sessions and discussions related to algorithms, binary search, technicalities like array size, and the likes on CodeChef. While CodeChef continues to be a hub for programming competitions, it also has various algorithm tutorials and forum discussions to help those who are new to the world of computer programming.

2. Newton School:

For newbies and working professionals, the Grand Coding Contest by Newton School is a good shot. They bring to the seekers a unique Avengers' style Coding Contest where one can compete with the entire coding community in India. The contestants also get a chance to explore job opportunities while simultaneously improving their coding skills and can win exciting cash prizes. With over 15k participants and more than 1 lakh submissions, this coding contest has become India's largest of its kind.

3. International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC):

The International Collegiate Programming Contest, known as the ICPC – annual multi-tiered competitive programming competition that is open to the universities of the world. The contest is a stage for creativity, teamwork, and innovation in building new software programs. It also tests participants' ability to perform under pressure by posing real-time challenges to solve. The contest also provides the ICPC participants with the opportunity to learn about and experience leading-edge issues in computing by presenting them with challenges from different domains in computing.

In order to land lucrative Software Engineer employment, coders must be adept in both software development and competitive programming. It's just like how basketball players not only play basketball but also spend time in the gym during training time. Running on a treadmill or lifting weights may not have a direct impact on their game, but staying in shape does. Software engineers are in the same boat. The world's tech behemoths provide an incredible environment for techies to create experiences that reach billions of people. And, competitive coding reps can be directly applied to acing whiteboard interviews for software engineering gigs.