Ask HN: Why I have to read “cracking the coding interview” for interview? - master_yoda_1
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itamarst
You don't. I've never read it, I have had many jobs.

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chatmasta
Because interviews are not testing your knowledge, but rather your ability to
successfully prepare for and execute a set of tasks within a broadly defined
scope of requirements. And all else being equal, a candidate who reads _CtcI_
before an interview will be better prepared for success than one who does not.

It’s the same thing with consulting/banking interviews, standardized testing,
and generally many gatekeeping mechanisms. It’s a test of preparation and the
ability to set yourself up for successful execution.

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thorin
You might have a better chance with the interview by improving your
communication skills first! The book can be found free online, worth a skim as
there are some points in there everyone would benefit from. For a one book
solution I'd probably go for code complete before this one.

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starbugs
Read it or at least read the parts that interest you. It helps developing a
mindset for technical interviews and an awareness for the kind of questions
being asked.

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enrmarc
Reading "Cracking the coding interview" is like studying the day before of an
exam.

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dawidw
You don't have to but:

1\. you may be surprised what questions you may get during the interview

2\. it doesn't harm to read it

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meiraleal
Because you want to be well prepared for it, if you are not already.

