Building Projects vs. LeetCode: Real-World Engineering Skills

Building real projects showcases essential engineering skills that matter more than solving LeetCode problems for job success.

### The Importance of Building Projects Over LeetCode for Career Success
* 💼 Nine months ago, I focused on LeetCode to prepare for a technical interview, believing that **mastering easy and medium problems** would suffice for success.
* 🧩 While solving LeetCode questions demonstrates coding ability, what truly makes a candidate stand out is the ability to **build real-world projects** that showcase **practical skills**.
* 💡 I found that my ability to **discuss my experiences and projects**, such as a Black-Scholes option pricer, significantly contributed to my **success in landing a job**.
* 🔍 Building projects involves taking an idea from inception to production, a skill that is often **overlooked and not taught** through LeetCode practice.
* 🏗 The best engineers are those who can create **efficient, high-quality solutions** that effectively solve customer problems, distinguishing them from those who can only solve **basic algorithmic challenges**.
* 🚀 Real-world engineering skills, demonstrated through project work, are more valuable than LeetCode prowess in the long run, as they **prepare you for the demands of the industry**.
* 📈 Ultimately, aspiring engineers should focus on **creating original and meaningful projects** rather than merely replicating common tutorials, as this will **better prepare them for their careers**.
* 🗣 If you found this perspective helpful, let me know, as I plan to share **more insights like this weekly**.

Grind LeetCode or Build Projects?

MegzMugz

LeetCode vs. Building Projects for Job Interviews

The speaker discusses the debate between focusing on LeetCode or building projects for job interviews.

Personal experience of LeetCode practice for a technical interview.

Solving easy LeetCode problems demonstrates coding ability, but building real-world projects is more impactful.

Real-world project experience, such as a Black-Scholes option pricer, was a key factor in securing a job.

LeetCode's value as a proxy for coding skills in interviews is acknowledged, but building projects is emphasized as more crucial.

The Importance of Real-World Engineering Skills

Basic coding skills are common; building impressive projects differentiates candidates.

Building projects showcases real-world engineering skills, which are more valuable than LeetCode proficiency.

High initial salary doesn't guarantee long-term success without strong real-world skills.

Real-world skills provide job security and career progression.

Focus on building original, interesting projects, not simple tutorials.

Projects should be unique and showcase independent thought and research.

The ability to independently research and build a project is more valuable than following tutorials.