The Frustration of an Interview and the Importance of Speaking with Numbers

Hello, this is Haruta Watanabe.

First, I apologize for the delay in this post.

While I usually develop mobile apps and websites, I have now completed the 31st week of my studies with a view towards a career as a software engineer and data scientist. This week, while continuing with advanced input, I faced the practical front of job hunting and found a major challenge for the future.

Week 31 Reflection

This week, I proceeded with learning the “DL Fundamentals” course from the Matsuo-Iwasawa Lab in parallel with my algorithm studies.

Also, as part of my job hunting, I took part in an interview. During the interview, there was a moment where I was asked for “detailed data numbers” regarding my past efforts and development, but I was unable to answer accurately and felt extremely frustrated. It was a valuable experience that made me acutely realize the importance of grasping and being able to discuss my achievements and the behavior of my products not through intuition, but as “quantitative numbers” when aiming to become an engineer or data scientist.

Week 32 Goals

In week 32, keeping the reflections from the interview in mind, I will focus on building an unwavering technical foundation.

• Continued Study of Algorithms and Data Structures Continuing from last week, I will focus on learning algorithms and data structures, which are the root of programming, and cultivate the ability to construct more accurate and efficient logic.

Going Forward

I will continue to post a summary of my previous week’s reflection and my goals for the current week every Monday.

Thank you for your continued support.