Do You Need to Know Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) to Land a Web Development Job?

A lot of developers have this question:

Is this something I need to have in an interview so that I can get a job?

I think that's a lot of people's biggest worry.

Let's start with the early developer in mind. Let's say you went through a boot camp or you just graduated from college or you're self-taught or you're at an early stage of your career and now you're looking to interview for your first position or a new position.

The reality is, data structures and algorithms is not a requirement to get a job. There are tons of companies out there that hire without doing those types of interviews.

This is a GitHub repository of a ton of companies that hire without whiteboards. You can scroll through this.

It's a really, really big list of companies that hire without having to do that sort of interview. So, there are tons of opportunities out there to get by and to successfully get a job without ever doing a DSA interview.

But, the caveat to this is if you want to work for big tech companies—commonly known as Fang companies, such as Google—then you need to be prepared for DSA interviews.

I've personally experienced this rigorous process. At companies like Google, you typically face six to eight interviews, many of which are centered around data structures and algorithms. During these interviews, you're tasked with solving problems while the interviewer observes your approach and coding skills.

If your aspiration is to land a job at these tech giants, then mastering data structures and algorithms is a must.

So, especially in the early stages of your career, you have the opportunity to tailor your interview experience based on your preferences and aspirations.