Design News Feed System (Part 2)

Design News Feed System (Part 2) This is the 2nd part for system design interview question analysis design news feed system. If you havent seen our first post, please go check it. Just briefly summarize what we have discussed in part 1. We started with a simple question how to design news feed system for Facebook that allows users see feeds/updates from friends. We modeled the whole system using relational database and talked about pros and cons of different design. Ranking is an interesting topic for news feed system. We explained some general ideas of ranking in previous post. And in this post, well continue the discussion ranking and also cover topics like feed publishing and so on. Ranking continue The general idea of ranking is to first select features/signals that are relevant and then figure out how to combine them to calculate a final score. This approach is extremely common among lots of real-world systems. As you can see that what matters here are two things features and calculation algorithm. To give you a better idea of it, Id like to briefly introduce how ranking actually works at Facebook EdgeRank. For each news update you have, whenever another user interacts with that feed, they’re creating what Facebook calls an Edge, which includes actions like like and comments. First of all, lets take a look at what features are used to evaluate the importance of an update/feed. Edge Rank basically is using three signals: affinity score, edge weight and time decay. Affinity score (u). For each news feed, affinity score evaluates how close you are with this user. For instance, you are more likely to care about feed from your close friends instead of someone you just met once. You might ask how affinity score is calculated, Ill talk about it soon. Edge weight (e). Edge weight basically reflects importance of each edge. For instance, comments are worth more than likes. Time decay (d). The older the story, the less likely users find it interesting. So how does Facebook rank feeds by these three features? The calculation algorithm is quite straightforward. For each feed you create, multiply these factors for each Edge then add the Edge scores up and you have an updates EdgeRank. And the higher that is, the more likely your update is to appear in the user’s feed. Affinity score We can do exactly the same thing to evaluate affinity score. Various factors can be used to reflect how close two people are. First of all, explicit interactions like comment, like, tag, share, click etc. are strong signals we should use. Apparently, each type of interaction should have different weight. For instance, comments should be worth much more than likes. Secondly, we should also track the time factor. Perhaps you used to interact with a friend quite a lot, but less frequent recently. In this case, we should lower the affinity score. So for each interaction, we should also put the time decay factor. To sum up the ranking section, I hope this common approach for ranking can be one of your takeaways. Also, EdgeRank was first published at 2010 and it can be outdated. Feed publishing When a user loads all the feeds from his friends, it can be an extremely costly action. Remember that a user can have thousands of friends and each of them can publish a huge amount of updates especially for high profile users. To load all feeds from friends, the system requires at least two joins (get friends list and feed list. So how to optimize and scale the feed publishing system? Basically there are two common approaches here push and pull. For a push system, once a user has published a feed, we immediately pushing this feed (actually the pointer to the feed) to all his friends. The advantage is that when fetching feed, you dont need to go through your friends list and get feeds for each of them. It significantly reduces read operation. However, the downside is also obvious. It increases write operation especially for people with a large number of friends. For a pull system, feeds are only fetched when users are loading their home pages. So feed data doesnt need to be sent right after its created. You can see that this approach optimizes for write operation, but can be quite slow to fetch data even after using denormalization (check our previous post if you dont understand this). Both approaches work well at certain circumstances and its always better to understand their pros and cons. Selective fanout The process of pushing an activity to all your friends or followers is called a fanout. So the push approach is also called fanout on write, while the pull approach is fanout on load. Here Id like to ask if you have any approaches to further optimize the fanout process? In fact, you can do a combination of both. Specifically, if you are mainly using push model, what you can do is to disable fanout for high profile users and other people can only load their updates during read. The idea is that push operation can be extremely costly for high profile users since they have a lot of friends to notify. By disabling fanout for them, we can save a huge number of resources. Actually Twitter has seen great improvement after adopting this approach. By the same token, once a user publish a feed, we can also limit the fanout to only his active friends. For non-active users, most of the time the push operation is a waste since they will never come back consuming feeds. Summary If you follow 80-20 rule, 80% of the cost comes from 20% of features/users. As a result, optimization is really about identifying the bottleneck. Also, feed system is a very popular topics since its widely used by so many products nowadays. If you are interested in this topic and want to explore more, Id recommend you take a look at the following resources: Yahoo’s New Research Model Etsy Activity Feeds Architecture Twitters Approach

Before Seeking a New Job, Organize Your Space Part 2 of 3 ePropelr

Before Seeking a New Job, Organize Your Space â€" Part 2 of 3 ePropelr Before Seeking a New Job, Organize Your Space â€" Part 2 of 3 In part 1, we looked at setting up your “physical space.” Part 2 covers some basic set-up issues on the tech side.  Part 2 - Cyberspace â€" Give Yourself a Virtual AdvantageThe amount of job-related material on the internet is overwhelming; however, the good news is (1) there is no need to master all of it and (2) there is no need to even worry about most of it. Setting up a few basic tools is all you need to turn the latest technology to your advantage in the vast universe of job seekers. As raw materials, you simply need a few items you likely already have: a cell phone, a computer, connectivity, and the typical integrated office software package (word processing, email, contacts, calendar, spreadsheet). You may also want to dedicate a special phone number and email account just for your job search as well as set up professional greetings or replies in each. Next, you will want make your work station as “virtual” as possible. This means shredding just about everything in th e supply closet: paper, pads, sticky notes, white boards, file folders, filing cabinets, etc. This stuff clutters your work area, reduces your mobility, and is generally much less efficient when compared to its cyber alternatives. Instead, create a virtual filing system for your digital material using the file folder directories in your software suite. You can arrange your directories in whatever manner makes sense to you (contacts, companies, industries, locations, document type). But however you do it, make sure you can find what you need in no more than a click or two. You do not want to have to go on a scavenger hunt through your system when time is of the essence. Also, be sure all your devices automatically sync with one another so you are certain you always have the most up-to-date versions of everything at your fingertips. Next, set up a task management system to keep you on track (things to do, people to call, companies to research, emails to send, goals to achieve, planets to conquer). It is your system, so use the combination of software you prefer (tables, spreadsheets, databases), but design it so you can easily categorize and prioritize the items, set deadlines, track progress, make adjustments, and mark completions. If you want help with this, there is plenty of advice online on how to do it as well as a few pre-packaged apps that have done it for you. If you set this system up well and stick to it, it can be the primary engine that propels you to job search success.Last, we move to the internet. As already stated, there is way too much information out there to surf from site to site with no reward. So, as part of your set-up, spend some quality “down time” researching and defining what is most likely to work for you online. Then try to limit your online activities (both what you search for and what you post) to those things that move you closer to your intended target employers. Yes, you should Google yourself at the start. Yes, you should set up and take advantage of LinkedIn. Yes, you will want to visit a major job search engine on occasion, not so much to apply to openings, but to gain valuable intel about companies, locations, or positions. Yes, you need to be aware of how HR applicant tracking systems work. And yes, you will want to pick a handful of other online resources you know are consistently useful for your specific search strategies. But once you establish your key online destinations, make your rounds as necessary and then log off. Most jobs are still landed through people not the internet. After designing your new state-of-the-art job search platform, you will definitely not want to design it all over again, especially after it is populated with stacks of hard-earned data. Back up everything all the time. Use flash drives, clouds, back-up services, or whatever works, but make sure everything is automatic, easily retrievable, and not dependent on the continued existence of any single device or drive. The re is a lot more to say about the technology “space” once the job search starts, but we've run out of memory at this point, which segues nicely into our next and last installment â€"  Part 3 â€" The Space between Your Ears. Guest Blogger: Terry WattersonBio: Terry is the President of  Reployment and  a Career Coach with ePropelr. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Rollins College and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an attorney and entrepreneur, he specializes in products and services that help job seekers successfully navigate the career transition process.

Engineering interview questions

Engineering interview questions by Amber Rolfe Not sure what questions you’ll be asked at an engineering interview?If you’ve never had an interview in the engineering industry before, focusing on your technical skills and experience is a great way to stand out to interviewers â€" not to mention demonstrate that you have the right expertise for the role.Aside from some classic curveball questions to assess your problem solving skills, here are five of the most common engineering interview questions you should be prepared for:  Explain mechanical engineering to a five year-old in three sentences Whenever you’re asked to describe or explain something that an interviewer already knows the answer to â€" you’re probably being tested on your ability to summarise information, rather than on the information itself.Engineering also often requires a tight brief. Especially when you’re working to strict deadlines, or need to relay information to clients who might not be specialists in the field.This means str aight forward (and jargon-free) communication is essential to ensuring projects can be completed quickly and efficiently, which is why your ability to summarise is so important to employers. Whatever subject you’re being quizzed on.So whether it’s an engineering process, a type of software, or a broader subject, like your engineering specialism, the key to answering this question well comes down to knowing what is (and what isn’t) valuable information.See also: when to stop talking.Right answer: Mechanical Engineering is all about the design, development, testing and construction of machines. Without it there would be no mobile phones, car engines, robotics, or even computer chips. It’s a great job if you like building things and solving problems.Wrong answer: Machines. And. Things.  What skills and abilities do you think are essential for an engineer? Translation: do you understand what it takes to be an engineer?This question serves two purposes: to check you know what key skills make a good engineer, and to test whether you fit the bill.Start by describing the ‘perfect engineer’ â€" using your knowledge of the role, as well as the job description (which you would’ve read thoroughly before your interview), alongside your chosen specialism and personal experience in the field.Then, explain how you know these skills are important for someone working in engineering â€" using your own experiences as an example.That way, you’ll show you’re a good fit, whilst backing up your answer at the same time.Right answer: Obviously excellent problem solving and communication skills are absolutely vital for any engineer. But I think good judgement is also really underrated. Even with all the right training, you need the experience to tell exactly what’s needed for a project â€" not to mention have the bravery to ask for help or go back to the drawing board when things aren’t working.Wrong answer: I’d probably say good listening skills. And, um…sorry , what was the question again?      How do you ensure you don’t make mistakes on the job?Sloppy work is a common bugbear for many engineering employers â€" but it doesn’t mean mistakes don’t happen.Depending on the type and size of the projects you’ve dealt with in the past, your answer should primarily demonstrate your attention to detail, knowledge of practical engineering processes, and project management skills.Additionally, placing an emphasis on the importance of good communication is a great way to show your understanding of what makes a project work.Because whether it’s between team members or clients, how well you use your interpersonal skills can often be the difference between a successful project and one that doesn’t go quite to plan.To really add value to your answer, always try and provide real examples of how utilising these abilities have helped you produce work at a high standard.Right answer: I think communication is essential to avoid mistakes, and ca n even help to spot them. During a recent project, I was having trouble understanding the feasibility of a technical drawing I’d been sent to work on. And because email chains can often get messy and confusing, I set up a face-to-face meeting with the team to talk it through. Not only did we manage to get on the same page, we also ended up catching a mistake, potentially saving hundreds of hours of the team’s time.Wrong answer: Why, what have you heard?What’s your favourite/least favourite part of engineering? Aside from testing whether you have a genuine interest in the role and what it entails, this question is also asked to judge your attitude to work.The best answers will be honest opinions based on your strengths and weaknesses â€" but will also focus on your willingness to grow, learn, and adapt, to make the tasks you don’t like become tasks you do like.And although you shouldn’t say there’s absolutely nothing you don’t like about engineering, you should also be careful with what you complain about â€" especially if the duties you like least happen to make up a large part of the role.Always read the job description thoroughly before the interview â€" and you’ll be able to make sure your likes and dislikes are in line with the role, as well as ensure it’s actually the right position for you.And if all else fails, a little humour can go a long way…Right answer: My favourite part has to be the practical elements of the job, especially when I solve problems hands-on to make a machine work. I’m not always a massive fan of the tedious paperwork side of things, but I also understand that it’s key to the smooth running of any project. You can’t have one without the other.Wrong answer: Oh, do people actually enjoy work?  Give me an example of a time you’ve combined practical and technical ability in a projectBeing a successful engineer is all about having a good combination of technical knowledge and practical experience â€" and this q uestion is asked to gain proof of this.As with any other type of competency question, the key to a successful answer is to back yourself up with a tangible example, and talk about how displaying these skills led to a successful piece of work.Examples could include anything from using your technical knowledge from your degree or apprenticeship, to applying them practically in a work experience placement.Also, if possible, try and talk about relevant projects you’ve been involved in that may be beneficial to the role you’re applying for.Just always avoid the temptation to lie. An imperfect answer is always better than being fake.Right answer: Learning about risk management was part of my degree, but I never had to use it until a couple of months ago â€" when a plot of commercial land my team and I were working on was damaged by large-scale flooding. I had to put my skills into practice fast, and learn as I went along. Eventually, we fixed the problem, and our quick thinking was ev en able to save the company money.Wrong answer: Do guesstimates count?  Need more interview questions?Not sure any of these questions will come up? Don’t panic. We’ve got plenty more…Buy James Reed’s new book:  Why You? 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again and start loving Mondays now.  Still searching for your perfect position? View all available engineering jobs now

Six reasons to become PRINCE2® qualified right now

Six reasons to become PRINCE2 ® qualified right now by Michael Cheary Considering a PRINCE2 ® qualification, but not sure what it can do for you?Whether you’re a project management pro looking to certify your skills, or you’re just entering the industry and you’re sure where to start, becoming PRINCE2 ® qualified could be the perfect way to kick-on in your career.Don’t believe us? We spoke to the experts at Study365, who gave us their six top reasons you should take a PRINCE2 ® course right now.1. Because it’s the industry standardIf you’re looking to work in project management, look no further.PRINCE2 ® is a globally recognised qualification, endorsed by the UK government, and best practice for project management.In fact, not only is it the number one benchmark of capability within the industry, it’s also considered a key qualification for those looking to progress their project management careers.2. You’ll become more employableMany companies ask for their Project Managers to be PRINCE2 ® qualified as a prere quisite.It’s also structured in a way to help both entry-level and more experienced project managers progress their career. Completion of the PRINCE2 ® Foundation qualification will allow you to start applying for Project Administrator and PMO Co-ordinator positions right away.Once you’re PRINCE2 ® Practitioner qualified, becoming a fully-fledged Project Manager or Programme Co-ordinator is easily achievable.3. You’ll be qualified in next to no timeAll three PRINCE2 ® certifications are quick to complete, ranging from 20-50 hours for the entry-level PRINCE2 ® Foundation level, to two or three days for the PRINCE2 ® Practitioner and Professional levels.The first level can be studied online, at your own pace, allowing you to fit your studies around your schedule.And, if you’re looking to get qualified fast, there are a number of packages which bundle the different classifications together.4. You’ll earn more moneyJobs looking for PRINCE2 ® Foundation qualified candidates off er an average annual salary of £32,000.Once PRINCE2 ® Practitioner has been completed, this figure could potentially rise to the £50,000 mark.So not only is it attractive in the short term, there are also a number of long-term financial benefits of a PRINCE2 ® qualified career.5. You’ll open global doorsPRINCE2 ® qualifications are recognised and respected around the world.So, aside from reinforcing your skillset to potential employers domestically, it also opens up a number of opportunities across the globe.Ever wanted to work or travel abroad? Just want to have the option open to you later on in your career? PRINCE2 ® could be the perfect solution.6. You’ll manage projects more successfullyFinally, the successful delivery of a project depends on a number of different factors, including (but not limited to) it coming out on time, to a certain level of quality, and within budget.PRINCE2 ® provides Project Managers with the structure they need to ensure all deadlines are met, a nd that there is a framework in place to help hit core KPIs.What’s more, PRINCE2 ® is designed to be flexible, and can be tailored to any kind of project, regardless of size and industry you work in.PRINCE2 ®: What you need to knowWhy study with Study365?Study365 is one of the UK’s leading vocational and professional accredited course providers, offering over 1000 courses to students worldwide for more than seven years.Not only are their courses created by industry experts, they’re also available to be taken fully online â€" meaning the course material is delivered straight to you, and can be adapted to fit in with your lifestyle.Benefits of learning with Study365 include:Expert tutor support throughout your coursePractice papers and mock examsImmersive learning experiences, including video tutorials, narrated e-learning and quizzesFlexible and affordable pricing schemesNo hidden fees exams are included in the price of the courseFind out moreReady to let PRINCE2 ® take your p roject management career to the next level? Enquire now.Study365 is one of the UK’s leading course providers, with more than 150,000 students on their books across the globe.

OPS Analyst Job Description - Algrim.co

Operations Analyst Job Description - Algrim.co Operations Analyst Job Description Template Download our set of working responsibilities layout in Word or PDF position. Moment download. No email required. Download Template Utilizing Your Template Adhere to these directions to utilize your new position portrayal layout Stage one: Fill out all subtleties part of your set of working responsibilities format utilizing the gave test on this page. Stage two: Customize your necessities or obligations to anything uncommon to your working environment. Make certain to talk with colleagues and chiefs to measure what's expected of the position. Stage three: When the evaluation of the group has concurred on the depiction of the work, include an Equal Employment Opportunity articulation to the base of your expected set of responsibilities. Stage four: Check with your legitimate office, supervisory crew, and other colleagues to guarantee the set of working responsibilities looks right before making a vocation ad. Pick a vocation board that is explicit to your requirements.

Want More Opportunities with Employers Find Shared Core Values [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

Need More Opportunities with Employers Find Shared Core Values [Guest Post] - Career Pivot Find Shared Core Values Copyright: feverpitched/123RF Stock Photo Calling attention to the generational contrasts in the working environment is presently a stale discussion and no longer makes us the sparkling star. Oneof a couple of ways more seasoned occupation searchers can battle age discriminationand disturb the employing procedure is through connections in the organization and sharing regular fundamental beliefs with the organization itself. In 2003, I worked for a little beginning up where generally everybody had families and relationships, however there was a high feeling of trustworthiness. I believe that was the reason I made the cut as the scrutinizing during the meeting was to reveal my resilience of a scarcity in that department. It isn't so much that more seasoned specialists are unequipped for getting a handle on tech, it's the conduct kicking and shouting about learning one all the more new thing. There is a spot to compromise where it's conceivable the organization innately remunerates conduct mirroring its fundamental beliefs. Basic beliefs for most more seasoned specialists show in their life and vocation Businesses can't prepare character or solid guiding principle in representatives. In spite of the fact that organizations will accentuate the activity aptitudes hole, they need workers with the privilege delicate range of abilities. One path for more established specialists to associate with managers is to show high guiding principle. Workers are more put resources into the organization's crucial they share basic beliefs. These qualities for most more established specialists show in their life and profession. At the organization I worked for, the administrator made a special effort to guarantee we were clear about our client's desires and how it ought to be reflected in the store first. It was without dramatization, dissimilar to the greater organization I had quite recently left. On the off chance that more seasoned laborers see whether they mean something to a business, it can fill in as influence to enlist, particularly if guiding principle mean something to both. A more established laborer has a more tight handle on their fundamental beliefs. More youthful specialists center around their hard ranges of abilities while most more seasoned laborers have applied information, aptitudes, and an intense consciousness of self. Basic beliefs change over timeand may coordinate the businesses, and the fit may bring about genuine thought. In the event that a worker settles on business choices driven by shared qualities, at that point it works out ideal for both. Representatives are more put resources into the organization's strategic they share basic beliefs. As a more established specialist, it is dependent upon you to discover shared opinion at each chance Businesses inspect basic beliefs during the recruiting procedure. Social Assessments are utilized to pass contender to the following round, as a rule to an individual to-individual meeting, however don't gauge guiding principle. The shared conviction becomes apparent when the applicant and the business develop acquainted with each other through the procedure. Alongside the other research you're leading on organizations (you are inquiring about organizations, right?), examine the organization's fundamental beliefs. Here are not many things that should stick out if the organization underscores their basic beliefs: â€" Core esteems ought to be EASY to discover Zappos has a total page of their guiding principle. Actually, you'll discover a few pages where they list their basic beliefs and how they influence Zappos culture. It appears guiding principle drive the organization's strategic succeed and the worker is its most important impetus for progress. â€" Do they give preparing of their basic beliefs? Zappos additionally go through three days of preparing during their onboarding preparing for fresh recruits. The open door as a more astute and prepared activity searcher to share the organization's basic beliefs would cement their value to the organization. Tune in to the latest scene â€" Look for the organization with guiding principle in real life Public statements are a decent method to see whether the organization tries to do they say others should do. On the off chance that an organization says, they grasp decent variety and network, is it reflected in the executives and volunteer network? Unquestionably there are pictures from the network they serve that demonstrates this, isn't that so? Bank of America is another genuine case of expressing what their basic beliefs are yet in addition demonstrating how it shows all through the organization on their YouTube channel. â€" Is the organization's initiative discussing it straightforwardly Alright, they have clear guiding principle as a page on their site. Are the organization's President and C-Suite officials discussing them in their correspondence to workers? What about the press? All things considered, see what Sharon John, Build-A-Bear's CEO says about her organization's guiding principle and how ability alone isn't all that matters. â€" Are they receptive to inquiries concerning its guiding principle In the event that an organization says it's a family, they should bolster workers who have families, for example, maternity and parent leave, correct? While working for the beginning up, it was obvious families started things out. Not exclusively were the inquiries concerning family replied in my meeting, yet additionally consistent fortification happened all through my time there. During this period my children were in grade school, and when crises came up, there was never an issue leaving early. The organization I left was likewise strong of families, yet what was various was the little family feel of the beginning up. It wasn't workable for a huge company to duplicate. You'll have to perceive how Phenomenal abilities are fundamental however what will make a more established activity searcher fit in the organization? Look past the work area and begin discovering what makes the organization and its initiative engine run. You can frequently discover it in the guiding principle and how it lines up with yours. This post was composed by Mark Anthony Dyson who is The Voice of Job Seekers, vocation advisor, work searcher advocate, profession essayist, and organizer of this honor winning website. I help the utilized, jobless, underemployed, and undervalued secure occupations utilizing position search methodologies to explore the new position advertise. He can be foundTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn, his website:http://thevoiceofjobseekers.comand oniTunes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/web recording/the-voice-of-work searchers/id704984053. Like what you simply read? Offer it with your companions utilizing the catches above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Look at the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

What a Creative Career Doesnt ( Does!) Care About - When I Grow Up

What a Creative Career Doesnt ( Does!) Care About - When I Grow Up I Donut Care by Wood with Pictures I've been The When I Grow Up Coach for as far back as 6 years, working with imaginative ladies to get them out of their spirit sucking employments and into work that feels like play. Also, in that time and in view of the kind of work I do I've gone over all the reasons for a specialist to not be prepared to dispatch their business or focus on their work. It causes me to sob, particularly since the things we disclose to ourselves that issue with regards to having a fruitful inventive profession are typically, um, the things that don't make a difference. Snap here to bounce over to the Freelancers Union blog read about what a creative profession doesn't ( does!) care about. This beginnings tomorrow! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!