Prepare For The Environment Youll Be In
When practicing, Ive found that its important to prepare not only for the coding problems themselves, but also for the environment in which those problems will be posed to you.
- If you have a phone interview set up, practice answering questions on an online text editor that has no compiler or code running capabilities, and none of the conveniences provided by the code editors you normally use, for example, syntax highlighting or auto completion.
- On the other hand, if youre doing an on-site interview, get your hands on a whiteboard and practice writing your solutions out by hand. Its easy to underestimate how important this aspect of interview preparation is.
In contrast to actually solving the problems and learning all the content, this sort of preparation can seem like a minor detail. However, in my experience, it can make a significant difference to how confident and settled you feel on the day of the interview.
How To Ace Coding Interviews
I must have been in almost a hundred coding interviews. Sometimes as an interviewee and sometimes as an interviewer. I have struggled in front of the whiteboard and I have seen many candidates struggle.
Getting a job at a FAANG company can provide you, among other things, the following benefits:
- Great compensation
- An impressive CV
I did it and I can tell you it is absolutely worth it.
This will not be another ‘How to crack the Google interview’ guide, rehashing the same generic tips: study hard, practice, relax, and sleep well the day before the interview. This is based on years of experience, both as a candidate and as an interviewer.
You are not alone if you feel that coding interviews are far from perfect – I am there with you – but it is the game you have to play if you want the job. I have been rejected several times and I also have cracked the Amazon interview in just two months of study, while I had a full-time job. I have learned a lot in this process.
I do not have a degree in computer science. I had to start from scratch. This is the guide I wish I have had when I started my journey as a developer.
Not being at a FAANG company does not mean you are not a great developer. It only means you haven’t cracked the interviews yet. Keep reading if you want to get a step by step guide on how to prepare to get that job.
How To Pass A Technical Interview
After taking all the steps to ensure that you’re ready to put your best foot forward, it’s time to take your technical interview. Technical interviews can occur both in-person or remotely. If it’s in-person, you may be asked to write your code on a whiteboard. If it’s remote, you might use a code editor.
Regardless of where it’s held, there are several steps you can take to make sure your technical interview is a success.
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Microsoft Coding Interview: Process
Microsoft is always looking for smart people, like all companies. But this company is looking for a candidate who is passionate about technology. During the coding interview at Microsoft, you probably wont be tested on the ins and outs of APIs, but you will have to write code on the board.
During the coding interview at Microsoft, you will first have a brief interview with a recruiter who will ask you a few questions to prepare yourself. Typically, your first interviewer will not ask you about coding and technical questions, but if you are asked about coding and technical questions, they will only serve to prepare you for your next rounds so that you are less nervous in the next round.
You will have the coding interview at Microsoft at the office itself, unlike many companies where you are interviewed in a conference room. But if the Covid-19 continues till your interview, you can have a virtual interview where you give an interview on a video call, but the entire process remains the same. On the day of your interview, you will have 4 to 5 interviews. Make sure to be nice with all your interviewers as they can fight for you to be hired or not.
React Coding Interview How To Stand Out And Ace The Challenges
As a React developer, I have gone through my fair share of front-end coding interviews. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience the process from the other side as an interviewer. Here is what I’ve learned.
Coding interview usually involve a multi-step process where interviewers assess everything from basic technical knowledge to culture fit. Every step of that process is important and should not be underestimated. Prepare for all of it and prepare well.
But there is one thing that is at the core of every React interview.
Inevitably, at some point, you have to build a React app.
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Brush Up On The Basics:
For each of the four major question themes outlined above, begin by reviewing the fundamentals. These descriptions can be found in various online sources as well as books. Specifically:
- Machine Learning: and The Elements of Statistical Learning by Jerome H. Friedman, Robert Tibshirani, and Trevor Hastie.
- Mathematics and Statistics: brilliant.org one of the recommended materials in Facebooks onsite interview prep guide.
Acing The Technical Interview: A Complete Guide
Technical interviews allow you to showcase your knowledge and skills to prospective employers. They can be exciting, knowing that you’re that much closer to a job offer if you do well. They can also be intimidating especially if you’ve never done one before or struggled with them in the past. But don’t worry. We’re here to help.
Below, we’ve outlined everything you’ll need to know to ace your next technical interview, including preparation, practice, and tips for impressing your interviewer. Read on for the full guide or jump to a specific section using the table of contents below.
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What Concepts Are Emphasized During A Coding Interview
Concepts frequently emphasized include arrays and strings, binary trees, dynamic programming, and linked lists. According to CoderPad, other common interview topics include breadth-first search algorithms, palindrome checker, and sorted lists of numbers. Interviewers may emphasize data structures and algorithms.
Common data structures tested include arrays, linked lists, stacks, and queues. Common algorithms tested include recursion, bubble sort, insertion sort, and binary search.
Of course, the interview topics will also depend on the role you are interviewing for and the skills and tools that will likely be needed for the job.
In addition to assessing your technical skills, the interviewer will also be watching for examples of creative thinking and the ability to receive and apply feedback. They may look for signs that tell them how you may fit in with the team and company culture, and judge your understanding of the role and the company’s work.
How To Ace A Code Review Interview
A Code Review, also sometimes called a “Peer Code Review,” is the software engineering process that involves developers looking over code for mistakes or other problems. In many instances, code reviews involve many different developers working together. The process is a cornerstone of producing good software, no matter the company. After all, code is written by human beings, and, unfortunately, nobody’s perfect. Mistakes, one way or another, will be made. Fortunately, these mistakes can be caught and fixed efficiently through systematic code reviews.
It’s a practice that will likely come up, in some form or another, during your software engineer interview. There are many different tools or methods certain companies use for code reviews. However, SWE candidates need to understand the concept of the process itself.
How does this relate to software engineering interviews?
In some software engineering or engineering management interviews, your hiring manager may ask you to perform a code review project. In many cases, this will be a take-home assignment that you’ll be asked to complete before your on-site interviews. Some interviews even give candidates the option of conducting a code review instead of a coding interview round. However, this is usually more common during engineering manager interviews.
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How To Ace A Coding Bootcamp Interview
- Jay Wengrow, CEO of Actualize
The popularity of coding bootcamps makes it increasingly important to ace your interview. Many competitive applicants come through the doors, but bootcamps will have limited availability. How can you stand out from the rest? Here are 4 tips to remember:
1. Professionalism – As with all interviews, have a professional appearance. Is this a business interview requiring formal attire? No – we’re developers. Hardly ever will you catch us wearing something like that. But that doesn’t mean we just dress sloppy. Look nice, be presentable, treat it like it’s a big deal. Hand in hand with this is acting and speaking professionally. You may feel comfortable during the interview, but don’t let your guard slip. Language is a key indicator of who you are – don’t let us get the wrong impression of you. Nothing beats a firm handshake, except for maybe making consistent eye contact throughout the interview.
4. Follow Instructions – Almost every interview will end with instructions on doing a coding exercise. This perhaps isn’t technically part of the interview, but it definitely is part of the application. If you ace the interview, doing the exercise incorrectly will do nothing for you. There’s a good chance you’ll get a no if you prove you can’t follow instructions. Does it take time to read everything? Yes, but do it. You are passionate about this, right? Follow the instructions and provide correct code.
Inside Tips On How To Ace Coding Interviews In Top Companies
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Heres what you can do next. Learn more about HackerEarths
Software is a great combination between artistry and engineering. Bill Gates
In college, I wanted to learn to build things that would have a significant and positive impact on mankind. I looked around and saw that there were people and organizations out there that were doing this on a daily basis. They were pushing the human race forward with their numerous contributions to society. But unfortunately for me, I was not able to find anyone/anything that could show me the path to these organizations or offer me the necessary guidance toward cracking their coding interviews. I discovered how to ace coding interviews the hard way, by getting knocked from one resource to another, finally securing offers from HackerEarth, Microsoft, Airbus and GeeksforGeeks in my final year. This was why I wanted to share my learning with whoevers now looking for that guide. They can invest their time and energy in the right direction from the very beginning.
A lot of people who are job hunting want to know just how to land a great job at a swanky company. They want to know what are all the types of questions asked in their interviews and the topics that they should prepare for. If you are one of those people, you are in the right place. We hope that we will be able to help you prepare and ace your coding interviews!
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Tried And True Techniques To Prepare For A Coding Interview
Coding interviews are a mixed bag. It depends on the company, the interviewer, your skill set, etc. Theres no silver bullet for acing the interview, no matter how much we wished. It essentially comes down to how you prepare.
This may seem trivial, but youd be surprised at how many candidates wait till the last minute to start laying out their plan. Here, weve outlined the top 5 things you should do to prepare for the interview.
Heres what well cover today:
Memorize A Story That Illustrates Your Skill
At some point during your technical interview, you may be asked about your prior experience. Having a story readily available will help illustrate your familiarity with the knowledge and skills required for the position.
Use the notes you took while completing a project to create an outline and commit it to memory. Then, test it out on people. Share the story with your friends until you’re able to tell it without any stammering or pauses. This will help you sound confident during your technical interview, and being able to succinctly describe the problems you encountered and your solutions will demonstrate your expertise.
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Apply Clean Code Principles
Is your code readable? Are you hard coding values? Do your variable and function names make sense? Are you writing small functions or is the entire solution in one big function?
These are some things interviewers look out for in regards to your code. Sometimes its difficult to write production-level code under time pressure, and Its okay to take some shortcuts. Use your best judgment be sure to let the interviewer know Im doing X so I can do this quick, but Id do Y if I were committing to production.
Even when the shortcuts are obvious, or the naming is bad because youre in a rush, mention anything that makes the code messier or harder to read. Remember that the interviewer knows nothing of your coding abilities outside of what you show them in this hour. The interviewer might think the shortcuts and you use in the interview are a reflection of how you code at work.
Test your code incrementally. This will help you catch and correct syntax issues as you go. If its a multipart problem, as you solve and test for new requirements, make sure your tests still pass for the previous sections.
Dont over-engineer. While its important to keep in mind clean code practices, dont get too sucked into these principles that you lose sight of the overall problem. The priority is to solve the question solving it cleanly nets you extra points.
Build The Hard Skills
Get in the habit of regularly doing code challenges. Its a much more effective way to prepare for coding interview questions than trying to cram a bunch of studying in before the big day. Its important to schedule time each day to attempt at least one code challenge. Youll get better at solving them, and youll also get better at outlining your process and speaking to it. A few great websites to help you practice code challenges in varying degrees of difficulty include LeetCode
These code challenges help build the essential hard skills you need to perform well in a coding interview technically. If youre applying for a mid-level position as a software engineer, youll want to feel pretty solid with these types of practice problems in your interview preparation. If youre gearing up for your first technical interview as a junior engineer, youll want at least some exposure and practice with these.
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Tips On How To Ace Your Whiteboard Interview
To help you prepare for your upcoming whiteboard interviews, weve compiled a list of tips thatll help you showcase your technical, communicative, and problem-solving skills. Not only will they make for a smoother interview, but theyll also help put your mind at ease. When youre relaxed, nervousness is less likely to get in the way of clear thinking and communication.
Tips To Ace Coding Interviews
Before the interview, it is worth clarifying with recruiters what kinds of coding questions will be asked, as well as the approximate difficulty level. Lots of data science interviews do not require heavy programming, but that does not mean interviewers will not expect basic coding proficiency at your fingertips. Always ask your recruiter what to expect. If you make incorrect assumptions on the types of questions that can appear during interviews, you may end up preparing inadequately.
During the interview, use these tips to answer coding questions effectively.
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Preparing For Technical Interviews
Prospective engineers often face a challenge when it comes to preparing for the technical interview, largely because there is no playbook for how companies set them up technical. Itâs unclear whether to prepare by memorizing many different topics, or focusing on specific projects. Is it better to practice with a computer or a peer engineer? There are an overwhelming number of resources available online, but with little clarity as to what the standard is for a technical interview and little guidance from the company on what to expect, most of the time engineers start technical interviews in the dark.
Inconsistencies in the technical interview process isnât just a job candidate problem. In fact, many companies struggle to set up a technical interview process that is effective, equitable, and allows the hiring manager to compare candidates. The problem with technical interviewing compounds when a company is experiencing rapid growth.
Listen To Every Detail
Coding interviews are interactive so practice your attentive listening! Your active listening reveals the intelligence and inquisitiveness in the interview.
When you listen to a problem, you need to pay attention to all of the details so that you are not off to the races solving the wrong problem. Asking for clarification is encouraged.
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Always Go For Alternatives
If we talk about programming, then chances are theres an alternative solution. Many times, you may have more than one answer to the problem. Dont pick the best one.
Firstly, analyze the approach that might suit the culture of the company. Once you explain this approach, subtly mention the alternative approach, which can benefit certain scenarios.
The reason why explaining an alternative approach offers additional credibility to the candidate is because it proves you are not depicting only textbook knowledge. It shows that you can find different solutions too.
For example, if you have been asked to write code for a streaming Android app. You may choose a quick approach to write the code. But, verbally explaining about a long approach will speak volumes.
