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What I'Ve Learned From Giving Coding Interviews

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23 views8 pages

What I'Ve Learned From Giving Coding Interviews

Uploaded by

ddlyt000124
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What I’ve Learned from

Giving Coding Interviews

Is there anything more intimidating than live coding in front of

someone during an interview? I think not.

I used to be so frightened of live coding interviews. So much so

that, for a while, that’s what prevented me from finding a new job.

I didn’t want to have to study complex algorithms and computer

science “riddles” that nobody uses in their day-to-day job just to

land a new role.

This just didn’t feel like an efficient use of my time when I could

be grinding away at real-world projects instead.


Eventually, I bit the bullet and started applying for new roles,

knowing very well that the coding interviews could not be

avoided. Practicing SQL Leetcode problems each day definitely

did help, but there’s so much more to them than knowing the

language.

At the time, I didn’t quite realize what makes one candidate stand

out from another in a coding interview. Now, I perform them at

my current company and see a huge difference in the candidates I

pass and those that don’t make it to the next round.

Here’s how you can pass your coding interviews:

1. Prepare ahead of time

This may seem so simple but you’d be surprised how many people

don’t review the different types of SQL functions or proper Python


syntax. It’s ok to not know everything (we have Google after all)

but at least show you’ve tried to prepare.

The week before your interview, spend at least an hour each night

working through practice problems and googling along the way.

You may feel like you’re failing by searching for answers, but

really you are just helping to teach yourself.

It’s a more efficient use of your time to find the solution you are

looking for rather than racking your brain for something you

won’t properly remember anyways.

In addition to practice problems, brush up on functions that are

most popular in whatever language you are using. For SQL, be

sure to know the differences between COUNT and SUM as well as

have familiarity with window functions that could help you solve a

problem more efficiently.


With Python, study key concepts such as arrays, lists, and

dictionaries. These almost always show up in coding interviews so

be sure you know their functionality well.

2. Clarify assumptions

Lots of times candidates will dig right into a problem, making

certain assumptions, without clarifying them first. You don’t want

to assume one thing and work out the entire solution only to find

out that was the wrong assumption.

I’ve experienced someone coding through an entire problem, not

talking through what they were doing, only to be totally off base

from what I was looking for.

If you have to calculate retention or conversion rate, clarify the

formula with the interviewer before coding the problem out. If


you’re assuming certain edge cases don’t apply to your function,

let the interviewer know. The more communication the better!

This will save you time, which can be valuable if the company is

judging you on how many questions you can get through.

3. Talk through what you’re doing

To reiterate, talk talk talk! The more communicating you do, the

more the interviewer understands your thought process. The

more they understand your thought process, the more they

understand where things went wrong.

If you’re getting the problem wrong but not communicating how

you’re thinking about it, it’s easy for the interviewer to get lost and

assume you simply don’t know what you’re doing.


When you’re communicating and something goes wrong, it’s

easier to pinpoint where the mistake occurred and to easily fix it.

In the end, this will save you time in working through difficult

problems and prevent you from getting stuck.

Even if it seems obvious to you what you’re coding, talk about it!

You can’t always assume your tactic to solve the problem is the

most straightforward. There are always multiple ways to solve a

problem and your way may not be someone else’s way.

4. Ask questions if you’re unsure

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Whoever is testing you realizes

that Google is an integral part of an engineer’s job. We can’t

remember every syntax, function, and formula to every exist! If

you know what function you are trying to use, but forget the exact

name, ask.
For example, in one of my Python interviews, I needed to use the

function that made a string all lowercase. I forgot whether it was

is_lowercase() or lowercase(), so I asked the interviewer. He was

also unsure and quickly searched for the right function for me to

use.

If I hadn’t asked I could have been struggling for ten minutes

trying out different names for something so simple. Interviewers

aren’t testing you to see if you can remember every tiny detail of a

language. They want to understand how you think about and work

through difficult problems.

Don’t fret the small stuff like remembering the exact function

name. If you aren't 100% sure, just ask.

Conclusion
We put way more pressure on ourselves for coding interviews

than we have to. Don’t fear them. Look at them as a challenge to

stretch your way of thinking and learn something new. If you

communicate clearly, then you have a good chance of passing even

if you don’t get every problem right.

I’ve been shocked to hear that I’ve passed certain Python

interviews when I couldn’t solve an entire problem in a way that

was most efficient. However, I practiced all four of these tips and

that in itself made a huge difference. Employers want to hire

someone with good critical thinking skills and the ability to

communicate the issues they are running into.

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