There’s a lot you need to know before jumping into your coding interview. Worried about making it?
Don’t be. You are not the first person in this position. We've helped many professionals hailing from the software industry get what they deserve — their dream job!
Equipped with this experience, we offer the right tools and tactics you need for mastering coding interviews with courses like Grokking Coding Interview Patterns in Python. Moreover, we can also confirm that preparation is key to acing the interview.
It all depends on your years of experience and the gap between your level and what your desired job warrants. It could require 5 or 50+ hours of practice, but rest assured that we’ve got your back!
In this article, we’ll guide you on how to set the stage in your favor for mastering coding interviews with courses like Grokking Coding Interview Patterns in Python. Just follow these steps effectively and you’ll be more prepared to land your dream job at a top-tier company like Google or Facebook.
This is how to, in simplified terms, prepare for your coding interview:
1. Understand the complete process
2. Solve tricky problems and questions
3. Brush up on your skills
4. Practice mock interviews
So, let’s start the process of instilling you with more confidence to crack your coding interview.
1. Understand the complete process
Before jumping into the interview, here’s a quick read to help you understand what the entire process can be, and basically cover the hoops you’ll be expected to jump through.
So what’s the coding interview like? Well, coding interviews at top-tier companies usually span around 45 minutes. During this time, it’s most likely that you’re going to take on a coding task.
It could involve dedicated software that the company in question uses for coding interviews.
In case the interview is happening on-site, you’ll be handed a laptop and a task sheet to solve within a specific time frame.
2. Solve problems and questions
Don’t think that you can simply code your way into securing the position. You’ll also have to talk the interviewer through your proposed solution. Make sure that the interview is a conversation. It’ll help both you and your interviewer understand where you are coming from.
Additionally, learning the patterns behind the industry’s most commonly asked interview questions is a good idea, as opposed to just drilling practice questions for countless hours. You can take this advantage of coding platforms like Educative for interview prep, with courses such as Grokking Coding Interview Patterns in Python.
Also, try to equip yourself with random trivia-type knowledge about coding. Your interviewer might slip in questions targeting this in particular.
Primarily, hiring managers use these early rounds to get an idea of your expertise. So, don’t slack here. Be confident with what you know and help your interviewer understand the value you can add if you get that position.
3. Brush up on your skills
You can find several guides online to help you through your preparation. Take advantage of these guides and help yourself prepare for your coding interview.
Apart from coding problems, you’ll also face behavioral or cultural questions. This can happen at any point from the beginning to the end of your interview process.
4. Practice mock interviews
We have shared a lot of different resources in this article that can provide you with specific information. We also understand that at times reading things online can become tiring and people tend to switch to video tutorials on youtube and other similar platforms.
Studies reveal that in video tutorials, the words spoken per minute are 150, whereas when reading books or interactive courses, one can cover 250 words per minute.
So the argument also gets math support for preparing your coding interviews using courses that provide an interactive environment where you can practice questions and understand their patterns. This is a more effective approach than trying to learn by watching video tutorials.
All in all, we hope you understand that practice is essential. It’ll help you perfect your interviewing skills and land your dream job. As a matter of fact, take what you have learned from this article and other resources and practice it in mock interviews with your peers.
Author Bio
Haseeb Asim
The author is a Growth Associate in a leading tech company. Loves reading about new technological advancements and spends their free time go-karting.
