Posted by donnywals on September 7, 2020
If you are a programmer looking for a job, you will most likely have to have a programming interview at some point. Each company conducts these interviews differently. Some people may ask you to solve some serious computer science problems, some may suggest tasks related to the job you are interviewing for, and others may do both at the same time.
Regardless of the exact format, you want to nail these interviews because they are an important part of whether you can get an admission notice.
In my career, I don't have to conduct extensive coding interviews in person. This is partly because I interviewed smaller local companies most of the time, and partly because until recently my coding challenges from where I came from were not common.
Not long ago, I was discussing coding interviews with a colleague. Not only did he experience more coding interviews than me, but he also worked much more frequently on the interviewer side than mine.
Based on this conversation, I completed a short mock coding challenge to understand what our interview process was like (the company I was hired for was acquired by my current employer, so I have never experienced their interview process), I I want to share three things I learned about you by talking to many people about their interview experience in the past few years.
Obviously, this list is not a complete list. It contains all the things you might do for a coding interview, and it might not even apply to every interview there. After all, every country/region, company and interview are different, and there is no panacea in every coding interview.
1. Study
I think the skills to open the top three are very important, but they are also my least favorite skills. If you want to excel in a coding interview, you must sit down and learn. Many coding interviews will cover common problems in computer science or general programming problems, and you will have to understand how to best solve these problems.
However, just knowing the solution to each problem may not be enough. You will want to understand why a certain solution is great for a certain problem.
If you can provide a perfect solution to the interviewer’s problem, but you cannot explain how the solution works, why it is a good solution or how effective it is, then the interviewer will see that you have done research, This may give you a score, but they can’t be sure if you understand what you’re doing.
The recommended resource I often see, and sometimes even a peek at myself, is the "Cracking Code Interview". This book contains a large number of interview questions, theories and answers. These interviews are based on the interview process of Facebook, Google, Microsoft and other companies. This book is a very popular and versatile resource, which means that you are unlikely to encounter the problems in this book during an interview.
If you are interviewing for an iOS position, I suggest you take a look at Paul Hudson’s iOS Interview Questions page, which contains a lot of questions that are frequently used in iOS interviews.
2. Think out loud
You may not know the answer to every question, and in most cases you can. Especially if the interviewer asks you to write an implementation for a specific algorithm on the whiteboard (or Swift Playground).
This type of coding that is asked on the spot can be annoying, especially if you are not sure whether the answer is correct.
Usually, interviewers are not only interested in the correct answer. They are interested in knowing how you solve the problem and how you view it. A good way to prove your thinking process is to think aloud.
Thinking out loud can be scary at first. You may say something stupid, or say something awkward, even if you didn't do it on purpose. all is well. I don’t recommend that you interrupt all your thoughts, but any thoughts on the problem and the solution will help the interviewer understand your thoughts and how to solve the problem.
Not only can the interviewer understand your process, but they can actually help themselves to solve the problem better than if they were silent. It's almost as if you are avoiding a problem. Just say it out loud to help you find flaws in your reasoning and guide you to the right solution.
3. Ask questions
My third tip is well reflected in the second tip. When you speak aloud, you may find that you have questions about the problem you want to solve. If this happens, you should ask the interviewer these questions. Sometimes, you may find an extreme case and are not sure whether that extreme case should be covered in the implementation.
At other times, the request may not be clear, which helps to ask questions and clarify your question.
By asking questions, you can show the interviewer that you pay attention to details and care to confirm whether you understand the task. Moreover, some well-asked questions may even indicate to the interviewer that you understand why a particular question is not simple.
It can even show that you understand that there are two effective solutions to a particular problem, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, and you want to make sure that you understand which solution is most suitable.
4. Be honest
If you are really stuck with a problem and don’t know where to start, don’t make a fuss about solving the problem. The interviewer will be able to tell you that although you are likely to bluff because you really want the job, the interviewer may think it is Lure's.
They will immediately wonder if you will also be disappointed in your daily work.
It is best to admit that you are not sure about the solution, and then solve the problem step by step. Think aloud, ask questions where needed, and apply the learned principles in preparation.
I'm sure that even if you don't fully understand the problem to be solved in the interview, you will be surprised how far you can go and how much knowledge you can gain.
In short
Remember, everyone is different, and every interview is different. Not every company needs a very technical coding interview, and other companies need a full day of technical interviews. There is no panacea, no one size fits all solutions, and cannot be competent in any coding interview.
That said, I really hope that these tips will help you prepare for the next interview and get the quote you want.
Translated from: https://www.donnywals.com/3-tips-to-work-through-a-technical-coding-interview/