Introduction
A coding interview is a stage in the tech recruitment process that evaluates the coding skills of candidates. A typical coding interview can be conducted in phases. If you are someone preparing for your coding interview, this blog has the best tips on how to go about it.
Tips for Nailing Your Coding Interview
Do your research
Never appear for a job interview without detailed information about your potential employer. Doing research on the company gives you an insight into what the organization is about. More importantly, you should do research into how the company carries out the technical rounds in their interviews. This will help you adopt the best approach for your interview.
Prepare for the interview
Based on your research on the company, you can refresh those technical skills that the company is looking for. Additionally, you should also work on the kinds of questions you can ask the interviewer. Use the internet to your advantage. Google to find out everything about the company, including what previous employees have to say about the work culture.
Practice coding questions
Suppose you have to practice Python coding interview questions. There are many websites that contain all kinds of coding questions. You can use these resources to your benefit for coding practice. First, it is important to get comfortable with the given problem without getting worried about the solution. Often, during the live coding test, you might get nervous and forget the most basic code. However, if you have practiced consistently, this challenge can be avoided.
Strengthen theoretical concepts
It is always a good idea to go back to the documentation pages of programming languages, frameworks, and other tools to revise the basics of your theory. For example, consider going back to theoretical concepts about algorithms and data structures. This will help you keep a toolbox ready in your mind during a live coding interview for a Data Science project.
Understand the problem
Do not hastily start writing the code as soon as you get to the coding test. Take time to read the problem carefully. Note down your doubts and concerns. This helps you plan your code and also demonstrates your critical thinking skills to the interviewer.
Ask clarifying questions
Before you start solving a coding question, ask all the clarifying questions. Often, coding problems are tricky, and interviewers might not give you all the necessary details in the beginning. This is because they expect you to ask relevant questions about the format of the input, the data types involved, or whether the problem has any constraints. Asking such questions establishes you as a person who commits themselves to a problem and looks for solutions by asking the right questions.
Write your code outline
Before writing code, create a high-level outline of your approach. Think about the steps you’ll take and the data structures you’ll use. Writing a pseudocode helps organize your thoughts and prevents getting lost in the details. When you write a pseudocode, you use a combination of programming language and plain language, which breaks down how you are responding to the prompt. This step is an indication that you can be a part of a well-functioning team.
Explain your process
Interviewers appreciate clear communication. It is crucial to explain your thought process out loud as you code. Explaining your process shows the interviewer that even if you’re stuck, talking through your approach can demonstrate problem-solving skills.
Test your code
Once you have finished writing your code, test it to catch mistakes or issues you might’ve missed. Many live coding interview platforms allow a step where coders can test their codes for various cases. Testing your code helps you examine the code line by line. While testing your code, go through your code line by line so that you can check the values of variables and expressions.
Be open to feedback and questions
The way you handle criticism and suggestions about your performance in the coding interview says a lot about you as a prospective employee. As much as possible, treat feedback from the interviewer as a constructive medium for learning about your mistakes. Remember, the questions interviewers ask are meant to encourage you to accept feedback and suggestions wherever appropriate.
Demonstrate good communication skills
It is important that you express your willingness to be a problem solver and a person who can communicate well with others. Good communication skills include the ability to use the right amount of persuasion and assertion to get things done from different types of team members.
Show problem-solving skills
A promising employee is someone who can adapt to achieve the goals set by the team. This trait can be shown when you solve coding problems live, as you adjust your tools and strategies to come up with a usable code. Beginners may feel less confident as first-time candidates, but demonstrating good problem-solving skills shows the interviewer your perspective on a given problem.
Learn from your mistakes
Some of your codes might generate an error during the live coding test. This should not intimidate you or discourage you in any way. Live coding interviews are not fully aimed at ensuring that the candidate only generates the correct code. The intended goal is to check the process of the coder. Mistakes are fine if you are willing to learn from them. Be open to discussions about what went wrong in the code and welcome suggestions so that you can show yourself positively.
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Where to Find Coding Questions for Practice?
There are many websites that offer a wide range of coding challenges. You can choose from basic coding syntax errors to complex tasks. Coding challenges on these websites have coding questions that can be accessed easily.
Here are the top websites to practice coding questions, especially if you are a beginner:
HackerRank
A popular platform for coding practice, HackerRank also offers help with technical interviews, and skill assessment, along with live coding tests. It offers coding challenges across various domains and collaboration with a global community of developers to practice and learn alongside.
GeeksforGeeks
It is a well-known computer science portal with a vast library of articles, quizzes, and practice problems. GeeksforGeeks has useful material on topics like data structures, algorithms, web development, and machine learning. It also offers practical learning courses to facilitate hands-on learning experiences.
freeCodeCamp
It is a non-profit educational platform that helps you learn web development skills for free. freeCodeCamp helps you build your portfolio by offering video courses, interactive exercises, and projects. It focuses on HTML, CSS, and other web development technologies.
Coderbyte
It is a platform that evaluates candidates for coding jobs, projects, and interviews. Coderbyte has coding challenges and web development courses. It also offers feedback, which helps developers improve their skills as they prepare for interviews.
CodeChef
It is a platform known for competitive programming. CodeChef offers interactive courses in various programming languages, data structures, and algorithms. Users also have access to an in-browser IDE for hands-on learning. It also hosts contests and practice problems for developers.
Conclusion
It might seem a lot when it comes to preparing for a live coding interview. However, it is important to understand that a live coding interview is the best opportunity to demonstrate your technical and soft skills. Solving a coding problem live works in your favor as it shows the interviewer that you are a doer and not just someone who has good theoretical knowledge. We hope the tips in this blog help you crack the coding interview. If you are a developer seeking jobs that match your talent, sign up with Olibr now to access coding interview questions and more!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Solving coding interview questions gives you a lot of practice. It helps you structure your solution and catch potential issues early, increasing your chances of clearing a live coding test successfully.
Java coding interview questions can vary in difficulty based on the level of experience required for the job. Most live coding tests categorize questions as easy, medium, and hard for ease of process.
Start by choosing the programming language you are well-versed in. Then, study and practice coding by focusing on algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving. Internalize the key concepts and practice writing, testing, and explaining your code.
Some of the most common technical interview questions are:
What programming languages do you know? How do you approach a problem? How many technical certifications do you have? Why should we hire you for this project? What is your troubleshooting procedure?
