Morshed In the programming world, an interview for a coveted job can be the make-it or break-it moment.
But what if you don’t have time to prepare?
Or what if you’re feeling a little rusty? Fear not! There is still hope.
In this post, we’ll outline how to prepare for a coding interview in just one day. So put on your thinking cap, and let’s get started!
Research, the company you are interviewing with
Researching the company will give you insider knowledge to impress them with. Here are some tips on what types of research to do and where to find it:
Look at their website
Read about them on Glassdoor or Quora
Check out their blog posts or social media accounts -See if they have any videos that talk about themselves or anything exciting happening at the company right now.
What to Study
A coding interview usually consists of whiteboard problems that test your knowledge of data structures and algorithms.
Here is my list of things to study before an interview: arrays, linked lists, trees, binary search trees, sorting algorithms (insertion sort), searching algorithms (linear search).
They will also ask you about different programming languages or paradigms, so it’s good to know some basics.
Practice stuff you rock at
If you’re like me, you’ve already felt the pressure of interviewing for a job.
I remember feeling nervous and wondering what to do differently to make the interview go well.
The best advice I ever got was that instead of focusing on answering all those tricky questions, it’s better to focus on practicing stuff that I’m good at before an interview.
Always solve the problem algorithmically first
There’s an old saying in the programming world: always solve the problem algorithmically first.
It means that before you start coding, you should take a step back and develop a plan for how to solve the problem.
If you can do it algorithmically, that’s great—but if not, well, at least you have a plan.
Sometimes it’s easier to start coding without thinking things through, but that can lead to messy code and headaches down the road.
Imagine your best day
When you’re preparing for a coding interview, it’s essential to focus on the positive.
Sure, you want to know all the answers to the questions your interviewer might ask, but that shouldn’t be your only goal.
You also need to make sure you are in the right frame of mind.
That means being optimistic and focusing on your strengths.
Walkthrough your problem-solving process
In your following interview, be prepared to walk the interviewer through your problem-solving process.
It will make you seem like an expert and give them a glimpse into how you think.
Of course, if they don’t want you to do this, that’s probably not the company for you.
Practice with mock interviews
A mock interview is just like a regular interview, but it’s with someone willing to help you prepare.
By practicing with someone who knows what they’re doing, you can reduce your anxiety and learn how to answer common interview questions.
So if you’re feeling nervous about your upcoming interview or want to practice for fun, try doing a mock interview!
Eat the elephant one bite at a time
Most people would balk at the idea of eating an elephant.
It’s simply too big, and there’s no way to do it in small bites.
But if you take on the challenge one bite at a time, it’s not so daunting.
The same is true for studying for a coding interview.
Of course, you can’t cram for a coding interview overnight, but it becomes more manageable if you break down the task into smaller pieces.
Get a good night’s sleep.
It is a well-known fact that sleep deprivation can make people do peculiar things.
A few examples are forgetting the name of your pet, not being able to remember how to tie your shoelaces, or even getting into a car accident.
The last thing you want going into an interview is being tired and mentally foggy, so have a good night’s sleep before the interview!
Key Takeaway
In this article, we’ve shared some of the top tips to help you prepare for a coding interview in one day.
We’ll be going over how to research your company and what topics you should study before coming into a discussion with confidence that you’re prepared for anything they throw at you.
Along with the practice problems we’ve given, it’s crucial that when solving any problem algorithmically on paper or whiteboard, you write out all steps, so there is no confusion on why something was solved incorrectly if it does happen.
Remember, these skills are necessary for interviews and invaluable during workdays where time can get away from us.
Now go forth into tomorrow’s discussions confidently, knowing that with these tips, success is yours!
