What you SHOULD do during a technical interview
- Use clean code: Make sure the variable names are easily recognizable, e.g.
- Don't type too quickly: This could confuse your interviewer about what you are building.
- Save time: by asking your interviewer if you can use trivial functions. This will save you some time.
- Make it clear: Technical interview questions may or may not be meant to trick you! If you have questions, ask your interviewer for clarification.
- Whiteboard management: Managing whiteboard space is crucial! Make sure your thoughts are easily understood. It would help to think through multiple scenarios before blurting out an answer to tech companies.
Coding Interview No-Nos
- Discuss the code you are copying and pasting with your interviewer. If necessary, rename variables you overlooked.
- Do not ignore tips you receive from your interviewer. You may gain valuable insight from them if they stop your coding.
- Make sure you speak up! Make sure you understand what you're doing by speaking aloud about what you're thinking.
- Do not use weird or obscure variable names. Your variables should be easy to understand and follow.
- Make sure you don't have the cheat sheet open in another window!
When the Coding Interview Is Over, What Should You Do?
During a coding interview, all software engineers get nervous. This is normal and to be expected.
We'd be surprised if you weren't curious about your coding skills during the technical interview.
Here are a few things you should do after your interview:
- I appreciate your time; thank you.
- They might have more questions about the project you worked on or why you chose certain technical choices when coding.
- Thank them again for their time.
- Ask for objective feedback if you don't get the job. Use it to improve your next technical interview!
