Failing Coding Interviews? Not Anymore! Follow These Tips On How To Crack Coding Interview

Are you having trouble cracking the coding interview? If yes, then we are sure you must be wondering about how to crack technical interviews and land your dream job. Well, you are in luck! In this article, we have prepared a list of tips/ pointers that will help you in your coding interview preparation journey. So what are you waiting for? Read on and get ready for an amazing interview experience. 

To begin with, let’s have a look at common steps that make up the hiring process for most software companies:

Be ready to elaborate on your resume 

These coding interviews usually begin with the interviewer skimming through your resume, if they haven’t done so already. Naturally, your resume will include a list of projects that you might have worked on in the past. It is quite possible that the interviewer will quiz you on these and other components of your resume. If the interviewer does ask you these questions, make sure you’re able to draw a technical architecture diagram of the projects and discuss them in detail.

For example, if you did a project using MongoDB, and the interviewer asks you why did you use a particular database, why not SQL? Then you should have proper logical reasoning for this decision. This is also why you should avoid faking/ fudging information in the resume, no matter what.

Competitive programming skills are important

Competitive programming has become one of the most popular ways for recruiters to assess your talent and skills. In fact, many big companies like Amazon, Google, Flipkart, etc. pay due weightage to your competitive programming skills and past participation & performance in competitive programming events. If you haven’t been a part of such events, the interviewer may ask complex programming questions to know how well you solve the complexity of the problem using different data structures and algorithms. You can improve on/ sharpen these skills by practicing coding and hiring assessments on Unstop and get that extra edge.  

Approach solutions smartly

One of the major components of coding/ programming interviews is the technical questions segment. This is when the interviewer provides you with some technical questions and you have to write real-time code/ prep solutions. 

When tackling these questions, first take your time to understand the question, break it down and get to the crux of the problem at hand. In short, don't immediately jump to finding the solution. Once you have a proper understanding of the problem at hand, then get to coding. In the process, you can also list a few cross-questions for the interview if you need clarification on anything.

Clean coding is a best practice

Your success in the coding interview is not only dependent on finding a solution to a complex problem. But also on the quality of the solution you provide, and whether it is viable or not. The interviewer in all possibilities checks how clean the code you have written is. Clean coding is important to understand the essence of coding, you must make sure to follow all the requirements to the T. 

Candidates often give casual names to the variable function which then gives a bad impression. So make sure to use common vocabulary and meaningful names in your code to make it easily readable, well-structured, and testable. This clean coding is a best practice in the eyes of most recruiters and can fetch you a few bonus points.

Also read: 6 Common mistakes that every developer makes during an interview

Sound understanding of Data structure and algorithms

Data structure and algorithms are the heart of programming which means it is a good idea to master them. The key approach should be understanding the fundamental technique or the algorithm, rather than memorizing a few questions. You can also make sure your coding interview preparation is fulfilling by practicing some common questions that span most problem types.

We are sure that these pointers/ tips will help you crack that coding interview. Lastly, don't forget to examine the company and the role you are applying for before you sit for the interview. It is also a good idea and network with the employees via LinkedIn, and master non-coding-related questions to ace non-technical questions in the coding interview.

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