Imagine getting your dream job after college! You are in your final year of college and eagerly looking to join your favourite company and get your share of industry exposure. Before imagining that, you need to imagine and prepare for your coding interview.
Yes, you need to wake up from your dreams and prepare aggressively for your interview. For most students, interviews are the most difficult part. Most definitely, it is. You do not expect a company to pay you without drilling you. But if you think about it, interviews are a way to present yourself. You get to show your personality, flaunt your knowledge and express your passion to the company. So, if you are looking for some excellent tips to ace your coding interview, then here are some of them.
Top Five Excellent Coding Interview Tips
1) Review Your Fundamentals
Before sitting for the interview, it is important to brush up and revise your coding fundamentals. Go through all the notes of your college years, revise some important concepts that might be discussed during the interview, and practice the subject that you have applied for. You can take help from your friends, professors and online websites like FavTutor which provides live coding help, and resolve all your doubts. This revision will serve as a quick recap on your subjects, and help you be confident during your interviews.
2) Pick a Programming Language
When you are in your final year, you need to pick a programming language for your coding interview. You can choose any language of your choice. This is your time to flaunt your knowledge. You need to pick the language wisely and one that you are familiar with. Instead of trying a new language at the last minute, you should pick the language you already know. From a general experience, Python is the most preferred choice for coding algorithms during interviews. It also has a huge library to help you learn and brush up on your skills.
3) Gain Mastery Through Practice
Once you have chosen the programming language of your choice, you need to practice and improve your command over that language. The best way to do that is by solving algorithm questions, practising related exercises, etc. Set a code and let it run, and check the results after sometime. There are various online portals that provide practice exercises and time-based assignments for you to prepare better. Learn and understand whether you are able to solve the problems, how much time is taken, etc. These feedback will come in very handy when you are preparing for your interview and help you master your subjects. If you’re still wondering what is coding, it’s not just about writing code but also understanding the logic and structure behind it. This fundamental insight is crucial in solving complex problems and developing efficient solutions.
4) Make Use of Online Learning Platforms
These days, there are many online learning platforms that provide coding help to students. You can also take their help when preparing for your coding interview. They provide some relevant topics helps, latest exercises and update you with the recent algorithm changes. You can take their help to resolve your queries and prepare well for your coding interview.
5) Give Mock Interviews
Gaining theoretical knowledge will only help if you combine them with practical knowledge. That is why it is important to practice mock interviews. It gives you a chance to rehearse all that you have studied, and internalize yourself. You can partner with a friend and take turns to interview each other. You can also use online resources that help you with mock interviews anonymously. Doing well in mock interviews will boost up your confidence, and help you realize your areas of improvement. You can try to overcome the challenges and complexities faced in the mock interview so that it does not happen in the real one. Moreover, a mock interview gives you a perfect flavour of the real one and helps you prepare better.
How to Behave During the Interview?
Now that you know these tips to ace your coding interview, let’s get down to what happens on the D-Day!
1) Start with a little chit chat
When you enter your interview room, it is important to make yourself comfortable. Start with a little chit-chat about your background. Tell them about yourself and discuss some general topics with them. Show them that you are proud of what you have done, and looking forward to this interview. A candidate who can communicate confidently will attract the interviewer immediately.
2) Starting to code
When you start your code, use a good style to write the code. When others read your code, you need to make sure that they understand your code well. Further, you will also be evaluated on the basis of the code written. Give clear variables to the code, and provide enough clarity for the interviewer to understand. You should also be ready to explain your code if required.
3) After the code
Once you have finished your code, do not immediately share with it the interviewer. Review your code after completion and ensure that there are no bugs or syntax errors. Check your code from start to finish, and try to see it from the interviewer’s point of you. That is when you will spot issues that should not actually have been there. So, this would be your chance to correct your code and submit the final one without any errors.
Conclusion
All in all, preparing for a coding interview is tough and challenging. With continuous practice and reliable help, you can easily overcome the challenges and improve yourself. Follow the above tips and practice your interviews. Stay confident during the interview, and you will surely ace your interview.