Be the undeniable candidate for your code interview

For over five years, I've been on both sides of the interview table. I've navigated the tech world as a candidate, eventually landing offers from three FAANG companies. For the last three years, I've been the one asking the questions, evaluating candidates, and deciding who gets the green light. Now, I want to pull back the curtain and share what I've learned.

The hiring process at major tech companies isn't some arcane ritual; it's a well-structured system designed to identify specific signals. While I can't reveal the confidential internal scorecards, I can tell you this: if you consistently demonstrate the right skills, you become an undeniable candidate. It’s not just about getting the right answer—it’s about how you get there.

Think of your interview as a simulation of a real workday. You’re collaborating with a teammate (the interviewer) to solve a problem. Your goal is to showcase the technical and communication skills that make you a great future colleague.

Here are five essential principles to equip yourself for success in any coding interview.

1. Art of Clarification: Never Assume, Always Ask

One of the first things I look for is how a candidate handles ambiguity. In the real world, problems are rarely handed to you on a silver platter. They're often vague, with missing requirements and hidden edge cases.

Instead of: Jumping straight into a solution.

Do this: Start a dialogue. Before writing a single line of code, treat the problem like a spec you've just received from a product manager. Ask clarifying questions to define the scope.

• On Inputs: "What is the expected range for the input values? Can the array be empty? Are the numbers integers or can they be floats?"
• On Outputs: "What format should the output be in? Should I return a new array or modify it in place?"
• On Constraints: "Are there any memory or time complexity constraints I should be aware of? How large can the input be?"

This doesn't show weakness; it demonstrates senior-level thinking and a meticulous, professional attitude. You're not just answering a question; you're defining the problem.

2. Think Aloud: Narrate Your Thought Process

A silent interview is a missed opportunity. If you're quietly wrestling with a problem, I have no idea if you're on the right track, exploring a brilliant idea, or completely stuck.

Instead of: Writing code in silence.

Do this: Become a narrator. Let the interviewer be a passenger on your train of thought. Explain your initial ideas, the data structures you're considering, and the trade-offs you're weighing.

• "My initial thought is to use a brute-force approach to understand the problem better, which would be O(n2). After that, I can probably optimize it."
• "I'm considering a hash map here because it would give me O(1) lookup time, which seems important for this problem."
• "Okay, I seem to be hitting a dead-end with this recursive approach. The state is getting complicated. I'm going to take a step back and consider an iterative solution, maybe using a stack."

This allows the interviewer to give you subtle hints if you get stuck and, more importantly, provides rich material for their feedback. Your thought process is often more valuable than the final code itself.

3. Write for Humans: Code Readability is a Requirement

I've seen brilliant solutions become liabilities because the code was impossible to read. Remember, code is written once but read many times. Clean, well-structured code is a sign of a professional and collaborative engineer.

Instead of: Using generic variable names like a, b, c, or temp.

Do this: Write self-documenting code. Use meaningful variable and function names that describe their purpose. Structure your code logically with helper functions to break down complexity.

• Poor: for i in arr:
• Good: for user_profile in user_profiles:
• Poor: A single, monolithic 100-line function.
• Good: A main function that calls smaller, well-named helper functions like is_valid_input(), calculate_midpoint(), or find_matching_records().

Readability is always an underestimated coding skill. Remember that readability isn't a "nice-to-have"; it's a core competency they are actively evaluating.

4. Always Deliver a Solution: Perfection is Not the Goal

Candidates often freeze under the pressure to find the most perfectly optimized solution. I'm going to let you in on a secret: you can get hired without writing the most optimal code. An incomplete or non-existent solution, however, gives me almost nothing to write in my feedback.

Instead of: Giving up when you can't find the "best" solution.

Do this: Propose and implement a working solution, even if it's suboptimal, even it's brute-force. It's always better to deliver a brute-force solution than no solution at all.

• Communicate: "I know there should be a more optimized approach, but I'm not seeing it immediately. Would it be okay if I start by implementing the straightforward O(n2) solution? I can then try to optimize it later."
• This strategy shows you can deliver, provides a baseline for discussion, and gives you a chance to demonstrate your core coding skills. I've seen many candidates get hired with a less-than-perfect solution because their overall problem-solving and communication skills were outstanding.

5. Test Your Work: Always Verify Your Solution

No matter how simple the question seems, it's incredibly difficult to write bug-free code under pressure in one go. Submitting your code the second you finish typing is a red flag. It signals carelessness.

Instead of: Declaring "I'm done" immediately after writing the last line.

Do this: Become your own quality assurance engineer. Manually trace your code with the given example. Then, proactively identify and test edge cases.

• "Great, I think this looks right. Now, let me test it with the example you gave."
• "I want to consider some edge cases. What happens if the input array is empty? Or contains duplicates? Or has only one element? Let me walk through those scenarios."

Writing a few simple test cases (assert my_func([]) == expected_output) is a massive bonus. It shows a commitment to quality and a deep understanding of what it takes to ship robust, production-ready code.

Final Thought:

The coding interview is a performance, but it's not a solo act. It’s a collaborative dance. By focusing on clear communication, structured thinking, and a professional attitude, you're showing them not just what you know, but what it would be like to work with you every day. Master these skills, and you won't just be a candidate; you'll be a future colleague they can't wait to have on the team.

Ready to Put Theory into Practice?

If you've read this far, you understand the strategy. But reading is one thing, and performing under pressure is another. If you still feel uncertain or want to ensure your skills are sharp enough for a real interview, consider booking a personalized mock interview session with me.

My two-part coaching program is designed to give you the practice and confidence you need:

• Session 1: The Diagnostic. We start with a 45-minute, realistic mock interview. In the last 15 minutes, I'll provide direct, one-on-one feedback on your performance. Afterward, I will send you a customized report detailing your strengths, weaknesses, and a clear action plan for improvement.
• Session 2: The Follow-Up. We conduct a second 45-minute mock interview, followed by a 15-minute feedback session. The goal here is to see how you've applied the feedback and to ensure you have truly internalized the key skills, turning weaknesses into strengths.

Don't leave your performance to chance. Click here to book today!