EX-Google Recruiter Reveals Secrets To Never Failing A Tech Interview

Summary

In this video, Farrah, a seasoned technical recruiter and former software engineer, shares invaluable advice for software engineering interviews. She emphasizes the importance of mindset, effective communication, and the ability to handle ambiguity. Farrah provides guidance tailored to various experience levels, highlighting the distinction between programming and software engineering, and stresses the significance of practicality over theoretical efficiency. She also recommends resources like LeetCode, The Tech Interview Handbook, and 'Cracking the Coding Interview' for interview preparation.

Takeaways

• 😀 Farrah, the speaker, is a computer science graduate with experience in graphics programming and technical recruiting for companies like Google, Lyft, and Uber.
• 🧐 To manage interview nerves, shift your mindset to view the interviewer as a future colleague rather than a judge.
• 🤔 When faced with a complex problem in an interview, ask clarifying questions as you would with a colleague to demonstrate your problem-solving approach.
• 🔍 Use the five W's and H (who, what, where, when, why, how) to ask clarifying questions and understand the context behind interview questions.
• 📚 Preparation for software engineering interviews should consider your experience level, with different expectations for each level from entry to senior.
• 🏢 Research the company you're interviewing with to tailor your answers to their systems and expectations, whether it's a startup or a large legacy company.
• 🔄 Understand the difference between programming and software engineering, with the latter focusing on long-term planning, efficiency, and scalability.
• 📈 Practice with medium difficulty questions and focus on fundamentals, as interviewers evaluate candidates as if they were senior engineers regardless of their actual level.
• 💡 Demonstrate characteristics of a senior engineer, such as caring for monitoring, collaborating with non-developers, and understanding the deployment process.
• 🤝 Show your ability to handle ambiguity by asking clarifying questions and considering different trade-offs when given vague problems.
• ⏱ Prioritize practicality and simplicity over optimal time efficiency in your solutions, especially under the time constraints of an interview.
• 👥 Emphasize teamwork by asking collaborative questions and avoid seeking validation from the interviewer, treating them as a colleague.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to prepare software engineers for their interviews by providing advice and guidance that goes beyond basic coding questions and applies to real-world scenarios.

Who is Farrah and why is she qualified to give advice on software engineering interviews?

Farrah is a computer science graduate who specialized in graphics programming and has worked as a technical recruiter for companies like Google, Lyft, Uber, and the New York Times. She has prepped hundreds of candidates for interviews, making her well-qualified to give advice on the subject.

What mindset should a candidate adopt during an interview according to Farrah?

Farrah suggests adopting a mindset where the interviewee sees themselves as speaking to a current colleague they've never met before, which can help calm nerves and lead to better answers.

Why is it important to ask clarifying questions during an interview?

Asking clarifying questions is important because it shows that the candidate is actively engaged in understanding the problem fully before providing an answer, which is a valuable trait in a software engineer.

What are the five W's and the H that Farrah suggests using for asking clarification questions?

The five W's and the H are who, what, where, when, why, and how. These questions help candidates to fully understand the context and details of the problem they are being asked to solve.

How does the level of a software engineer affect their interview preparation?

The level of a software engineer affects the depth and complexity of the systems and issues they are expected to understand. Higher levels require a broader understanding of complex systems and common issues.

What is the difference between programming and software engineering as per the script?

Programming involves writing code and algorithms, while software engineering is about integrating programming over time with considerations for time scale, trade-offs, and long-term maintenance and scalability.

What does Farrah suggest focusing on when practicing for technical interviews?

Farrah suggests focusing on medium-level questions, fundamentals, and understanding the application of solutions rather than just memorizing answers to technical questions.

What are some characteristics of a senior engineer according to the video?

A senior engineer should demonstrate the ability to tackle complexity and ambiguity, have strong teamwork and collaboration skills, effective communication, enthusiasm, and a passion for continuous learning.

What is the importance of defining terms like 'sharding', 'replication', 'latency', 'CAP theorem', and 'optimistic/pessimistic locking' during an interview?

Defining these terms is important because it shows the candidate's understanding of concepts related to large-scale systems, which is crucial for roles that involve dealing with high levels of traffic and complex system architectures.

How should a candidate approach a question with ambiguous requirements during an interview?

A candidate should approach ambiguous questions by asking clarifying questions to define the problem better, considering trade-offs, and verbalizing their thought process for reaching a solution.

What does Farrah suggest about the importance of practicality over optimal time efficiency in interview responses?

Farrah suggests that practicality and simplicity are often more important than the most optimal time-efficient algorithm, especially under the time constraints of an interview, as interviewers prefer a quick and correct solution over a complex one that may not be completed in time.

How should a candidate demonstrate teamwork during an interview?

A candidate should demonstrate teamwork by asking collaborative questions and treating the interviewer as a colleague working together to solve a problem, rather than seeking validation or approval.

What is the focus of behavioral questions in an interview?

Behavioral questions focus on evaluating a candidate's future potential, learning ability, and execution on projects, with an emphasis on 'how' they approach tasks rather than 'what' they have done.

What resources does the video recommend for interview preparation?

The video recommends resources such as LeetCode, The Tech Interview Handbook, Cracking the Coding Interview by Gail McDowell, and the GitHub page called the System Design Primer.