The Best Interview Advice You Never Got (from ex-Amazon Principal Engineer)

Summary

In this insightful video, Steve Wyn, a former principal engineer at Amazon, shares invaluable strategies for succeeding in tech interviews. Drawing from his extensive experience, he explains how to approach coding, system design, and behavioral questions. The key takeaway is that success isn't just about knowing the right answers but demonstrating problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and calmness under pressure. Steve also emphasizes the importance of preparation, physical well-being, and practicing with mock interviews to maximize performance. Ultimately, he underscores the need to think out loud and focus on the 'question behind the question' to stand out in the competitive job market.

Takeaways

• 😀 Interviews are a numbers game. The more you practice through real interviews, the better you’ll get.
• 😀 It's not just about solving coding problems but demonstrating problem-solving abilities and thinking through problems.
• 😀 System design interviews are about having a meaningful conversation and demonstrating critical thinking, not just having a right answer.
• 😀 Behavioral interviews are designed to assess how you think and how you would handle future challenges, not just what you've done.
• 😀 You need to balance technical preparation with physical wellness to perform well in interviews, including getting enough sleep, eating well, and staying hydrated.
• 😀 Practice simulations like mock interviews can help you get used to nervousness and improve your performance.
• 😀 Don’t jump straight into your dream company’s interviews—use lower-stakes interviews to practice first and build confidence.
• 😀 Thinking out loud during interviews is crucial. It gives interviewers insight into your thought process and helps you receive hints to solve problems.
• 😀 Be receptive to feedback and hints during interviews. They help you improve your chances, even if you don't know the answer immediately.
• 😀 Treat your job search with the same structure and discipline as an athlete preparing for a big game. Stay organized and focused to avoid mental fatigue.
• 😀 The key to excelling in interviews is to continuously reflect on your performance, learn from failures, and improve your weak spots over time.

Q & A

What are the three types of questions in a technical interview?

The three types of questions in a technical interview are coding questions, system design questions (for more senior roles), and behavioral questions.

What is the question behind the coding question in an interview?

The question behind the coding question is not just about solving the problem, but about assessing whether the candidate is a good problem solver and how they approach problem-solving.

What is the significance of thinking out loud during a coding interview?

Thinking out loud is crucial because it demonstrates your problem-solving process. It helps the interviewer understand how you approach a problem and allows them to provide hints, which might lead you to the correct answer even if you don't know it initially.

How can someone maximize their performance in a tech interview?

To maximize performance, candidates should focus on being comfortable and calm, maintain healthy habits like proper sleep, nutrition, and hydration, and practice techniques like breathing exercises to reduce anxiety.

Why is it important to do mock interviews?

Mock interviews help candidates simulate real interview situations, allowing them to get comfortable with the nervousness and improve their ability to handle interview scenarios under pressure.

What is the best way to practice for interviews?

The best way to practice for interviews is by doing real interviews with companies, starting with lower-priority ones. This helps build experience and allows you to refine your interview skills before targeting your dream job.

What role does organization play in preparing for tech interviews?

Staying organized during interview preparation is crucial. Using tools like monday.com helps candidates manage their applications, schedule mock interviews, and track progress, ensuring they are well-prepared and not overwhelmed by disorganization.

How should candidates approach system design interviews?

In system design interviews, candidates should focus on having a meaningful conversation with the interviewer. They need to clarify requirements, define core entities, develop sensible APIs, and be prepared to think critically about different aspects of the design as the interviewer probes deeper.

What is the purpose of behavioral interview questions?

Behavioral interview questions aim to assess how a candidate has handled situations in the past. They focus on understanding the actions the candidate took, but more importantly, the motivations behind those actions, as this can reveal how they think and make decisions.

How can thinking out loud help in a behavioral interview?

In a behavioral interview, thinking out loud helps interviewers understand the reasoning behind your actions. It reveals your thought process, which is more important than just describing what you did, showing how you approach problems and challenges.