Technical Interview
Technical interviews are an important part of the hiring process in many technology companies. These interviews are designed not only to test coding ability but also to evaluate problem-solving skills, communication, and technical knowledge. Understanding how interviewers assess candidates helps students prepare effectively.
A) Role of Algorithm & Coding Questions
- Algorithms form major part of interviews
- Interview focuses on problem solving
- Sometimes only one problem is discussed in an interview because time is limited (around 45 minutes)
B) Skills Evaluated by Interviewers
Analytical Skills
- Problem solving ability
- Solution optimization
- Decision making
Coding Skills
- Writing clean code
- Error handling
- Code organization
Technical Knowledge
- Data structures
- Algorithms
- CS fundamentals
Experience
- Projects
- Technical decisions
- Initiative
Communication & Culture Fit
Communication is important because employees work in teams.
Interviewers observe:
- Confidence
- Communication style
- Teamwork
- Personality fit with company culture
Evaluation is based on Ability to convert logic into code.
Interviewers observe:
- Clean code writing
- Proper formatting
- Error handling
- Readability
for Example:
Bad code:
a=[1,2,3]
for i in a:print(i)
Good code:
numbers = [1,2,3]
for num in numbers:
print(num)
C) Why Companies Use This Process?
Problem-solving skills are valuable
Companies believe candidates who solve difficult problems can contribute effectively.
Data structures & algorithms knowledge
Topics like:
- Trees
- Graphs
- Lists
- Sorting
are considered important foundations.
Whiteboard Interviews
- Focus on logic instead of syntax
- Encourages communication
- Tests thinking process
Interviewers do not expect perfect syntax. They observe how candidates approach solutions.
D) Interview Question Selection
- No fixed question list in most companies
- Interviewers choose questions individually
- Questions are often similar across companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta
E) Candidate Evaluation System
Candidates are assessed by comparing performance with previous candidates who solved the same question rather than using fixed marks. Hard questions are difficult for everyone, so receiving a difficult problem does not necessarily reduce chances of success.
Candidate Evaluation Process
There is usually no strict marking scheme.
Interviewers compare candidates based on:
- Speed
- Solution quality
- Hints required
- Alternative approaches
- Communication
Example:
Candidate A → solved in 10 mins independently
Candidate B → solved in 20 mins with hints
