I Failed the Coding Interview, But Here's What I Learned
Last Updated : 02 Jul, 2024
We've all been there. You spend weeks prepping, researching the company, and practicing your algorithms. Then, the dreaded email arrives: "Thank you for your interest..." It is a very saddening experience, but here's the secret most developers won't tell you: failing a coding interview is a valuable learning experience.
This article here isn't to sugarcoat the disappointment. I know that rejection hurts. But by shifting our perspective, we can transform it into a powerful tool for growth.
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Why This Isn't a Failure (But a Stepping Stone)
The rejection mail can be a setback for your future goals and could throw you down the spiral of self-doubt over your skills and potential. But let me rephrase the experience as how it can be an important stepping stone on your developer journey. I too have failed at the coding interviews but I chose to view it as a stepping stone to improvement. Here's what I discovered along the way:
- Learning Opportunity: Every interview, successful or not, presents a chance to learn. By reflecting on the interview, you can identify areas for improvement and emerge a stronger candidate.
- Growth Catalyst: Rejection highlights your growth edges. It pinpoints weaknesses you can address through targeted practice and skill development.
- Normal Part of the Process: Even the most experienced developers have a history of failed interviews. It's a normal, and even essential, part of the recruitment process.
- Building Resilience: Learning to navigate rejection builds resilience, a crucial trait for any developer's career. You'll learn to bounce back stronger and more prepared for future opportunities.
- Defining You As a Developer (Not Rejection): Your skills and value as a developer are not defined by a single interview outcome. It's a reflection of a specific situation and your performance on that particular day.
Post-Interview Reflection
From a developer's perspective, post-interview reflection is crucial for success in the upcoming interviews. Post-interview reflection can be your chance to identify areas of improvement, find knowledge gaps, and work on them. Here are some common areas I encountered where I was lacking and the lessons I learned from them:
1. Lack of Preparation
This doesn't necessarily mean a lack of technical skills. The interview formats and questions asked can vary significantly between companies. The Lack of Preparation can be in the following ways:
- Limited Practice: Did you dedicate enough time to practicing coding challenges on platforms like GeeksForGeeks, LeetCode or HackerRank? These platforms have questions asked by the company and give you real interview like situations.
- Unfamiliarity with Company-Specific Questions: Did you research the company's interview style and common questions they ask? Many companies lean towards specific areas like system design, object-oriented programming, or specific data structures.
- Knowledge Gaps in Core Algorithms and Data Structures: While you might have a general understanding, were there specific algorithms or data structures that tripped you up during the interview? Did you have a refresh plan in place to solidify these concepts?
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2. Overlooking Communication Skills
Coding interviews do not just judge your technical knowledge but also tests how well you can collaborate with others and express your ideas clearly. Weak communication skills can be a problem during your interviews in the following ways:
- Unclear Thought Process: Did you struggle to explain your thought process and reasoning behind your approach to the coding challenge? Interviewers want to see your problem-solving skills, not just the final code.
- Limited Communication During Problem Clarification: Did you ask clarifying questions to fully understand the problem statement before diving into solutions? This showcase your ability to fully analyze a situation and ensure you're on the same page as the interviewer.
- One-Dimensional Communication: Did you solely focus on writing code without verbally discussing potential approaches or trade-offs between different solutions? Highlighting alternative options and explaining your thought process showcases your ability to think critically.
3. Cracking Under Pressure
Interviews can be stressful and it's normal to feel anxious. However if you will let anxiety take over it might impede your performace. The interview pressure can ruin your performance in the following ways:
- Performance Anxiety Affecting Problem-Solving: The interview pressure impacted your problem solving and thinking ability, you went blank and were not able to come out with a solution.
- Difficulty Articulating Ideas Under Pressure: Nervousness make it difficult to clearly explain your thought process and coding solutions? You can practice meditation and breathing exercises to remain calm under pressure.
- Hesitation to Ask for Clarification: Many candidates hesitate to ask clarifying questions or request extra needed information due to fear of appearing unprepared? Remember, it's better to ask for clarification than to proceed down the wrong path.
Resources to Help You
Failing an interview doesn't suggest you are a bad developer but rather you have scope for improvement and you can further improve your skills . Let us look at some resources that can help you on your journey:
- Practice Platforms: Sharpen your algorithmic skills on online platforms like GeeksForGeeks, LeetCode, HackerRank, or InterviewCake. These platforms offer a vast array of coding challenges that mimic real interview scenarios.
- Mock Interviews: Simulate the interview experience with friends, colleagues, or online services. Practice explaining your thought process and coding solutions under pressure.
- Coding Communities: Connect with other developers online or in meetups by joining communities. Share your interview experiences, learn from others success and failures that is what are the dos and don'ts. You can also join communities which are related to interview preparation.
- Books and Courses: Invest in books like "Cracking the Coding Interview" or online courses from platforms like GeeksForGeeks that provide in-depth explanations of algorithms, interview techniques, and practice problems.
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Conclusion
Failing a coding interview is not the end game for you but rather a key moment in your development journey. You can learn many lessons, build resilience. Even the best developers out there have faced interview rejections but they have risen by learning from their mistakes and practicing. So, don't be discouraged by setbacks; embrace them, learn from them, and use them to fuel your growth and success.
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