Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

news.ycombinator.com

1–10 of 30 posts

Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#1
I have an interview scheduled with Google in a week's time. It's for a Developer position. I have 7 years of experience mostly with Java, Scala and Ruby. I am shitting bricks as I am a Google fanboy and this opportunity is my Atlantis.

How should I prepare in a week and go about it?

Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Throw Away account because I am not taking any chances.

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#2
Sorry to say that if you haven't been prepping with various Algorithms, Data Structures, and Systems Design questions every single day for weeks, maybe months ahead of time - you're probably screwed unless you get lucky.

You're doing the equivalent of going in cold for the SAT if you're just now asking for this advice...

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#3

Sorry to say that if you haven't been prepping with various Algorithms, Data Structures, and Systems Design questions every single day for weeks, maybe months ahead of time - you're probably screwed unless you get lucky. You're doing the equivalent of going in cold for the SAT if you're just now asking for this advice...

Ok. That hurt but thanks for the honest response. Would it make sense to post pone the interview?

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#4
Did the recruiter give you a list of materials to review? You need to practice whiteboard coding in a timed setting as well. Leetcode is a good place to practice online, but a whiteboard is even better. If you need interview practice, you can also try mock interviews (they tend to cost money).

Good luck!

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#5
post #4

Did the recruiter give you a list of materials to review? You need to practice whiteboard coding in a timed setting as well. Leetcode is a good place to practice online, but a whiteboard is even better. If you need interview practice, you can also try mock interviews (they tend to cost money). Good luck!

Thanks c0110.

The recruiter asked to review basics of Algos, DS, Space and Time complexity and System design concepts.

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#6

Sorry to say that if you haven't been prepping with various Algorithms, Data Structures, and Systems Design questions every single day for weeks, maybe months ahead of time - you're probably screwed unless you get lucky. You're doing the equivalent of going in cold for the SAT if you're just now asking for this advice...

Also, let's say I had a month to prepare. What all material should I be going through?

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#7
You would probably need more than a week if you need to revise Data Structures & Algorithms, practice problems on the whiteboard and learn about system design basics.

This Quora answer has a lot of resources.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-best-way-to-learn-algorith...

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#8
post #4

Did the recruiter give you a list of materials to review? You need to practice whiteboard coding in a timed setting as well. Leetcode is a good place to practice online, but a whiteboard is even better. If you need interview practice, you can also try mock interviews (they tend to cost money). Good luck!

Thanks c0110. The recruiter asked to review basics of Algos, DS, Space and Time complexity and System design concepts.

The Quora link another poster submitted is a good starting place.

* Steve Yegge's advice (often cited when people ask how to prepare for Google interviews): https://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2008/03/get-that-job-at-goo...

* Buy "Cracking the Coding Interview" and go through as many problems in it. It also gives a good rundown of Algos, DS, Space & Time complexity.

* If you've never done a Google (or other big company) interview before, you could also consider looking on YouTube to see some example interviews (e.g. how people approach a problem, how they talk it out with the interviewer, etc.)

If you don't end up nailing the interview, it's really ok. You can try again in a year. :) There are people who've done 2 or 3 tries at interviews before they get in.

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#9
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks c0110. The recruiter asked to review basics of Algos, DS, Space and Time complexity and System design concepts.

The Quora link another poster submitted is a good starting place. * Steve Yegge's advice (often cited when people ask how to prepare for Google interviews): https://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2008/03/get-that-job-at-goo... * Buy "Cracking the Coding Interview" and go through as many problems in it. It also gives a good rundown of Algos, DS, Space & Time complexity. * If you've never done a Google (or other big company)…

Great thanks.

Bought Cracking the Coding interview already. Read the blog as well. Now watching YouTube videos.

Is the cool off period 1 year at Google? Seems long.

Re: Ask HN: I have an interview with Google in a week. What should I prepare?

#10

Sorry to say that if you haven't been prepping with various Algorithms, Data Structures, and Systems Design questions every single day for weeks, maybe months ahead of time - you're probably screwed unless you get lucky. You're doing the equivalent of going in cold for the SAT if you're just now asking for this advice...

Pretty sad what you have to do to have a chance at getting a job these days. Is there any proof that this gets better employees? I haven't seen a shred of real scientific evidence. Is it anything more than corporate hazing?

You have to think that for each person hired probably 100 others spent months of their life preparing for the interview. What a massive waste of human effort.

Post reply on HN