A lot of new developers think coding interviews are about one thing: writing flawless code on the spot.
The truth is, most interviewers aren’t just looking at whether your solution compiles. In many cases, that’s the least important part.
As someone who has conducted 100+ interviews, here are 5 keys to passing your interview...
1. Problem-Solving Process
Interviewers care far more about how you approach a problem than whether you nail it perfectly.
• Do you break it down step by step?
• Do you identify edge cases?
• Do you simplify a messy problem into something manageable?
A candidate who doesn’t finish but shows a solid process often does better than someone who rushes to a wrong answer.
2. Communication
Coding ability matters, but your communication is just as crucial.
• Do you explain your thought process out loud?
• Do you ask clarifying questions instead of making assumptions?
• Can you take feedback well and adjust?
Good communication can save you when your code isn’t perfect.
3. Adaptability
Sometimes interviewers will throw you some curveballs:
• “What if the input is 10x larger?”
• "What if you also need to support potentially null values?"
They want to see if you freeze or if you can adapt. Even a rough idea of how you’d pivot shows you’re flexible and resourceful.
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4. Debugging Skills
Bugs happen. Even in interviews. Especially in interviews.
The question isn’t “Did you mess up?” It’s “What do you do when you mess up?”
• Do you panic and delete everything?
• Or do you calmly walk through your code and reason out the issue?
Debugging live shows you can handle pressure, which is huge in real jobs.
5. Vibe Check
Companies aren’t just hiring someone who can code. They’re hiring someone they want to work with daily.
If I interview two candidates:
• Candidate A: 9/10 coder with 6/10 people skills
• Candidate B: 6/10 coder with 9/10 people skills
I’m hiring candidate B every time. I can teach someone coding skills, but I can't teach someone people skills.
Final Thoughts
If you walk into a coding interview thinking it’s just about writing perfect code, you’re setting yourself up for unnecessary stress.
Yes, you should still practice white boarding and using some basic algorithms/data structures. But remember: the real evaluation is much broader.
Show your process. Communicate clearly. Adapt when things change. Debug without panicking. Be someone others want to work with.
If you do all that, you’ll stand out (even when your code doesn't).
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