Why I fail candidates as a Google interviewer

After joining Google in 2022, I got trained to interview candidates. I’ve had a chance to meet candidates and saw how much they struggled. I’m ready to share some of their common mistakes (that I’m legally allowed to share).
Not knowing their data structures is NOT the #1 reason why I fail candidates.
Before we dig in, let’s go through what the interview process looks like today.
#coding #engineering #programming #google #softwareengineer #softwardevelopment #systemdesign #python #java #engineer #developer #programmer #codinginterview #code #dayinthelife

[@Teslatainment]

Woah, I didn't know Google gives you a mock interview! Game changer

[@Infinitely16]

If you get to onsites and they assume you can code by that point because of the previous leetcode interviews, and the onsites are about communication and collaboration, why are there more leetcode questions? Why not discussing past work, sharing a personal project and talking about it, walking through some code together with the interviewer and seeing how well the candidate can digest and explain what is going on, discussing open source development, etc. This is precisely a school test, the whole way through. Pretending that it isn't is unfair and just lying. I don't mean to attack you. But everybody, including these companies, know that these many leetcode interviews don't determine someone's competency and certainly aren't an indicator for if they will fit in at the company. It's just an easy shortcut. Communication is a weak point because in order to prepare *just* for the interviews, you have to go through 3-6+ months of studying leetcode. You can't communicate with the interviewer during the test, they aren't allowed to talk much other than vague hints here and there. It's weird to have to juggle thinking about solving the problem and trying to speak every 5 seconds because that's not how thinking works. It's just a weird industry practice and we all know it's a broken system. Everybody knows this, but as an industry we keep pretending. Sorry for the rant, I'm sure you and all of us can understand how insanely frustrating it is. Again, I am not attacking you specifically, just frustrated at the system in general. Needed to vent.

[@realalexnguyen]

Hey it's absolutely frustrating. I mean as long as someone can code that's all the should really matter. Here's some more thoughts just trying to help From the 5 onsite rounds, there's usually 3 that are coding, 1 behavioral, and 1 system design depending on the level. The behavioral is where people get to talk about past projects and how people handle work/people problems. This is where companies figure out what level someone should be at. (Did they lead a team or did they get led?) The onsite coding rounds do include tons of Leetcode. It's pretty unfair and I don't like it either but I have to admit that's just how it is. I wanted to make this video to mention that even when people solved the question it was just the communication holding them back. Something a friend of mine helped reframe Leetcode to be healthy for me was that once you feel comfortable doing most questions, it's a passport to any other tech company because the format is almost always the same. Wishing you best of luck it's been hard for everyone lately

[@Infinitely16]

@@realalexnguyen Thank you. I agree, it's one of those things that's just how it is unfortunately.

[@shivanshubansal1124]

Thanks Alex, appreciate the video! PS love the droid

[@rishabhraj8233]

thanks for the great advice 💌

[@awesomeguy6427]

Thanks for the information.

[@R7ram]

Nice insights Thanks buddy

[@noob8394]

Very Insightful, shall keep these points in mind! thanks a lot for sharing

[@shrutitiwari2896]

Insightful

[@subtleamytraits]

Hahah love the text message from mom 😂

[@thefart]

so only 1-2 real life questions + a bunch of google-able stuff. man I love tech companies

[@Fernandez218]

mock interviews are great. the feedback is the best part. my friend is high up in a tech company and said they can't give feedback in a regular interview because of a possible lawsuit. But that doesn't happen in a mock interview.

[@socialtrend1346]

You are on the top our field. So you are in the best position to answer my question... What is best roadmap to get a good foreign internship by 2 nd years I mean skillwise

[@Websitedr]

Now I want a mock Google interview just to say I tried it. Google isn't a dream job anymore either.

[@DavidDLee]

No worries if you are rejected. About a 1/3 of Googlers will pass this interview. After working for a few years, you'll forget how to quickly solve some of these silly questions, because in real work is a completely different skill.

[@weiSane]

Why do most start up’s not give a f about leetcode and more interested in what you can do or past projects. Big contrast from FANG companies.

[@Dreambreakers]

Startups need creative ppl who r better at actually getting things done . Startup needs things done, FAANG needs perfection

[@weiSane]

@@Dreambreakersmakes sense also good that they showed the FANG companies mostly use leetcode as a way to filter out people reduce number of applicants and not really to determine how good one is.

[@user-io1uc3wy7d]

But i can reverse linked List

[@realalexnguyen]

Plz teach me

[@user-io1uc3wy7d]

@@realalexnguyen 😂Sure

[@jayrollo1352]

Oh yo I seen you on linkedin lol. I saw on your moma that you left this year. Was a it layoff by any chance? Why didn't you just find another team?

[@realalexnguyen]

I'll make a video on it sometime

[@AyeJee13]

Ura-beach.

[@gourabsarker9552]

Sir how much do you earn as a software engineer now? Plz reply. Thanks a lot.

[@pr1meKun]

Is money important? If you love programming and enjoy working with specific technologies, then it's good for you in the long run. If not, it can be stressful and affect your mental well-being. You might end up like many engineers who work in different branches despite being programmers or engineers, which is referred to as a negative outcome in software development or engineering.

[@CodexAdrian]

@@pr1meKun of course money is important, especially knowing how much others make. Its important for gauging whether or not you're being compensated fairly and gives you more leverage during a salary negotiation. Its one thing to find a job you love, but its another thing to make sure you're compensated fairly. While you love doing it, you're also generating value for your employer, and you should be compensated thusly

[@Wakkas]

​@@pr1meKun uh oh re tard alert

[@anipacify1163]

Bruh rev a linked list is cakewalk. If your interviewing for Google i expect complex questions in DP or something. Jeez can't believe their that dumb

[@HoLeeFuk69]

all that coding wont impress them unless you can work well with a team.

[@weiSane]

Why do most start up’s not give a f about leetcode and more interested in what you can do or past projects. Big contrast from FANG companies.