Are technical interviews getting harder?
Yes, technical interviews are becoming tougher for several reasons. Companies, especially in tech, are looking to hire top-tier talent, and the bar for entry has risen due to fierce competition. This trend can be seen in both coding and system design interviews.
One major factor is the increasing complexity of the problems being asked. Companies expect candidates to solve not just basic coding problems but also advanced algorithmic challenges, dynamic programming, and system design problems that simulate real-world scenarios. Furthermore, the rise of machine learning, AI, and data science has introduced more specialized technical questions, demanding deeper knowledge in these areas.
Why are they getting harder
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Higher competition: With more people entering tech and aiming for roles at top companies, hiring processes are becoming more selective. Companies use harder problems to filter out the best candidates.
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Focus on problem-solving: Beyond knowing syntax, interviewers want to see candidates' problem-solving approaches. More advanced and trickier problems are used to assess logical thinking and the ability to work under pressure.
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System design: As technology scales, system design questions are becoming more detailed and complex, requiring a strong understanding of large-scale distributed systems. The expectations for candidates to handle scalability and reliability issues are higher.
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Behavioral aspects: Along with technical complexity, companies are also focusing more on the behavioral aspects. Interviews now gauge how well candidates handle failure, communicate technical concepts, and manage teamwork dynamics.
How to stay prepared
If you're preparing for these increasingly difficult interviews, focusing on both coding patterns and system design principles is crucial. Resources like DesignGurus.io offer targeted preparation:
- Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions helps you understand coding patterns frequently asked in interviews.
- Grokking the System Design Interview prepares you for system design questions by breaking down complex topics into digestible chunks.
- Grokking the Advanced System Design Interview is ideal for mastering advanced concepts required at FAANG-level companies.
It’s not just about knowing how to code but demonstrating a strong command of architecture, scalability, and optimization.
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