Stop giving solutions for problems: Former job recruiter shares 5 interview tips to get hired at big tech companies

What if the reason you are failing job interviews is not that you cannot solve coding problems, but that you are not explaining how you solve them? Candidates preparing for jobs at major technology companies often spend months practising programming questions. However, getting the correct answer may not be enough to convince an interviewer that you are ready for the job.

An engineer who says he has conducted 100 interviews has shared five suggestions for candidates preparing for technical rounds. In a post on Reddit, the former job recruiter explained that one of the most common reasons candidates fail is that they start writing code without discussing their approach first.

"The main reason for failure is usually not talking enough," he wrote.


According to him, problem-solving skills, communication and the ability to demonstrate that a solution works are important signals during an interview.

Here are five suggestions from his post that candidates can follow.

1. Don't jump straight into writing code

One of the biggest mistakes candidates make is starting to code as soon as they understand the question. The engineer advised taking a step back and discussing the problem before attempting a solution.

"First scope the problem, clearly describe your approach to the interviewer, and think about all the edge cases," he wrote.

Even if you know how to solve the problem, explaining your thinking helps the interviewer understand your approach.

2. Begin with a brute force approach

Candidates should not reject a basic solution immediately on the grounds that it may not be efficient enough. The engineer suggested starting with a brute force method, and then to think about how to improve it.

"Start with a brute force solution," he advised.

The interviewer may ask you to implement that approach or find something better. Having an initial solution also makes it easier for the interviewer to offer hints than when a candidate has not explained any approach at all.

3. Practise the actual interview process

Solving coding questions while looking at solutions is different from explaining them in front of an interviewer. The engineer suggested creating a clear sequence of actions and following it while practising.

Candidates should first explain their approach, discuss time and space complexity, identify edge cases, write the implementation and finally verify the code line by line using different cases.

4. Concentrate on 50 questions than solving hundreds

Preparing for technical interviews doesn’t always mean solving thousands of coding problems. Fifty questions or so could be enough, as long as they are evenly distributed among different topics, the engineer said.

He also suggested comparing your solution with other possible approaches.

5. Apply for jobs while preparing

Candidates often delay applications because they feel they are not sufficiently prepared. The engineer advised against waiting for that perfect moment.

"Remember that you never can be 100% prepared, there is a big luck factor, so apply as soon as possible and prepare in parallel," he wrote.

He also explained that getting interview calls depends on factors beyond an applicant's skills. Companies may be actively hiring at one time and have hiring freezes at another. Some job listings may also remain online even after a position has been filled.

Why communication matters as much as solving the problem

In the Reddit post, the engineer further explained that candidates sometimes fail even when they manage to solve most of the coding question.

Responding to someone who said they had struggled with interview rounds despite writing 80-85% of the code themselves, he pointed out that missing edge cases, unclear explanations and difficulties discussing alternative approaches can also affect the outcome.

He added that candidates should ask recruiters for feedback after rejection whenever possible, as this can help them understand whether the problem was their coding ability or another part of the interview.