Avish Mishra

Here's my Google SWE interview experience. 🔹 Screening Round This was a 45-minute eliminatory interview. The problem required a sliding window approach, with a follow-up question that I solved using a hashmap. A complete, working code solution in a Google Doc was expected. 🔹 Onsite 1: Data Structures & Algorithms This round focused on a binary tree problem, this was a variation of the Lowest Common Ancestor (LCA). 🔹 Onsite 2: Data Structures & Algorithms The second technical onsite involved a graph traversal problem that can be best solved using a multi-source Breadth-First Search (BFS). 🔹 Onsite 3: Googlyness & Leadership This was the behavioral round, focusing on situational and leadership-based questions. I drew upon my past experiences to navigate the discussion. 🔹 Onsite 4: Data Structures & Algorithms This round was particularly interesting. I was presented with a complex problem that required multiple stages of optimization. The final, most efficient solution involved a combination of a Doubly Linked List and a Hashmap. Overall, It was a great experience that truly tested the depth of understanding of Data Structures & Algorithms. A key takeaway was the emphasis on clear communication and articulating the thought process behind every decision, not just arriving at the final answer. For anyone preparing for similar roles, I'd highly recommend mastering the fundamentals and practicing how to verbalize your problem-solving approach. #Google #SWE #InterviewExperience #FAANG #CodingInterview

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* Whether it’s Leetcode, GFG, or Blind 75 → At its core, it’s about understanding *why* the solution works, not just what the code is. * Whether you mug up Google’s “most asked” list or crack 200 Amazon questions → At its core, it’s about thinking on your feet, not recalling a pattern from memory. * Whether you’re prepping for system design at Uber or DSA at Microsoft → At its core, it’s about breaking down new problems, not just repeating what you practiced. * Whether you face a friendly interviewer or a senior who digs deep → At its core, it’s about communicating your thought process, not just spitting out code. * Whether you’ve solved 500 questions or just 50 → At its core, it’s about the fundamentals, problem solving, clear thinking, and adaptability. Once you’ve given enough interviews at FAANG+ companies, have faced rejections, and spent enough time in the industry, you realize the #1 mistake in coding interviews is thinking you can just memorize the answers. You can’t predict the exact questions. You can’t game the system. But you can train your brain to solve any problem, no matter how unfamiliar. * Practice talking through your logic, not just typing. * Try whiteboarding without syntax help. * Focus on understanding patterns, not memorizing them. Tools and question banks will keep changing. Deep problem-solving skills last your whole career. If you’re still stuck memorizing, you’re setting yourself up to fail when a curveball comes. Don’t memorize, master the fundamentals. That’s how you truly stand out.

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