Technical and Whiteboarding Challenges

Welcome to Mod4 and Interview Prep time🎉

As you are preparing for technical interviews, there is a myriad of things you can do to set yourself up for success. Several opportunities for practice have been built into the Mod4 curriculum to support you in this. It can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the things you can do, so we recommend making a plan and using your time well, devoted to a few specific strategies to prep.

1. This is required, but participate in curriculum interview prep. This includes:
   • 3 decent-sized code challenges (in-class)
   • 1 white-boarding session (in-class)
   • Wheel of Jeopardy (practice answering questions on the spot, for technical accuracy and eloquence, in-class)
   • Weekly Interview Questions/Flashcards
   • Utilize the Turing Interview Prep Resources

2. Practice answering weekly interview questions, out loud. To a human (or canine). Practice what you will do when you don’t know the answer to a question. This should include behavioral and technical questions.

3. Sign up for at least 2 mock interviews during Mod4. Interviewers get booked up quick, so sign up earlier than later to ensure a spot. It also holds you accountable. Find them under the Practice category.

4. Set aside ~3 1-hour time slots a week, or ~30 minutes a day to practice code challenges. Decide on codewars or exercism or something else, and stick with it. Don’t hop around to all eighty-four websites that basically offer the same thing. Push yourself to do this regularly and increase the level of rigor for the challenges you are attacking.

Technical Challenge Guide for Instructors

Whiteboarding Practice

Warm Up

• Have you whiteboarded, either in a mock interview or real interview, yet?
• If so, how did that go? Why?
• How confident do you feel about whiteboarding?
• What advice have you heard - do’s and don’ts, etc.?

The slides provide some talking points to help students understand the purpose of whiteboard sessions in interviews and some basic do’s and don’ts.

Presenting the Problems

Students should be in groups of 3-4, each group with a dedicated whiteboard. Assign an order that students will go in but do not tell them in advance.

Share the problem prompt, and give all students about 2 minutes to do their own prep and ask clarifying questions. Then announce whose turn it is for each group.

Each student should be given 5-7 minutes to whiteboard their challenge. During this time, other students in the group should be engaging as they would if they were interviewing someone. The point is NOT to trip someone up, but to gently support and push them. Th other students in the group should also be taking note of strengths of the student who is whiteboarding - both to provide as feedback and for them to consider when they whiteboard.