In this article, we will discuss about steps of
problem solving means how perfectly we can solve a coding question within
limited time in any coding rounds of IT interviews.
When it comes to getting a tech
job, an applicant goes through several rounds of an interview. Typically, those
rounds are categorized into the following.
- Aptitude
& Reasoning.
- Coding
Round
- Technical
Interview Round.
- HR
Round.
Along with these rounds there are
some others round as well for screening the best candidates. Those are like GD
(Group Discussion) round, Communication round, Management round etc. depending
on the companies and their approach of screening candidates.
Among those rounds, the most important and
challenging one is the Coding round. In this round some coding problems are
given to the candidates and a candidate needs to solve the problem by writing a
good and optimized program with any programming language which is allowed by
the company.
In the
coding (programming) round, two of the following matter the most. They are
timing and accuracy. Yes, you read it right!
In the realm
of programming, results (outputs) have to be fast and accurate. And an
applicant must satisfy those factors to complete the round successfully. That
means applicants have to solve the problems and bring the expected results
accurately within a certain period.
So, let's
see how one can attend and solve all the programming problems within the
specified time.
1. Read the problem statement twice or more until you clearly understand:
This is the first step that
helps you to bring faster and accurate results. Generally, applicants are
tempted to start solving the problem even before clearly understanding the
problem statement especially when they have to solve it in a limited time. But
that's a big mistake.
Without proper understanding
and clarity of a problem, one can't solve it. So it's highly recommended to be
patient and gain a clear understanding to analyze and obtain
respective results.
You understood the question
means now you have required information that what is given in the question and
what you need to do.
2. Begin with the end in mind:
Once you
understand the problem statement, the next step is to create a step-by-step
procedure (algorithm) to solve the problem logically by analyzing the statement.
After having the algorithm, it won't take long to solve the problem technically
and to obtain the desired results. Here your logical thinking helps you to
figure out what to do and your technical expertise helps you to figure out how
to do as well as for their executions.
You can target these points to solve and get the required output for
that problem.
- Decide what and how many inputs are required.
- Separate the modules or
parts from the problem.
- Decide the outputs for different modules/parts of the problem.
- Utilizing proper data structure and algorithm to bring life to your
logic.
- Achieving the final output.
3. Practice programming consistently:
Practice is the path to
perfection. To provide accurate results fastly and precisely you need to learn
algorithms, data structure and practice problem solving consistently. The more
you practice the more it will be easier and faster to do. There is no shortcut.
Your performance directly depends on your practice. So, keep challenging
yourself by practicing the art of solving programming problems in a short time.
This will tremendously improve your expertise.
Tip: Be a master
in one programming language, learn that very well and know the implementation
of data structure and algorithm using that language. This will help you to
solve any problem easily.
4. See and solve the frequently asked programming problems:
If you just search on Google and YouTube, you will get tons of resources
of most commonly asked interview questions and/or previous questions of the
company you are applying for. So do such research, feed those concepts to your
brain, work it out by yourself and strengthen your technical expertise. Those
who follow this step feel it is pretty easy to clear the technical round like a
piece of cake. So be a technical investigator and invest your time in seeing as
well as solving the programs to clear the round almost effortlessly.
5. Patience & Focus:
When you have to solve the problems in a short period of time, the time limit puts you under pressure and makes you make several mistakes. So you just have to be patient and approach the problem with laser-like focus. By doing this, you won't get stuck in the middle of nowhere. Results will show up fastly and accurately.
So, patience and focus will help you get pass the technical round smoothly. In a nutshell, all you have to do to nail the interview is - Practice frequently asked questions and general concepts of programming consistently. Be prepared. Approach the problem patiently with laser-like focus for a clear understanding of the problem, devising an appropriate algorithm and also for obtaining desired results.
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Really great 👍
ReplyDeleteVery good. It helps to me giving my college placement.
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