Whiteboard Interview Tips

Communicate is one of the most important part of an whiteboard interview.

Here’re some steps to take when given a question to solve during interview.

1. First, Restate the Question

   • basically ask the interview, Is my understanding correct?

2. Ask About Edge Cases

   • After successfully restating the problem, figure out a valid way to ask about edge cases.

3. Ask About Test Cases

   • This is free and you should take advantage of it. Simply ask if there are any test cases that the function should pass. Your interviewer might be expecting you to ask this question, so it might be necessary. But it’s also possible the interviewer was not expecting the question and will think “ah, this candidate knows about testing!”

4. Write Pseudocode and Ask If It Makes Sense

   • let your interviewer know you’re going to start by writing pseudocode and fill in the actual code later. in the worst case the interviewer will tell you to continue without actually offering feedback. In the best case, the interviewer might actually point out logical flaws in your pseudocode that will give you some serious benefit when transitioning to actual code.

5. Write the Actual Code and Ask if it Looks Good

   • At this point, don’t hesitate to ask if your solution looks good! If it doesn’t they might offer some tips to improve it. All of this communication scores points for you — you’ll seem articulate and easier to work with if you’re willing to objectively discuss ways to improve your work.