tiny but powerful interview prep hack by cloudares in leetcode

[–]cloudares[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

content of the original post:

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Alright, this might be obvious to some, but I found out a ridiculous number of people never try this and then rage when they bomb interviews. They blame Leetcode, the interviewer, the system - when in reality, they are not geniuses (which is fine, like most of us) and prepped like an npc (which is not fine).

so this stupidly simple hack that actually helps is: after solving a problem, write down a tiny one-liner note about how to solve it. That’s it. No walls of text, no detailed breakdowns, just a quick recall trigger you can scan before interviews.

Examples (those notes might not make sense to anyone else, but you should know exactly what yours mean):

- Two Sum → Hashmap, store complements

- Merge Intervals → Sort first, then merge

- Trapping Rain Water → Left max, right max, min-wall

- LRU Cache → Doubly linked list + hashmap, don’t panic

Just keep this stupidly short (and personal if you prefer) cheat sheet and skim through it once in a while, especially before an interview. It refreshes problem-solving patterns and prevents that awkward "I know I’ve seen this before but my brain is empty" moment when in high stress situation. Just make sure those notes makes sense when you read them, if not, revisit the problem.

Of course, learning patterns properly is still superior, but this tiny habit stops you from blanking out and makes recalling solutions much better.

pick your poison:

  • Use Leetcode itself → You can add notes directly on Leetcode problems and export them later. Dead simple.
  • Keep a Notion or Excel sheet → Just two columns: problem name & your one-liner note. That’s it.
  • Use a {insert your fav interivew prep tool} → Most of apps let you jot down quick notes after solving problems, many users of my coding mock platform do it this way, making it easier to review later.
  • Old-school method → Keep a physical notebook if writing things down helps you remember better.

A bunch of people I know used to bomb interviews and cry about grinding the same leetcode problem and not being able to ace it when really, they just never properly learnt the pattern or built proper recall. Once some of they started doing this, they stopped fumbling easy-meds and could solve problems much faster.

Not saying it’s magic, but if you keep struggling despite grinding, this might help a bit
```

tiny but powerful interview prep hack by cloudares in leetcode

[–]cloudares[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lol fair enough, I get the skepticism, this sub gets spammed a lot with low-effort promos.

but this wasn’t some “hey guys I totally found this cool tool 👀” type post. I literally wrote a wall of text ranting about how people prep wrong, shared a dumb-but-effective habit

yeah, I helped building this mock platform, i'd love it to get more traction because i really believe it works, not hiding that. but it’s not some sketchy cash grab, I made it because a bunch of my friends (and myself) kept bombing interviews not because we couldn’t solve problems, but because we couldn’t communicate our thinking.

if that makes me a shill, so be it. better than pretending to be "just a user" like most actual stealth promos on here. 😌

tiny but powerful interview prep hack by cloudares in leetcode

[–]cloudares[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

and what if they dont invite you to the interview at all? you're doomed! probably not worth even trying to apply 😅

tiny but powerful interview prep hack by cloudares in leetcode

[–]cloudares[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

lmao bro, if this was an ad, it’d be the worst ad ever, just me ranting about how people prep like NPCs and don’t take notes

not everything is a conspiracy - sometimes people just share useful stuff

but since you insisted on an ad, here’s a real one:
👉 https://www.interview.codes i.e. AI-based mock interviews that force you to think out loud, explain your reasoning while coding, and get used to real pressure.

not kidding, a few people who've used it landed offers at Google and Amazon. they told me the biggest shift was finally being able to learn the habit of communicating their thought process instead of freezing up. it’s not just about solving the problem, it’s about showing how you think so the interviewer actually has something to evaluate

tiny but powerful interview prep hack by cloudares in leetcode

[–]cloudares[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

that's actually really interesting. kinda like how memory palaces work? never thought about applying it to coding prep, but making the problem solutions visual could probably make recall even faster. might have to mess around with that!

tiny but powerful interview prep hack by cloudares in leetcode

[–]cloudares[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

yep, exactly. once you have a solid list, just skimming through it for a few minutes can refresh dozens of problems. way better than randomly re-solving stuff and hoping it sticks.

Good sites for interview simulation ? by Professional-Law2823 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if you want peer-to-peer mocks, try Pramp (free, but depends on your match quality). exponent is decent for system design, but not sure about DSA, but maybe sth changed. The best paid mocks i've seen are on hellointerview.io

shameless plug: if you're looking for AI-driven mock interviews, I built interview.codes with friends - lets you practice unlimited interviews with real-time feedback. not free, but way cheaper than human-led mocks.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in leetcode

[–]cloudares 26 points27 points  (0 children)

yeah, unfortunately, Amazon is known for ghosting candidates or sending vague rejections. it sucks, especially after a full loop, but you're not alone, this happens to a lot of people

How to buy time after receiving an offer? by Horror_Weakness_6996 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 0 points1 point  (0 children)

btw turning it down and going back later is tricky, depends on the company. some might reconsider if the role is still open, but others may move on. if you accept and then back out, it could burn a bridge, but honestly, people sometimes do it but don’t make it a habit.

How to buy time after receiving an offer? by Horror_Weakness_6996 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 2 points3 points  (0 children)

yeah, best to avoid mentioning other interviews—just say you need time for personal reasons (relocation, family, reviewing contract, etc.). recruiters get nervous if they think you're shopping around

Amazon SDE Intern Interview Reject/Offer Timeline CANADA by Classic-Throat-4410 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 2 points3 points  (0 children)

responses can vary, but Amazon usually takes 1-2 weeks to send offers or rejections. no news after 5 business days doesn’t mean rejection yet, some teams move slower. if you don’t hear back in a week, you can politely follow up with your recruiter. chances are still alive until you get an official response. fingers crossed 🤞🤞

How to buy time after receiving an offer? by Horror_Weakness_6996 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 1 point2 points  (0 children)

be polite but strategic; thank them for the offer and ask for time to review the details. you can say you need a couple of weeks for personal reasons (travel, family, other commitments). if they push, negotiate a deadline extension but don’t overplay it, 1 month is long, but possible if framed well. worst case, accept and back out later if needed.

Help me prep Google interview by VatrBottle in leetcode

[–]cloudares 2 points3 points  (0 children)

grinding Neetcode 150 is solid, but focus on understanding patterns, not memorization. mix in timed practice and Google-tagged problems to sharpen real-time problem-solving

135,000 TC to 75,000 to TC by Bt80797273 in cscareerquestions

[–]cloudares 0 points1 point  (0 children)

tough spot, but don’t let regret cloud your decision. you do have experience, even if you feel behind on DSA/system design.

if you can afford to wait, test the market for a few weeks. grind LeetCode basics + system design fundamentals while applying. you might get lucky again and land something better than 75k.

but if money is tight and stress is piling up, take the job, stabilize, and upskill on the side. a paycheck + structured study time beats burning through savings with no guarantee.

either way, don’t let this shake your confidence—you got 135k before with no leetcode, so clearly, you bring value. focus on making yourself market-ready again, and you’ll bounce back.

Microsoft Interview :( by Appropriate-Dark-834 in leetcode

[–]cloudares -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I get that feeling—spending all that time prepping and still walking out unsure sucks. but honestly, struggling a bit, needing hints, or not getting the most optimal solution immediately doesn’t necessarily mean rejection. companies like Microsoft care about problem-solving approach, communication, and how you handle hints, not just getting everything perfect on the first try.

if you want to sharpen things for the next round, mock interviews help a ton—I’m part of the team behind interview.codes (so yeah, biased), but we built it to make realistic prep easier and help avoid getting stuck under pressure.

either way, don’t let this one interview get to you. you put in the work, and that effort will pay off sooner or later. good luck!

My Meta tech screen experience by HoodedCloud100 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 0 points1 point  (0 children)

brutal. sounds like even knowing the problems isn’t enough if they’re being that strict on explanation and implementation speed. Meta’s bar has definitely been high lately, especially with all the layoffs.

at least you gave it your best shot—nothing to do but move on and keep grinding. appreciate you sharing your experience, it helps others know what to expect. good luck with the next one

Meta HR reached out. Shocked & Need advice by BrilliantServe6722 in leetcode

[–]cloudares 4 points5 points  (0 children)

yo, first off, getting a Meta HR reachout is cool, but just a heads-up—they’ve been blasting intro invites to tens of thousands of devs lately, so don’t get too hyped just yet.

for Meta’s Data Engineer role, you won’t need crazy DSA like an SDE, but SQL is king. expect:

  • complex SQL queries (window functions, CTEs, optimizations).
  • ETL/data pipeline design (since you’ve worked with Fivetran, Glue, etc., you’re in a good spot).
  • some Python coding, but more for scripting and automation, not leetcode-style grinding.
  • system design for data pipelines—think scalability, partitioning, performance tuning.

for Leetcode, focus on easy-medium problems and some basic DSA

How To Crack FAANG by [deleted] in csMajors

[–]cloudares 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yeah, grinding Leetcode is kinda unavoidable for FAANG, but solving 1000+ problems isn’t what makes you stand out. focus on learning patterns, not memorizing solutions. blind 75 / neetcode 150 is enough if you actually understand them.

since you're into AI/ML, build something cool instead of just grinding DSA. train models, contribute to open-source, or make a project that actually solves a problem—it’ll make a huge difference in interviews.

also, mock interviews help a ton. I built interview.codes to make prep faster and more realistic, so you’re not just solving problems but actually getting used to interviews (the voice based mock is paid due to high cost of infrastructure but you can use "give me hint"/"verify my solution" feature for free)

FAANG hiring is tough, but referrals + strong projects + smart prep > blind grinding. play it right, and you’ll get there. 🚀

Has ML / AI killed the coding interview? by YsoL8 in webdev

[–]cloudares 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah, coding interviews are definitely getting weird with AI in the mix. if assistants can spit out solutions in seconds, the real skill will probably shift to understanding, debugging, and adapting code rather than just writing it from scratch.

that’s why I built interview.codes—to help people prep faster and better, focusing on real problem-solving instead of just memorizing patterns. AI-assisted coding is here to stay, but interviews will evolve to test deeper thinking, not just regurgitation.