diff --git a/contents/cheatsheet.md b/contents/cheatsheet.md index d7743bec..1948363a 100644 --- a/contents/cheatsheet.md +++ b/contents/cheatsheet.md @@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ This is a straight-to-the-point, distilled list of technical interview Do's and | ✅ | Request for the option to interview over Hangouts/Skype instead of a phone call; it is easier to send links or text across. | | ✅ | Decide on and be familiar with a programming language. | | ✅ | Familiarize yourself with the coding environment (CoderPad/CodePen). Set up the coding shortcuts, turn on autocompletion, tab spacing, etc. | -| ✅ | Prepare answers to the [frequently-asked questions](behavioral-questions.md) in an interview. | +| ✅ | Prepare answers to the [frequently-asked behaioral questions](behavioral-questions.md) in an interview. | | ✅ | Prepare some [questions to ask](questions-to-ask.md) at the end of the interview. | | ✅ | Dress comfortably. Usually you do not need to wear smart clothes, casual should be fine. T-shirts and jeans are acceptable at most places. | | ✅ | Stay calm and composed. | @@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ This is a straight-to-the-point, distilled list of technical interview Do's and | | Things | | --- | --- | | ✅ | Repeat the question back at the interviewer. | -| ✅ | Clarify any assumptions you made subconsciously. Many questions are under-specified on purpose. A tree-like diagram could very well be a graph that allows for cycles and a naive recursive solution would not work. | +| ✅ | Clarify any assumptions you made subconsciously. Many questions are under-specified on purpose. E.g. a tree-like diagram could very well be a graph that allows for cycles and a naive recursive solution would not work. | | ✅ | Clarify input format and range. Ask whether input can be assumed to be well-formed and non-null. | | ✅ | Work through a small example to ensure you understood the question. | | ✅ | Explain a high level approach even if it is a brute force one. | @@ -66,13 +66,13 @@ This is a straight-to-the-point, distilled list of technical interview Do's and | ✅ | Use the hints given by the interviewer. | | ✅ | Demonstrate mastery of your chosen programming language. | | ✅ | Demonstrate technical knowledge in data structures and algorithms. | -| ✅ | If you are cutting corners in your code, state that out loud to your interviewer and say what you would do in a non-interview setting (no time constraints). E.g., I would write a regex to parse this string rather than using `split()` which may not cover all cases. | +| ✅ | If you are cutting corners in your code, state that out loud to your interviewer and say what you would do in a non-interview setting (no time constraints). E.g., "Under non-interview settings, I would write a regex to parse this string rather than using `split()` which may not cover all cases." | | ✅ | Practice whiteboard space-management skills. | | ⚠️ | Reasonable defensive coding. Check for nulls, empty collections, etc. Can omit if input validity has been clarified with the interviewer. | | ❌ | Remain quiet the whole time. | | ❌ | Spend too much time writing comments. | -| ❌ | Use extremely verbose variable names. | -| ❌ | Copy and paste code without checking. | +| ❌ | Use extremely verbose or single-character (unless they're common like `i`, `n`) variable names. | +| ❌ | Copy and paste code without checking (e.g. variables need to be renamed). | | ❌ | Interrupt your interviewer when they are talking. Usually if they speak, they are trying to give you hints or steer you in the right direction. | | ❌ | Write too big (takes up too much space) or too small (illegible) if on a whiteboard. |