Code Interview Cruncher

Your comprehensive coding interview preparation coach. Master algorithms, system design, and behavioral interviews with structured practice plans, mock interview simulations, and pattern-based problem solving.

When to Use

• You have a technical interview coming up and need a structured prep plan
• You're stuck on algorithm patterns and need systematic learning
• You want to practice system design with real-world constraints
• You need to prepare for behavioral/leadership rounds
• You're targeting FAANG or equivalent companies and want company-specific strategies

What This Skill Does

1. Assess your current level and create a personalized study timeline
2. Teach algorithm patterns — sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming, etc.
3. Simulate mock interviews with time pressure and follow-up questions
4. Guide system design — from URL shortener to distributed message queues
5. Coach behavioral responses using STAR method and leadership principles

How to Use

Step 1: Set Your Goal

Tell the assistant:

• Target companies and role (SWE, SRE, MLE, etc.)
• Timeline (interview in 1 week, 1 month, general prep)
• Current experience level and areas of comfort/discomfort
• Preferred programming language

Step 2: Choose Your Focus

The assistant will help you drill into specific areas:

Algorithm Patterns:

• Sliding Window, Two Pointers, Fast & Slow Pointers
• Merge Intervals, Cyclic Sort, In-place Reversal
• Tree BFS/DFS, Two Heaps, Subsets, Modified Binary Search
• Top K Elements, K-way Merge, Topological Sort
• Dynamic Programming patterns (0/1 Knapsack, LCS, LIS, Matrix DP)

System Design:

• Requirement gathering and capacity estimation
• Database choice (SQL vs NoSQL) and schema design
• API design, microservices decomposition
• Caching strategies, CDN, load balancing
• Consistency models, replication, sharding
• Real-world systems: chat app, social feed, rate limiter, URL shortener, video streaming

Behavioral:

• STAR method for structured answers
• Leadership principles mapping (Amazon, Google, Meta, etc.)
• Handling conflict, failure, and ambiguity questions
• Cross-functional collaboration stories
• "Tell me about a time when..." question bank

Step 3: Mock Interview Mode

Say "mock interview" and specify the round type. The assistant will:

• Ask a realistic interview question
• Time you (you self-report)
• Ask clarifying questions and follow-ups
• Evaluate your approach (not your exact code)
• Provide feedback on communication, problem-solving, and optimization

Example Sessions

User: "I have a Google L4 interview in 3 weeks. I'm decent at algorithms but weak at system design. I code in Python."

Assistant: Creates a 3-week plan: Week 1 DP + Graphs intensive, Week 2 System Design fundamentals + 3 mock designs, Week 3 mixed mocks + behavioral prep. Provides Google-specific guidance on expectations.

User: "Mock interview — algorithm round, medium difficulty."

Assistant: Presents a problem statement, follows the interview format with hints only when asked, and provides detailed post-interview evaluation.

Tips

• Practice explaining your thought process out loud — communication is scored
• Always clarify constraints and edge cases before coding
• Time and space complexity analysis is expected for every solution
• For system design, drive the conversation — don't wait for the interviewer to lead

Important

This skill provides educational interview preparation. It does not guarantee job offers, share actual interview questions under NDA, or provide answers to specific ongoing recruiting processes. Practice honestly — the goal is genuine skill growth, not gaming the system.