I was pretty vocal throughout, kept checking in with the interviewer to make sure I was going in the right direction.
Clarify the problem, constraints, and examples before diving into a solution. Discuss brute force first, then optimize using appropriate data structures and algorithms, analyzing time and space complexity. Write clean, modular code and test with edge cases.
Pro tip: Amazon values customer obsession and ownership; relate your solution to real-world impact and scalability. Also, think aloud to demonstrate your problem-solving process, and be open to feedback.
Ask clarifying questions to ensure you fully understand the problem, including input/output formats, constraints, and edge cases. Confirm with the interviewer before proceeding.
Walk through a few examples, including edge cases, to validate your understanding and identify patterns. This helps in designing the algorithm.
Start with a brute-force approach, then optimize by choosing appropriate data structures and algorithms. Analyze time and space complexity for each approach.
Write clean, modular code with meaningful variable names. Test with the examples and edge cases, and debug if necessary.
Review the code for correctness and efficiency. Discuss potential improvements and trade-offs with the interviewer.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.