[nfbcs] Preparing for coding interviews

[Brian Buhrow]

	Hello Amanda.  The kinds of questions you'll get will depend on what
kind of job you're applying for.  In my experience, the interviewers mostly
want to know if you can think on your feet and if you can problem solve in
creative ways.  I had one interview many years ago where they asked me to
design an algorithm for solving a particular problem.  In that case, the
interviewer was ok with pseudo code in which I described the algorithm I
would use.  Language syntax wasn't as important as showing that I grasped
the basic knowledge of how to instruct a computer to do a particular tass
and that I knew how to do that task.

	If you're concerned that you might get questions about basic computer
science, it might be good to refresh your memory on basic classic
algorithms, i.e. the Towers of Hanoi problem, the travelling salesman
problem or a few sorting algorithms.  

	Another area where you're likely to get questions concerns the process
of design and management.  Many places use a structured system for
designing software and managing the development process.  I'd suggest
familiarizing yourself with at least one of these structures so that you
understand what they do, where they shine and where they don't.

	Again, however, in most of the interviews I've been on, and all the
ones where I've successfully landed a job, the focus was on how creatively
I could think, how well I interacted with others and whether I had the
capacity to learn new things.  If you can show that you do well at those
things, you'll do quite well on the interview.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Sincerely,

-Brian