The #1 Mistake in Technical Interviews

❓CLARIFY THE PROBLEM

Before solving any problem, your first move should be to clarify it through questions.

In team discussions, this means avoiding wasted hours building the wrong thing.
In interviews, it shows you think logically before jumping into solutions.

👇 3 most common mistakes when clarifying
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3 MOST COMMON MISTAKES

1. Asking vague (not clear) questions
   Don’t ask “How should I start?”. Instead, be specific, “Should I start with the brute-force or optimised solution?”

2. Not stating or explaining assumptions

   If your colleague/the interviewer cannot give any more detail, clearly state any assumptions with reasons: “Since the values represent number

   of people, I’m going to assume inputs cannot be negative.”

3. Statements vs. Questions
   Non-native English speakers sometimes confuse statements with questions by using the incorrect word order and intonation.
   Statement: The input is always sorted.
   Question: Is the input always sorted?

Learn how to fix these mistakes with English for Tech Interviews