Before you begin
Below is a preview of the CodeCollab live coding interview center. Candidates receive a link to a personalized interview center where they will find detailed instructions on how to use CodeCollab.
Recruiters and interviewers can share details in advance of interview should it be helpful to candidate experience — please do not link to this article directly to candidates.
How to use the coding platform
Access the coding interview platform by clicking the button above. The button will remain inactive until your interviewer grants access to the code. You may need to reload the page to launch the editor.
A shared terminal should automatically be open and visible to all participants of a live coding session. If you close the terminal and need to re-open it you can do so by clicking the Terminal row in the editor's righthand side bar.
Technical requirements and setup
Ensure you have the right hardware, network and software requirements to complete all parts of the interview. You will need:
- A computer with access to one of the following supported browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 11+
- Reliable internet connection.
What to expect in your interview
The interview is a live coding interview that will take place in a browser-based IDE similar to Visual Studio Code that contains a multi-file codebase. The interview is intended to be collaborative and your interviewer will be able to modify the code and see your edits in realtime during the interview.
Each participant's cursor is represented by a little rectangle with their first initial in it. The IDE is configured to dynamically switch drivers of the session such that participants are set to automatically follow whoever is editing.
At the side of your IDE you can click the 'CodeTogether Live' icon to open a panel containing information about the participants of your coding session. From there you can force other participants to follow you as you navigate the codebase.
If you close the terminal, you can open it again by clicking Menu > View > Terminal.
Instructions
- Read: Click through the files in the codebase and build an understanding of how the code fits together.
- Plan: Identify what algorithm / data structure you are going to use.
- Think out loud: Describe how you are approaching the problem and explain the solution that you have in mind. Ask for clarifications on questions and work with the interviewer to collaborate on the plan.
- Implement: Start with the simplest way to complete each task. Think through all edge cases and do your best to implement a complete solution.
Tips while communicating with your interviewer
- Spend some time reading through the codebase and describe your mental model of how the code fits together.
- Run your code often to detect bugs early on. Call out the bugs you are seeing and describe how you would approach fixing them.
- Pay attention to edge cases.
- Always state your assumptions, questions, or thoughts in clear comments.
- If you do not finish all your tasks, or have additional ideas for optimizations, describe what you would do with more time.
If you forget syntax or encounter a concept you are not familiar with, ask for help or look it up!