How AI can revoluntize Tech Interviews Prep— Meet AI-Coding-Coach with Semantic Kernel and GPT4o — Part 1
Why LeetCode Isn’t the Answer and How AI Can Help Transform Interview Prep
I started preparing for interviews during the final days of my Master’s program. The buzzword around campus at that time was “LeetCode”. I have to be honest — I didn’t like LeetCode. I didn’t like the way interviews were conducted either. Companies expect candidates to write optimal code within 30 minutes. As a student, I assumed this was a necessary skill for my day-to-day job, so it made sense that companies would test it. But wait — software engineering, along with other tech roles like machine learning engineering and data science, is so much more than just coding.
Yes, coding is an essential part of any tech job, but it’s not everything. I’d argue coding is only about 40% of the work, and yet, interview processes are often dominated by coding challenges. Why do companies judge candidates so heavily on coding? Sure, there are non-technical interviews, but they don’t seem to carry the same weight as the coding round. Even after giving interviews with major companies like FAANG, I’ve realized that if you don’t nail the coding interview, no one cares how well you performed in the other rounds or how well you explian your though process.
My Day-to-Day as a Software Engineer: It’s Not All Code
Take my current role at Microsoft — my daily routine isn’t just coding. In fact, coding is just one aspect of what I do. So why do companies still use coding challenges as the primary method to evaluate candidates? It feels like we’re stuck in this cycle of “LeetCoding”, where the entire interview process revolves around solving these algorithmic problems within time limits.
I’ve seen students obsess over LeetCode from their first year, solving a whopping 500+ problems. I did the same during my college days. I started on LeetCode, and after solving around 50 problems, I noticed something troubling: I was unknowingly memorizing solutions. I wasn’t actually learning — I was simply preparing to regurgitate answers in an interview.
The Problem with LeetCode
Let’s be honest — on your first day tackling LeetCode, you probably wrote pseudocode, spent time analyzing the problem, and eventually got the solution for an Easy problem. But then you hit the Medium problems, and suddenly it’s not so easy anymore. You start feeling like you’re not good enough, and let’s not even talk about the Hard problems. Candidates resort to memorizing solutions because the pressure to perform is so high.
This is where LeetCode fails: it doesn’t foster critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. You can memorize hundreds of problems and still feel stuck when you encounter something unfamiliar. After 5+ years in the industry, I’ve realized that critical thinking and problem-solving abilities are the most crucial skill. I’ve seen engineers with 15+ years of experience struggle to write simple code, but that’s okay! In today’s world, with tools like ChatGPT and the internet at our disposal, you can always search for the syntax or exact solution as long as you understand the logic behind it.
The Reality of Coding Interviews
On the day of your interview (what I like to call D-Day), if the problem you get is one you’ve solved before or one that’s similar to something you’ve encountered, great! You’re in luck, and you can probably crack the interview. But what happens if the problem is completely new? You might try your best, but if you don’t finish within the time limit, you fail the interview. Wait — didn’t that company say they wanted to see how I think? Didn’t I show them my thought process as I tackled the unknown problem?
Apparently, that’s not enough. If the code isn’t complete, it’s game over. This is a huge loophole in how companies evaluate talent. The process hasn’t changed much over the years, and it’s frustrating because it doesn’t reflect the reality of the job.
Fixing the Problem
There are two parts to this problem:
- We need to change the way candidates prepare for interviews.
- Companies need to improve the tech interviews.
Let’s focus on the first part: how can we improve the way candidates prepare for interviews?
AI to the Rescue: Introducing AI Interview Coach
Here’s where AI comes in to help. Instead of practicing hundreds of problems, what if you could get real-time feedback on your thought process and coding? What if you had an AI that acted as your personal interview coach, guiding you through problems, providing hints, and helping you improve your critical thinking skills?
This is where the concept of an AI Interview Coach comes into play. AI can simulate the role of an interviewer, providing you with problems and giving you personalized feedback on how you approach and solve them. It won’t just check if your code is correct — it will evaluate how you think, how you approach new problems, and how you can improve. AI can help you learn how to break down complex problems and arrive at solutions, all while developing the critical thinking skills you need for the real world.
The AI Coach isn’t about memorizing solutions or rushing through problems. It’s about learning how to think like an engineer, which is what truly matters in your day-to-day job. Imagine an interview process where you’re judged on your problem-solving ability, your creativity, and your critical thinking — not just your ability to code under pressure.
I Am Building AI Coding Coach — The Future of Interview Preparation
I’ve realized that the traditional approach to interview preparation isn’t working for most people. Memorizing problems and solutions doesn’t build the skills you need to be a successful software engineer. So, I’m working on a solution to fix this: AI Coding Coach — the future of interview preparation.
AI Coding Coach is more than just a practice tool for coding problems; it’s an intelligent, personalized coaching system designed to develop the critical thinking skills that matter in real-world engineering. Here’s what it will offer:
1. Personalized Interview Practice
The AI Coding Coach won’t just throw random problems at you — it will adapt to your level of expertise and tailor its challenges based on your progress. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, the AI will guide you through increasingly complex problems, offering feedback and support at every step.
2. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills
Unlike current platforms that focus on speed and rote memorization, AI Coding Coach will emphasize how you approach problems. It will evaluate your thought process and logic, offering suggestions to help you think more critically. The AI will help you break down complex problems into manageable steps and guide you to the solution, simulating real-world coding scenarios.
3. Real-Time Feedback
One of the most frustrating things about preparing for coding interviews is that you don’t always get feedback beyond whether your solution is correct or incorrect. AI Coding Coach will provide real-time feedback on your approach, logic, and code quality. It will highlight areas for improvement and provide tips to help you optimize your solutions.
4. Simulating Real Interviews
The AI Coding Coach will simulate real interview environments, including timed practice sessions and mock interviews. But the focus won’t be on just getting the right answer — it will be on demonstrating your ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. You’ll get a better feel for the actual interview experience without the pressure of memorizing solutions.
5. Soft Skill Development
Interviews aren’t just about coding. AI Coding Coach will also help you prepare for behavioral and soft skill questions that are often part of technical interviews. It will train you to articulate your thought process clearly, explain your reasoning, and handle common interview scenarios with confidence.
6. AI-Driven Learning Insights
The AI system will analyze your strengths and weaknesses, offering personalized learning paths to help you improve. Over time, it will adapt to your progress, ensuring that you’re constantly challenged without being overwhelmed. It’s like having your own personal coding tutor available 24/7.
I plan to leverage Semantic Kernel for building this tool. Here is my high level plan
The future of interview preparation is intelligent, adaptive, and personalized. AI Coding Coach will be at the forefront of that shift, making sure you’re not just ready for your interview but ready for a successful career in software engineering.
Please note: This tool is not a substitute for platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank; rather, it will serves as a complement to enhance your use of these existing resources.
