How can I better my interviews?

How can I use this summer to prepare for internship interviews?

• Hi. I am currently a freshman at a college that isn't very prestigious and I failed my interview for the Google Engineering practicum. I want to practice from this point on so I can excel in the interviews next year. What can I do to prepare? I know for a fact I have to work on algorithms and data structures, but I don't know where to start. I have only one semester of formal education so far so I am not sure if that factors in. Whenever I try reading an algorithms book or try to solve a complex problem, I completely blank out. Also, do you think I have enough time to prepare? Thanks.

• Answer:

  I've refined my approach since myhttp://qr.ae/tMLmU Algorithms, Data Structures, and Fundamentals Books I'd recommend reviewing Cracking the Coding Interview and Programming Interviews Exposed since they explain the entire interview process and contain many problems that are similar or even identical to problems you will encounter in actual interviews, thus exposing you to the types of problems you'll need to be prepared for. My Current Approach However, keep in mind that practicing with books will only cover the basics of algorithms and data structures. Practicing with code is key. My current approach to practicing algorithms and data structures for interviews is efficient yet often overlooked: get involved in competitive programming. No, you don't need to do competitive programming to score an awesome job or to be the most competitive candidate. No, it isn't a panacea for interview preparation. No, it isn't necessarily easy. But, if approached correctly, competitive programming is one damn efficient way to (1) improve your fundamental algorithms and data structures skills, (2) learn how to deal with the pressure of time constraints, and (3) develop a concrete understanding of run-time and memory. Personally I'd recommend solving problems on an online judge (e.g. Codeforces, TopCoder, etc). Challenge yourself. If you can't solve a problem after two hours, look up the solution, code it up yourself, and move on. If you can, find friends who are also interested and join or form a group. Back to the Basics Practice on a white board in front of peers. Interview each other. Trade feedback. Engineering Algorithms and data structures aren't everything: you must also show you are a curious, educated, literate engineer. Work on personal projects. If you can't find time to work on personal projects because of other obligations, attend hackathons. Open source projects are another good avenue if you want to build experience with larger projects. If you're a student, I'd recommend taking the most difficult CS courses you can handle. If you have an internship, take your job seriously and try to learn as much as possible from other engineers and take advantage of company resources. Aim to work on what you think is cool, not just what you think will be impressive to potential employers. Good luck! :)