Module 4 · Graphs, greedy and interview polish Lesson 15 of 15

The mock interview and the debrief

The concept

Practise out loud with a person or a recording; thinking you can explain it and explaining it under time pressure are different skills, and only one is tested.

Read your debrief file before the next interview, not your solution file. The mistakes repeat; the solutions you already know do not need revising.

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Mock interview debrief (3 lines)

Went well:  talked through the two-pointer plan before coding
Went wrong: blanked on "longest subarray with sum <= k" - missed the window
Change:     keep a pattern checklist; say the pattern out loud first

Read this before the next interview, not the solutions.

Worked example

If you blanked on a "subarray" question, the debrief note is "did not connect subarray to a sliding window" - the fix is a checklist, not more problems.

Your practice task

Do one timed mock interview, then write a three-line debrief: what went well, what went wrong, what you will change.

Do this before moving on. Reading a solution teaches the shape of it; typing it teaches you.

Key takeaway

Practise out loud with a person or a recording; thinking you can explain it and explaining it under time pressure are different skills, and only one is tested.

Almost there

15 lessons left of 15

Finish every lesson to unlock the certificate. Each one ends in a practice task — do them and the final project brief writes itself.