A Seattle-based Indian-origin software engineer has grabbed the internet’s attention with his unconventional approach to acing coding interviews. Sahil Gaba, who has been working at Google for four years, shared what he believes to be the best "resource" for job seekers. To his surprise, Google itself joined the conversation.
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In his viral LinkedIn post, Gaba argued that candidates often misunderstand the role of interviewers. Instead of seeing them as mere evaluators, he suggested that they should be viewed as valuable resources.
The Interviewer: Your best ally
"The best resource to crack any coding interview? The interviewer," Gaba wrote. "Most candidates see interviewers as judges waiting to fail them. But the truth? They’re actually your best resource during the interview."
He then explained how candidates can use interviewers to their advantage:
- Ask clarifying questions before writing a single line of code. If you ask the right questions, the interviewer will not be able to help but drop some useful hints.
- Think out loud—always. When you vocalize your approach, interviewers who see you heading down a wrong path will often nudge you in the right direction. Everyone feels a little satisfaction in course-correcting others.
{{/usCountry}}- Think out loud—always. When you vocalize your approach, interviewers who see you heading down a wrong path will often nudge you in the right direction. Everyone feels a little satisfaction in course-correcting others.
{{/usCountry}}- When stuck, don't panic silently. Frame it as: "I'm considering approach A and approach B. I'm leaning toward A because...". This invites collaboration without asking for direct help.
Gaba shared his own experience from an Amazon interview where he struggled with a dynamic programming problem. Instead of freezing up, I walked through two potential approaches and explained my hesitation with each. My interviewer's subtle reaction to the second approach told me everything I needed to know." he recalled. "Always remember that interviewers are humans too. They're looking to have a fun conversation, not just evaluate your technical skills. The best code you'll write in an interview isn't the one you prepared. It's the one you build together with your interviewer."
Check out the post here:
Google reacts to the viral post
Gaba’s insights struck a chord with many, including Google itself. The official LinkedIn account of the tech giant responded, saying, "Thanks for sharing awesome tips, Sahil."
The post has amassed over 4.4K likes and continues to spark discussions.
Internet reacts
One user appreciated the advice, commenting, “This completely changed my perspective on interviews. Never thought of the interviewer as an ally before!”
Another user wrote, “This makes so much sense! Asking the right questions can actually guide the interview in your favour.”
A software engineer shared, “I was always afraid to ask too many questions in an interview, but this post makes me rethink that strategy.”
Another remarked, “Brilliant insights! I’ve always felt interviewers appreciate a well-thought-out approach rather than just correct answers.”
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A recruiter chimed in, “From an interviewer’s point of view, I love when candidates engage in a conversation rather than just answering mechanically.”
One tech professional noted, “This is exactly what helped me land my current job. Communication is key!”