12 Tips to Ace Your Next Whiteboarding Interview
Are you preparing for a whiteboarding interview and feeling a bit nervous? Don't worry, you're not alone. Whiteboarding interviews can be challenging, but with the right approach and mindset, you can excel and impress your potential employer. In this playbook, I’ll provide you with 12 valuable tips to help you ace your next whiteboarding interview.
1. Don't Assume
One of the common pitfalls in whiteboarding interviews is making assumptions. Instead, focus on gathering information and clarifying any ambiguities. Don't hesitate to ask questions to gain a better understanding of the problem at hand. By seeking clarity, you'll demonstrate your analytical skills and attention to detail.
Clarifying questions:
Can you provide more context about the target audience or user persona?
Are there any specific constraints or limitations we should consider?
Can you elaborate on the main goals or objectives of the problem?
Is there a specific timeframe or deadline for the solution?
Are there any specific platforms or technologies we should consider?
2. Treat the interviewer as a hypothetical user. Ask questions.
When presented with a whiteboarding problem, view your interviewers as hypothetical users. Consider what information they would need and what actions they might take. By asking questions and seeking their perspective, you'll showcase your ability to empathize with users and address their needs.
Hypothetical questions:
How frequently do users encounter this problem in real life?
What pain points do users currently experience related to this problem?
What would be the ideal user experience we want to achieve with this solution?
3. Don’t be afraid to fill in the gaps
Whiteboarding exercises often have missing pieces of information. If you encounter gaps in the problem statement, don't panic. Instead, make reasonable assumptions to move forward. Communicate your assumptions clearly to the interviewers, explaining your thought process along the way.
Assumption statements:
If I were the user, I would assume that [x] would be a potential challenge because [explain rationale].
If I were the user, I could assume that [x] would be a motivation because [explain rationale].
If I were the user, I think a critical must have capability would be [x] because [explain rationale].
4. Remember to think out loud
Thinking out loud is crucial during whiteboarding interviews. Articulate your reasoning, ideas, and considerations. By verbalizing your thoughts, you provide insight into your problem-solving approach, allowing the interviewers to understand your thinking process.
5. Context is key
Before diving into the solution, ensure you establish the context of the problem. Explain the scenario, constraints, and any relevant background information. This helps create a shared understanding between you and the interviewers, setting the stage for a more focused discussion.
6. Explain how you would approach this in a real world scenario
Whiteboarding problems are often simplified versions of real-world challenges. Demonstrate your understanding of this by discussing what modifications or adjustments you would make if you were working on the problem in a real-world setting. This showcases your ability to think beyond the immediate exercise and consider the bigger picture.
7. Don't Solution Too Early
Resist the temptation to jump straight into a solution. Instead, take your time to analyze the problem, identify potential approaches, and evaluate trade-offs. Rushing into a solution without careful consideration may lead to suboptimal outcomes. Show that you're thoughtful and deliberate in your problem-solving process.
8. Find a framework, memorize it, and follow it
Having a problem-solving framework can provide structure and clarity during whiteboarding interviews. Familiarize yourself with a reliable framework, such as the "Context, ideas, solution, recap" approach used in these types of challenges. Memorize the key steps and apply them consistently to demonstrate a systematic and organized problem-solving methodology. And don’t forget to time box each step so you stay on track.
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9. Prioritize rigorously. You can’t deliver everything in 40 minutes.
Time is limited during whiteboarding interviews, so it's essential to prioritize effectively. Identify the most critical features or elements of your solution and focus on those. Communicate your thought process behind the prioritization to showcase your ability to make informed decisions under constraints.
10. We don’t care about design skills… we want to see how you think
Remember, whiteboarding interviews primarily assess your problem-solving and critical thinking skills, not your design prowess. Emphasize functionality over aesthetics and keep your solution low-fidelity. Concentrate on conveying your ideas clearly and concisely, rather than creating visually polished diagrams.
11. Pitch a key flow to sketch
When sketching your solution, choose a key flow within the user journey that best demonstrates the core aspects of your proposed solution. This allows you to delve deeper into the problem while showcasing your ability to break down complex tasks into manageable steps.
12. Discuss metrics and reflect on learnings
Don't forget to consider the evaluation and measurement of success in your solution. Discuss the metrics you would track to assess the effectiveness of your solution in meeting the desired goals. Additionally, propose a lookback process to reflect on the solution's outcomes and iterate for future improvements. This demonstrates your attention to evaluation and continuous improvement.
