Mastering System Design Interviews: The Power of Mock Practice and Collaboration
Build interview confidence with mock interview practice, peer feedback, and a supportive study group to enhance your system design skills.
1. Introduction: The Challenges Beyond Coding
When I was job hunting (before joining Amazon), I began preparing for interviews three months in advance. Despite having solved hundreds of LeetCode questions, I found it challenging to gain confidence, particularly for non-coding interview rounds.
I believe that coding questions can be solved independently, as they involve processing specific inputs and providing outputs that are predetermined.
However, behavioral and system design rounds present different challenges. These rounds involve various variables, as there are no fixed test cases to pass or specific outputs to provide. The assessment of candidates in these rounds depends on the interviewer and their company’s guidelines.
2. The value of Collaborative Preparation
My friend, Christina, shared some valuable insights that will build confidence for these interviews. She suggested that practicing mock interviews can be beneficial.
While mock interview services are available, they are very expensive, especially if you start using them from the beginning of the interview process. However, if you’re in the final stages of an interview and believe you’ve performed well in previous rounds, using a mock interview service can be highly worthwhile.
My friend’s approach was particularly effective. She paired up with another candidate who was also looking for the job and practiced together, providing feedback to each other. This collaborative practice not only helped them prepare answers but also allowed them to gain insights into the interviewer’s mindset and assess their potential. Through this process, they learned what interviewers look for in answers, what red flags to avoid, and what strategies to employ to pass the company’s interview checklist.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." – Helen Keller
3. The Master Mentee Study Group: An Initiative to Empower
Since mock system design interviews are the most effective and sole method to gain confidence and practice, we will establish a Master Mentee study group centered around this concept.
Here’s what we plan to do over the next 8 weeks:
Meet every week for system design mock interviews.
The opportunity to take roles as a candidate and an interviewer.
Receive personalized feedback on your interviews from a 360-degree perspective.
Share your knowledge and insights with the group.
Expand your network by joining a group and conducting interviews with its members.
Learn from others’ mistakes as well.
Every week, the study group will consist of different pairs, similar to actual interviews where you’ll meet with new individuals. As in the real world, different individuals have different methods for conducting interviews and assessing candidates. By working with different individuals in each mock interview and hearing their feedback, you can improve yourself. This will be a safe space to fail and grow your confidence. You can also discuss your real-world interviews in the Discord channel, and share your experiences, learnings, and mistakes anonymously (if you prefer).
Imagine walking into your next (FAANG or FAANG-adjacent) interview with confidence, knowing you've already practiced answering tough questions with diverse feedback. Commit to the 8-week journey, and you’ll be amazed at the progress you make.
4. Next Steps: How to Join
Initially, I’ll keep it a small group of aspirants to ensure easier management and focus on individual development. The only rule for this study group is to stay active for the entire 8 weeks and participate in interviews.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lao Tzu
If you’re (or will be) in the job market, just reply to this email. If you’re not a subscriber, you’ll receive an email notification when you subscribe to this newsletter. Then, simply reply to that email. It’s preferred to bring a friend along.