r/internships • u/Euphoric-Run5228 • 26d ago
Interviews google swe intern interview
so i got an interview for google’s swe internship as an incoming second year, and have it in 2 weeks. this will be my first tech interview, and i’ve basically never done leetcode and will take DSA this upcoming school year. ik it’s looking rough, but how do i go about prepping? im willing to work insanely hard for these next two weeks, but im starting at zero and have no idea what to prep. any advice would be appreciated!
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26d ago
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u/Responsible_Alps_567 26d ago edited 26d ago
I don't personally think that's really enough time to learn how to implement all the data structures from scratch without cheating (like you would over the course of a semester) and practice leetcode so if I were you, I would start by asking chatgpt to explain stuff like this: "tell me about X data structure/algorithm, how it's implemented, what it's useful for, the associated time and space complexities for all operations, and how it's used to solve Leetcode problems". Really what you need to know for most interviews (there's always a chance you actually get asked to implement one on the spot though) is that a hash table will give you fast lookups and insertions, a heap can quickly tell you the largest or smallest in the collection and maintain the property in log time, a linked list has fast insertion/deletion at the very beginning/end of it and maintains order of insertion, etc.
That will give you the main info you need to use these data structures as tools when doing Leetcode. I would probably start a section on the Neetcode roadmap and prompt enough info to get you started and get practicing. Also note that there seem to be some topics that Google is asking a lot for internship interviews, from what I've seen it's Trees, Graphs, DFS, BFS, recursion, backtracking. Recursion on its own can take a while to wrap your head around and it's very useful for a few of those topics. You don't have enough time to study everything so go through the standard array, hash table, two pointer, sliding window problems that are very common to get asked anywhere and then focus on what Google seems to be asking a lot of.
The fact that you're even getting this interview as a rising sophomore is insane dude, you must be in good shape. Don't sweat it if you don't get an offer from Google, there's a lot of great companies out there. Make sure you're in good shape for next recruiting cycle and you'll be in a really good place. Best of luck!!
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u/hdtv2001 26d ago
I mean cheating isn’t in the question, one should always be honest. All the advice to learn DSA is pretty good here, thanks.
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u/Responsible_Alps_567 26d ago
Yeah sorry, I worded that weird. Basically what I meant was that if I was going to learn a data structure right now, I would go look at examples online. That's not "cheating" at all, but the best way to learn is probably doing it the way that you would for classes, where the professor tells you some information about the data structure and gives you homework to do, insisting that you don't look at any code online and figure stuff out. That unfortunately isn't really an option when you have 2 weeks to prep for an interview
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u/Euphoric-Run5228 26d ago
thank you, this is soso helpful!! yep 2 weeks to learn all of dsa prob isn’t feasible but might as well see what i can do 🤞
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u/akornato 26d ago
Two weeks is very tight to learn data structures and algorithms from scratch, so you need to be practical about your scope and focus purely on high yield fundamentals. Skip complex topics like dynamic programming or advanced graphs, and instead focus entirely on arrays, strings, hash maps, two pointers, and basic recursion. Pick the single programming language you know best, understand how its core data structures work under the hood, and practice straightforward problems that reinforce these basic patterns. Interviewers for early college candidates do not expect senior level mastery, but they do expect you to understand how to store data, look up values in constant time, and trace through your logic step by step.
How you communicate matters just as much as getting an optimal solution, because Google interviewers evaluate your thought process, how you ask clarifying questions, and how well you take hints. Always explain your initial brute force approach first, state the time and space complexity before typing any code, and talk through edge cases as you write. Practicing problems out loud will make you comfortable thinking under pressure, and my team developed an interviews.chat to help candidates achieve much higher confidence and sharper communication during high stakes technical rounds.
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u/Much_Somewhere7831 26d ago
Use the Tech Job Finder website's interview practice, it has both technical and behavioral setting. It'll review your answers and suggest how to fix mistakes with a personalised report, based on both verbal and non-verbal comms.
Also got a huge job board and Leet/DSA practice btw
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u/Ok_Front_4489 24d ago
got the same email, but my recruiter hasn’t repaonddd back to me? I repsonddd to her 2 days ago and she still hasn’t responded back I gave her my transcripts etc
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u/Budget_Dragonfly1601 21d ago
Same dude, I replied her like 6 hrs after I got the mail, and she still hasn’t responded. BTW, did you hear back?
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u/Ok_Front_4489 21d ago
Still haven’t heard back LMAO do we have the same recruiter
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u/Budget_Dragonfly1601 21d ago
Damn, my recruiter name is GB (first alphabet of first and last)
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u/Ok_Front_4489 19d ago
Did u get a reply back?
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u/Budget_Dragonfly1601 19d ago
Yeah I did, just completed nda and submitted availability. Wbu?
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u/UnderstandingDry8257 22d ago
If you dont know shit, how did you crack the code assesment interview?
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u/Euphoric-Run5228 22d ago
i mean ik enough, js havent taken dsa yet. the oa was reallyyy light, just basic if/else and arrays and such. i’ve covered heaps, queues, hashmaps, etc at a very very surface level, just haven’t gone in depth or covered things like graphs much 🤷♀️
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u/UnderstandingDry8257 22d ago
Fair and how are you in your prep I am gonna start my masters but I also need to prepare for the technical shit, once I submit my OA
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u/nian2326076 12d ago
First, get a handle on the basics of data structures and algorithms (DSA). Even if you haven't taken a class yet, there's a ton of stuff online. Check out YouTube for quick overviews on things like arrays, linked lists, trees, and basic sorting algorithms. Then, tackle coding problems daily on sites like LeetCode. Start with easy problems to build your confidence, then work up to medium ones. Manage your time by focusing more on understanding concepts than trying to solve every problem. Mock interviews can be a big help too. I've found PracHub handy for practicing with real interview questions. Keep your stress in check, and remember, consistency is key. Good luck!
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u/Electronic_Cow8055 26d ago
Your in 1st year? What all you have in your resume?