Overview of Interview Cake
Interview Cake is a specialized study tool designed to prepare software engineering candidates for coding interviews. Created by Parker Phinney, who initially developed the curriculum after successfully tutoring his friend for her coding interviews, the platform aims to make candidates highly competent in algorithms, data structures, and problem-solving skills.
What Interview Cake Does
Interview Cake focuses on helping users master the skills necessary to excel in coding interviews. Here are the key aspects of what the platform offers:
Coding Interview Preparation
The platform provides a structured approach to learning and practicing the topics commonly covered in coding interviews, including algorithmic thinking, arrays and strings, hashing, greedy algorithms, sorting algorithms, trees and graphs, dynamic programming, recursion, queues and stacks, linked lists, system design, and more.
Key Features and Functionality
1. Multi-Language Support
Interview Cake offers its course content in 11 different coding languages, allowing users to select the language most relevant to their interview needs.
2. Progressive Hints and Detailed Explanations
The platform stands out with its progressive hint system. Users can attempt to solve problems on their own and receive incremental hints by clicking “Tell me more.” Once they have an answer, the platform provides a “Gotcha” section highlighting common mistakes and a detailed breakdown of the solution.
3. Company-Specific Questions
Users can sort questions by company, allowing them to focus on problems that are typical for the specific company they are preparing for, such as Google or Facebook.
4. Article-Style Learning
Unlike some other platforms, Interview Cake uses article-style explanations rather than videos. This text-based approach is straightforward and to the point.
5. Curated Questions
While the platform does not offer a vast number of questions, it focuses on quality over quantity. The questions are highly curated and relevant to what is commonly asked in coding interviews at top tech companies.
6. Additional Resources and Support
Interview Cake provides various free resources, including a glossary of important tech interview topics, detailed blog articles, and a 7-day email crash course on coding interview strategies. Users also have access to a Slack group for community support and can opt for one-on-one coaching sessions.
7. Flexible Learning Pace
Users can complete the course at their own pace. The platform suggests that with an average of over an hour per question, five days a week, users can complete the course within three months. However, the pace can be adjusted to fit individual needs.
8. Pricing Options
Interview Cake offers several pricing plans, including a three-month access plan for $149, a yearly plan for $249, and a special three-week free access plan for students.
Who is Interview Cake For?
Interview Cake is designed for software engineering candidates who have a basic understanding of at least one programming language and the fundamentals of data structures and algorithms. It is suitable for a wide range of users, including self-taught developers, coding bootcamp graduates, and computer science students, as well as industry veterans looking to refresh their skills.
