10 Coding Interview Facts For Self Taught Developers

Hey there, fellow coder!

I have a little secret for you I’m actually a mechanical engineer by trade. When I first dipped my toes into the world of software, I thought “Data Structures” was a fancy term for a well-organized toolbox. I spent many nights staring at a blinking cursor, feeling like a total imposter.

I struggled hard with the logic, the speed, and the sheer pressure of coding interviews. But after a lot of trial and error (and a few embarrassing “brain-farts” during live sessions), I figured out the rhythm. I’m here to share what I’ve learned so you can skip the frustration and head straight to the “Hired!” email.

Let’s turn those dry facts into your secret weapon for interview preparation!

1. It’s Hard for Everyone (Yes, Even the Pros!)

First things first even the best coding interview tips won’t make the nerves disappear completely, and that’s okay. Whether you have a PhD in Computer Science or you’re a self-taught mechanical engineer like me, these interviews are tough.

The Insight: Feeling stuck isn’t a sign that you’re “bad” at coding; it’s a sign that the problem is challenging.

Pro-Tip: Treat the interview like a muscle you’re building at the gym. It’s supposed to feel heavy at first! Don’t tie your self-worth to a LeetCode “Hard” problem.

2. Fundamentals Are Your Best Friends

Think of data structures like the materials in a building. You wouldn’t build a skyscraper out of cardboard, right? You need to know when to use an Array versus a Hash Table.

The Essentials: You must get comfortable with linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs.

The “Why” Matters: It’s not just about making the code work; it’s about complexity analysis. You need to explain why your solution is fast (Time Complexity) and how much memory it gobbles up (Space Complexity).

3. Don’t Memorize—Understand the “Why”

If you memorize a solution, you’re stuck the moment the interviewer changes one tiny detail. I used to try and “brute-force” my memory, but it always failed under pressure.

Actionable Step: When you solve a problem, wait three days and try it again. If you can’t do it, you didn’t understand the logic—you just remembered the “answer.”

The Hack: Break the problem down into plain English before you write a single line of code. If you can explain it to your rubber duck, you can code it.

4. Master the Art of Pattern Recognition

The best developers aren’t geniuses; they’re just really good at spotting patterns. Most DSA practice boils down to a few core “templates.”

Key Patterns: Learn problem-solving techniques like the Sliding Window (great for strings/arrays), Two Pointers, and Backtracking.

The Benefit: Once you recognize a “Sliding Window” problem, you already have 60% of the solution written in your head before you even start.

5. Step Away from the IDE

Modern IDEs are like training wheels—they’re great until they’re gone. In a real interview, you might be on a whiteboard or a basic text editor without autocomplete.

The Challenge: Try writing your code on a piece of paper or a plain Google Doc. Why? It forces you to learn syntax and helps you develop mental debugging skills. Plus, it stops you from relying on the compiler to find your typos!

6. Perfection is Overrated

Here is a huge relief: You don’t need a 100% perfect, bug-free solution to get the job. Interviewers are looking for how you think.

The Strategy: Talk out loud! Explain your thought process, mention potential edge cases (like “What if the input is empty?”), and show how you’d improve a “slow” solution.

Focus: Clarity and communication often beat a “silent” genius who writes perfect code but doesn’t explain a thing.

7. History Repeats Itself (Use It!)

You don’t need to solve every problem on the internet. Most companies pull from a “Greatest Hits” list of classic problems involving strings, arrays, and sorting.

Focus Area: Spend 80% of your time on high-frequency topics. If you master linked lists and trees, you’re already ahead of half the candidates.

8. It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint

I used to think I could cram for an interview in a weekend. Spoiler alert: It didn’t work. True interview preparation takes time.

The Timeline: Give yourself 2 to 6 months of consistent practice.

Consistency over Intensity: Practicing for 1 hour every day is much better than a 10-hour “death march” once a week. Your brain needs time to sleep and process these complex concepts.

9. Treat Early Failures as “Beta Testing”

Your first few interviews might be… well, a disaster. That’s actually a good thing!

The Strategy: Apply to a few “warm-up” companies first—places you aren’t obsessed with. This lets you shake off the nerves and see what real-world questions look like without the high stakes.

Mindset: Every “No” is just free practice for the “Yes” that’s coming.

10. Quality Over Quantity

Don’t “spray and pray” with your resume. Sending 500 applications is exhausting and usually results in zero preparation for the few who call back.

The Focused Approach: Pick 10-20 companies you actually like. Research their tech stack, read their engineering blog, and tailor your practice to their specific style.

The Result: You’ll show up more confident, more informed, and much more likely to land the role.

A Final Word from a Recovering Engineer

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just remember: I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re trying to learn a secret language while everyone else is already fluent. But if a mechanical engineer can trade a wrench for a compiler, you can absolutely master these coding interviews.

Take it one problem at a time, be kind to yourself, and don’t forget to celebrate the small wins (like finally understanding Recursion!). You’ve got this.

Happy Coding!