Key takeaways up front
- More companies allow assistants than ban them
- Scoring shifted to review quality and debugging
- Silent copy-paste is the fastest way to fail
Interview formats caught up with reality this year. Being allowed an assistant does not make the round easier — it moves the bar to how you supervise it.
1What is being scored
Assume the code will work. They are watching everything around it.
- Do you state the approach before generating anything?
- Do you read and correct the generated code out loud?
- Do you test edge cases the assistant ignored?
- Can you explain any line if asked?
2How to practise
Record yourself solving a problem with an assistant and watch it back. Most candidates go silent for several minutes — that silence is what costs the offer.
What to do next
- Narrate your plan before you prompt.
- Always review generated code aloud.
- Bring your own test cases.
#Interviews#Prompt engineering