Interview’s Secrets

Most ML System Design interviews start with a brief prompt, such as, "Design a recommendation system for XXX." This underscores the critical role of question clarifications. On one hand, interviewers use the clarification phase to assess candidates' communication skills and how effectively they articulate objectives. On the other hand, candidates rely on this step to gather the necessary context to steer the discussion…

From my experience conducting hundreds of ML System Design interviews and nearly 100 mock interviews, poor time management is one of the most common reasons candidates struggle in the interviews. Many candidates fail to complete their design within the typical 45-minute to 1-hour timeframe, leaving interviewers without enough information to support hiring decisions. This issue affects a wide range of candidates, from fresh…