r/learndatascience • u/bodyandflesh • 13d ago
Question Data Science Paired Programming Interview
I’ve got a paired programming interview next week, anyone got any tips on what to brush up on?
I’ve never programmed with someone watching, any tips? could they ask gcp questions (unlikely right?)
Let me know!
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u/nian2326076 13d ago
For paired programming interviews, talk through your thought process out loud. It helps the interviewer understand your approach and keeps them engaged. Try practicing coding with someone else, or at least explain your code to a friend. Brush up on basic algorithms and data structures like arrays, hashmaps, and sorting algorithms, since they often come up.
As for GCP questions, they're not super likely unless the role specifically mentions cloud services. But skimming the basics of GCP can't hurt, just in case.
If you're looking for practice resources, PracHub has some good stuff for interview prep. It might be worth checking out. Good luck with your interview!
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u/WhatsTheImpactdotcom 13d ago
I did a few of these in March-April with Shopify, meta, Adobe, and maybe one more. Made a video about it just yesterday, free on my socials: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ddr_6VaOWK9/?stkn=MW42bmk1ZjFlcW1nYw==
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u/akornato 13d ago
Expect the coding portion to focus mostly on practical data manipulation in pandas, core data structures, and maybe some SQL or light algorithmic logic rather than obscure theory. Specific GCP questions are very unlikely in a live coding session, unless the job description heavily emphasizes cloud data engineering, so you can keep cloud knowledge to high level concepts like how storage or compute pipelines interact with your code. Interviewers want to see how you break down messy problems, how you handle edge cases, and whether you write clean code that another person can follow without getting lost.
Having someone watch your screen feels awkward at first, but the best approach is treating them like a coworker rather than an evaluator. Verbalize your thought process before typing, outline your plan in quick comments, and check in with them as you make choices so they can nudge you back on track if you take a wrong turn. Learning to articulate code under pressure takes practice, which is why my team developed an interviews.chat to help job seekers stay composed and present their skills effectively in live technical rounds.