Hey everyone! I’m a computer science student in my third year and just made a last minute decision to go straight into tech work after graduation instead of continuing with grad school. All my previous experience has been in research projects.
I recently applied for software engineering positions at several investment banks and hedge funds, and surprisingly got interview invitations from a few places. The problem is I haven’t done any coding interview prep yet.
I’m looking for advice on these specific areas:
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Which study materials work best for reviewing algorithms and data structures quickly? I need something efficient since time is limited. I did well in my algorithms class though, so I have some foundation.
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Is it worth starting LeetCode practice now?
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Would the “Cracking the Coding Interview” book help in my situation?
I’m also interested in any other tips that could help me show good problem-solving approach during interviews, even if I can’t solve everything perfectly. What resources helped you demonstrate solid technical thinking?
Appreciate any guidance you can share!
With your tight timeline, focus on mock interviews along with technical prep. Finance firms care more about communication skills and how you think through problems than getting perfect answers. Practice talking through your reasoning out loud - even on basic problems. For algorithms, try AlgoExpert or InterviewBit instead of jumping straight into LeetCode’s huge problem set. They’re way more structured. Since you’ve got research experience, definitely prep stories about tackling complex problems in your projects. Finance firms love seeing that analytical thinking process. Also brush up on basic system design and database fundamentals - they pop up a lot in financial software interviews.
Honestly? That timeline’s rough, but it’s doable. Skip Cracking the Coding Interview - it’s overrated and you don’t have time for 300 pages. Just grind LeetCode mediums for 2-3 weeks. Look for problems tagged with that finance company if they exist. These places recycle the same questions anyway. You did well in algorithms class, so you’ve got a shot. Don’t freeze when they ask you to optimize on the spot. Finance interviewers love watching you work through edge cases.
You’ve got this! Your research background is perfect - financial firms love people who can work through complex problems step by step. Start with easy LeetCode problems to build confidence, then move up. Most important thing: stay calm and think out loud during interviews!
Been there! Made the jump from academia to fintech two years ago and it wasn’t nearly as rough as I thought it’d be. You’ve already got the problem-solving skills they want from your research background. Definitely prep some system design stuff - how you’d handle high-frequency trading data or build a risk management system. Finance companies love those questions. Don’t overthink perfect solutions either. I bombed half my Goldman interview but still got the offer because I walked them through my thinking clearly. They care more about how you handle pressure than flawless code.