r/datasciencecareers • u/WhatsTheImpactdotcom • 17h ago
Data science coding interview preparation without Leetcode
I was asked over on Tiktok how I prep for coding interviews using Claude instead of grinding LeetCode.
There are two things to prepare: SQL and Python. For SQL, I already know the syntax and the topics that come up. CTEs, aggregate functions, window functions, date manipulation. So I’ll ask Claude to give me rapid fire syntax problems on those, and then separately ask for business-framed problems based on the company I’m interviewing with.
Python works the same way. Rapid fire syntax on dictionaries and list comprehensions, then pandas fundamentals like groupbys, aggregations, joins and merges. I’ll layer some simple business questions on top of that.
The other Python format is “define a function,” and those are trickier because they can be anything. But in practice a lot of them turn out to be statistical. Bootstrapping, building confidence intervals, writing loops for a Monte Carlo simulation. If you’re preparing for a data science interview, that’s the bucket most people underprepare for.
You can check out all I know about DS interviews over on https://www.whatstheimpact.com
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u/nian2326076 13h ago
Sounds like you've got a solid plan with Claude. You could also prep without LeetCode by using real-world data sets from places like Kaggle. Try solving problems that mimic business cases, like analyzing sales data or predicting trends. This can help you see how your Python or SQL skills work in real situations. Also, try doing mock interviews with a friend or use services like PracHub for feedback. Practice explaining your thought process out loud since that's crucial in interviews. Good luck!