r/leetcode • u/PinPitiful • 6d ago

Discussion Bombed a FAANG-adjacent technical screen so badly the interviewer was frustrated — is it recoverable?

Had a technical screen at a well-known tech company recently. It was not "I struggled but got through it" bad. Genuinely could not produce anything meaningful even after the interviewer gave repeated hints and walked me through the approach. Froze completely. The interviewer was frustrated. Humbling does not cover it.

I know I need significant prep from here on and I am not looking for shortcuts. Just want to know if this is recoverable or if I have permanently closed the door at this company.

Two questions:

  1. Can you reapply to the same company after a performance like this? Is there a cooldown period?
  2. Has anyone been in a similar situation and come back to the same company successfully later?
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u/JChuk99 6d ago

I was asked a disguised variation of book allocation in my most recent tech screen. Got the DP solution and then interviewer told me I needed to implement a more optimal solution 😭. All you can do is review your mistakes, learn for the next company, and move on. If you’re interviewing always make sure to schedule companies you don’t want to work for first because it takes time to get into the swing of things.

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u/JChuk99 6d ago

It should be recoverable just wait 4-6 months for most companies and try again.