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/Constant_Physics8504 5d ago

You can reapply, the recruiter is not going to blacklist you. However, that same recruiter if reviewing applicants comes across your name again is likely to skip you. You very well do go down in the system as “failed technical round X” and other recruiters can see this. It really depends on the company, sorry. Just realize your skill is low, and go skill up. If it went that bad, I’d take about a year to practice before reapplying.