A bit offtopic, but...
Can you give us any advice on how to solve interview challenges faster and unstick under the pressure?
Can you give us any advice on how to solve interview challenges faster and unstick under the pressure?
When you are asked technical questions, do your best to answer, but don't sweat it if you cannot answer fully. Know that with enough time you can most likely figure it out, then figure out as much as you can on the spot.
Lastly, know your stuff. Being a strong interviewee doesn't mean you can get any job. It just means that you can show off your own are of expertise well. Figure out what that is, and if need be improve on it. Side projects help a lot: to learn, to boost your own confidence and as a resume builder.
I actually had the same impression from my Google interview, but at the same time they claim that they actually judge you based on you cognitive skills, rather than the output.
Another thing I noticed is that the less you care about the outcome of the interview, the more likely you are to succeed.
That said, it seems that the key to master those interviews seems to be the mind control, rather than raw experience and intelligence.
On your last point: I don't have any problems showing off expertise and I have a bunch of cool side-projects. The problem is that I'm weak at the low-pass filter of a basic technical screening.
The amount of times when "quick thinking" and "fast-solution, now, give it, before this clock ticks!!" actually happens in day-to-day situations is ridiculously tiny. So testing for it in an interview is pointless, and I'd tell them just that.
Unfortunately, the best companies use this interview process (at least for initial screening). Yes it is broken, but I think of it just as a set of hoops you have to jump through to show your ability to commit (i.e. in this case get better at algorithmic trivia).
I'm not desperate for any job, but I am desperate for a job in a breakout company.