Interview Mistakes Candidates Make for FAANG Interviews

If you're targeting companies like Meta , Amazon , Apple , Netflix , and Google — SQL is not just about writing queries. It’s about thinking in data, optimizing logic, and solving real-world problems. Here are 7 must-know SQL questions (with detailed explanations) 👇 1️⃣ Find the 2nd Highest Salary 💡 Problem: Find the second highest salary from an employee table. ✅ Solution: SELECT MAX(salary) AS second_highest FROM employees WHERE salary < ( SELECT MAX(salary) FROM employees); 🧠 Why this matters: Tests understanding of subqueries Alternative approaches: DENSE_RANK() , LIMIT/OFFSET 2️⃣ Find Duplicate Records 💡 Problem: Identify duplicate rows based on email. ✅ Solution: SELECT email, COUNT ( * ) FROM users GROUP BY email HAVING COUNT ( * ) > 1 ; 🧠 What interviewer checks: Understanding of GROUP BY + HAVING Real-world use: fraud detection, data cleaning 3️⃣ Get Top N Records Per Group 💡 Problem: Find top 3 highest-paid employees per department...

                        SQL Interview Slip-ups:  4 Costly Mistakes Candidates Make for FAANG Interviews  Today, I’m sharing 4 common SQL mistakes candidates make when preparing for FAANG interviews (and how to avoid each one). You’ll learn: 4 high-impact mistakes that cost candidates offers Simple actions you can take (in 10 minutes or less) to fix them Let’s dive in: Mistake #1: Memorizing Queries Instead of Understanding Patterns A lot of candidates try to memorize SQL solutions . Bad idea. FAANG interviews don’t test memory — they test problem-solving patterns . For example, instead of memorizing a ROW_NUMBER() solution, you should understand: When to use window functions How partitioning works Why ordering matters Because in the interview, the question will look different — even if the pattern is the same. Think of it like learning chess openings vs understanding strategy. One...