Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now software engineering mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of job-seekers to optimize their job search and get results like 3x more responses to their applications, 2x higher interview scores, and 10-20% increases in compensation through negotiation alone. Check out this article to learn more about the Firecode.io platform, costs, and student reviews.
- What does Firecode.io do?
- Who is Firecode.io for?
- What does Firecode.io cost?
- Ratings and reviews of Firecode.io
- Alternatives to Firecode.io
- How does Firecode.io compare to Pathrise?
What does Firecode.io do?
Firecode.io is an online platform that prepares aspiring software engineers for technical interviews. The program is curently in limited private beta as version 2 is being prepared.
Designed by a former tech-lead at Twitter, the program includes a vault of popular interview questions as well as extremely practical strategies to ace them. The program is completely self-paced and self-guided.
After signing up for the open beta, users choose between 3 programming languages: Java, C, or Python. However, the list of languages will likely grow in future iterations. Users then take an assessment of their software engineering skills to place them in the correct level ranging from 1 (novice) to 5 (expert). While the curriculum is designed to be tailored to the tested skill level, users can change their skill level manually to try higher or lower levels.
The program consists of 136 total software engineering questions spanning 5 levels. Users solve these challenges in Firecode.io’s accessible and extensive in-browser coding window. In addition to a console area, their interface includes notes, detailed descriptions, and a skip button. Users also get extensive solutions with step-by-step guides to solve each problem, usually with both a technical explanation and strategy to approach similar problems.
Who is Firecode.io for?
Aspiring software engineers who are looking to improve their technical skills and practice for interviews can benefit from Firecode.io. The program is especially helpful for people looking for a self-paced prep course with an extensive library of technical problems and practical strategies. The accessible content spanning multiple skill levels makes the platform a good fit for beginners who want to prepare for more advanced platforms like Leetcode.
The program is currently in open beta, meaning users have to request access via email. However, this also means the course is currently free for anyone interested in sharpening their interviewing skills. However, users should still have at least some software engineering background to fully benefit from the technical curriculum.
What does Firecode.io cost? How much work is involved?
Since the second version is currently in open beta, the program is completely free.
Ratings and reviews
As a relatively new program still in beta, Firecode.io does not have many reviews. However, they’ve stirred up some buzz on Reddit. One user “got a big 4 job after studying a month or so” on the new platform. Other users appreciated that the program was accessible and featured multiple skill levels, describing it as “a good primer for Leetcode.” Another user agreed that the platform is “a bit more iterative than Leetcode and helps you a lot if you’re just starting out.” Redditors also praised the structure and revision feature.
While one user raved that “the problems are pretty interesting and I especially like their revision approach”, they warned that the platform was still in beta development and was not as complete as other software interview preparation platforms. The structure was a big hit, with one user appreciating that the platform “gives you the same question multiple times so that it sticks in your head.” However, the user warned, “If your goal is to just grind out questions then it’s not your best option.” Some other users reported bugs in the beta. However, overall most users seemed very satisfied with this structured and accessible prep platform. The platform has also received positive reviews on blogs like i-programmer, algocoding, and Ycombinator.
Alternatives to Firecode.io
If you choose not to join Firecode.io’s open beta for the second version, there are a number of other platforms and courses to help you prepare for your software engineering interviews.
- For a more advanced and slightly more comprehensive platform, aspiring software engineers can check out Leetcode. Just like Firecode.io, they host a wide variety of interview questions with detailed solutions.
- Aspiring software engineers can also look into Interview Cake, which teaches students the best ways to think about and solve technical interview questions. Questions come with a full solution breakdown, a list of common mistakes, and even a “what we learned” section. Read more about Interview Cake in our review.
- The paid interview prep platform AlgoExpert hosts 90+ common data structures, algorithms, and problem-solving questions across 14 categories and 5 difficulty levels. Just like Firecode.io, users can write code in a handful of popular languages, using an in-browser coding window to write and run code instantly.
- Similarly, Codebasil hosts interview questions written by software engineers at top tech companies like Facebook, Apple, and Amazon.
- Users seeking an interview prep tool with a wider variety of tech topics can check out HackerRank. Their platform hosts questions on software engineering, data science, and even UX/UI design.
- The study tool Learneroo hosts practice technical questions that often come up in interviews. Their program is free to try, with paid membership options for greater access to materials.
- Another interview resource, Coderbyte offers a mix of free and paid challenges for software engineers looking to sharpen their skills. Learn more about Coderbyte in our review.
- The user-generated service Codewars hosts coding challenges published by their own community.
- Two more popular mock interview resources are Pramp and Gainlo. These platforms pair aspiring software engineers with their peers or anonymous engineers for mock interviews.
Aspiring software engineers seeking mock interviews at top tech companies can consider Interviewing.io. Their users are paired with FAANG engineers for mock interviews and extensive feedback. Find out if Interviewing.io is right for your career goals in our review.
How does Firecode.io compare to Pathrise?
Firecode.io is an online platform that helps aspiring software engineers prepare for technical interviews. While Firecode.io hosts technical interview questions with detailed solutions and strategies, the program does not help people with their job search.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with people at each phase of the job search. Our technical interview curriculum teaches fellows to ace coding interviews as career mentors assist with everything else, including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing, behavioral interviewing, negotiation, and more. Our experienced mentors have already helped 1,000+ students and professionals land great tech jobs.
Since studying technical interview skills and strategies can be extremely helpful for job-seekers, we recommend software engineers in our program review technical questions as often as they can. This means that people could use Firecode.io’s free program concurrently with Pathrise to prepare for technical interviews, especially to brush up on the fundamentals.
Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentoring. Fellows in our program see their interview scores double and their application responses triple, usually landing a job in only 3-5 months. If you want to work with any of our mentors to land your dream job faster, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
