Gayle Laakmann McDowell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
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Gayle Laakmann McDowell in 2014
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| Born |
Gayle Laakmann
1982 (age 42–43) |
| Education | Episcopal Academy |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania (BSE, MSE) Wharton School (MBA) |
| Known for | Cracking the Coding Interview |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Recruitment Coding interviews Computer science Career development Software engineering |
| Institutions | Apple Microsoft CareerCup |
Gayle Laakmann McDowell, born in 1982, is a talented software engineer and author. She writes popular books that help people get jobs, especially in the tech world. Her most famous series is called Cracking the X.
Contents
Gayle's School Journey
Gayle went to the Episcopal Academy for her early education. Later, she studied at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she earned two degrees in Computer Science by 2005. These degrees were a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) and a Master of Engineering (MSE).
Helping People Get Tech Jobs
After working as a software engineer at Google, Gayle joined a small new company. She became the Vice President (VP) of engineering there. She then earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
After her studies, Gayle started her own company called CareerCup.com. This company helps people get ready for job interviews at big technology companies like Google and Apple.
Cracking the Coding Interview
In 2008, Gayle first published her book Cracking the Coding Interview. This book gives advice on how to do well in technical job interviews. It also includes answers to example coding questions. A new book, Beyond Cracking the Coding Interview, was published in 2025. It covers more about finding jobs and different types of interviews. It also explains important computer science ideas like big O notation and data structures.
Other Helpful Books
Gayle has also written other books to help people with their careers. She co-authored Cracking the PM Interview, which is for people who want to be product managers. She also wrote Cracking the PM Career and Cracking the Tech Career.
Her work has been featured in many well-known newspapers and magazines. These include The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal.
In 2016, Gayle gave a special speech at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. It was for students getting their master's degrees.
