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Gayle Laakmann McDowell facts for kids

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Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Gayle Laakmann McDowell.jpg
Gayle Laakmann McDowell in 2014
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
Google
Microsoft
CareerCup

Gayle Laakmann McDowell, born in 1982, is a talented software engineer and author. She is best known for her book, Cracking the Coding Interview, which helps people get jobs in technology. She has worked at big companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

Her Education Journey

Gayle Laakmann McDowell went to the Episcopal Academy for her early education. She then studied at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, she earned two degrees there: a Bachelor of Engineering (BSE) and a Master of Engineering (MSE). Both of her degrees were in Computer Science, which is the study of computers and how they work.

Advanced Business Studies

Later, Gayle decided to learn more about business. She attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This is a famous business school. She earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Wharton. An MBA helps people understand how to run a business.

Her Career in Tech

After finishing her computer science degrees, Gayle worked as a software engineer. She worked at Google, a very well-known technology company. Software engineers design and build computer programs.

Cracking the Coding Interview
Cracking the Coding Interview cover

Starting Her Own Business

After Google, Gayle joined a small new company called a startup company. This company was funded by venture capital, which is money from investors. She became the Vice President (VP) of engineering there. This meant she was in charge of the engineering team.

After getting her MBA, Gayle started her own business. It is called CareerCup.com. This website helps people get ready for job interviews at technology companies. It teaches them how to answer tough questions.

Writing Helpful Books

Gayle Laakmann McDowell is a successful author. Her most famous book is Cracking the Coding Interview. She first published this book herself in 2008. The book gives advice on how to do well in technical job interviews. These interviews often include solving coding problems. The book also provides solutions to many example questions.

By 2015, Cracking the Coding Interview was in its sixth edition. It had also been translated into seven different languages. This shows how popular and helpful the book is around the world.

Gayle has written other helpful books too. These include Cracking the PM Interview for product managers. Product managers help decide what products a company should make. She also wrote Cracking the PM Career and Cracking the Tech Career. Her books have been featured in major newspapers. These include The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Inspiring Others

In 2016, Gayle gave a special speech. It was the graduation speech for master's students. She spoke at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. She shared her experiences and inspired the new graduates.

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