Own every line
In an interview, “AI wrote it” is not an explanation. You need to explain what the code does, why you kept it, how you checked it, and what you would change next.
Treat the assistant like a fast teammate, not the project owner. You are still responsible for reviewing and validating suggestions before accepting them.
What interviewers ask
For internships, expect simple but direct questions. “Walk me through this feature.” “Why this database schema?” “What bug did you find?” “How did you test it?”
If your repo shows AI use, that is fine. The risk is not using AI. The risk is being unable to explain your own submission.
Build your proof
Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.
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Ask from files
AI tools can use open files, chat history, and repo instructions as context. Still, do not assume the tool knows your intent.
When asking for help, state the goal, constraints, and desired output. For codebase questions, tell the assistant to inspect relevant files and not guess about files it has not opened.
Review note template
Add a small review note while the work is fresh. Keep it short enough that you will actually maintain it during a hackathon night.
This can go in your README or a separate file like REVIEW_NOTES.md.
AI-assisted review note
Feature: UPI-style payment status page
Files changed: src/pages/PaymentStatus.jsx, src/api/orders.js
AI help used for: refactoring UI states and suggesting edge cases
What I checked:
- Confirmed loading, success, failed, and expired states render correctly
- Checked no API keys or tokens are in the frontend code
- Tested with order IDs: valid, missing, and already paid
What I rejected:
- Removed an AI-suggested retry loop because it could call the API too often
What I still need to improve:
- Add automated tests for expired paymentsDo not memorise scripts
A common mistake is asking AI to generate interview answers, then memorising them. That breaks as soon as the interviewer asks a follow-up.
Use AI to quiz you instead. Ask it to question you on your own code, one question at a time. Then answer without copying from the model.
Do this now
Do each one yourself, then tap it to tick it off. The ticks are only a checklist for you: they are not marked or scored.
0 of 5 done