We are betting on the idea that a reasonably smart person would surprise themselves on how far they can get ahead if they can diligently work in a consistent manner. 2 hours per day may not seem much but over the course of 3 months it is pretty effective in hacking the interview process.
We will actually call/text the candidate before and after study period is over to ensure focus. Kind of like having a personal trainer for interviews.
The only pre-requisite is that the candidate should be reasonably intelligent. Someone who is already working in a big company/school and is putting off preparation for the interviews is ideal.
You need to spend 4hrs+ on weekends though. You will get to talk to candidates already working in the top companies and will be working in a group of 20+ highly motivated and intelligent peers.
I developed speed from text MUDs. I'm the type of person who dislikes customizing my setup and prefer to play straight; as a result, I had to consume, digest, and react to pretty large quantities of barely-differentiated text in tenths of a second.
At some point I just sat down and did some deliberate practice. I'm actually still not as good at typing as I would like to be, I have some glitches like only using my right thumb for the spacebar and sometimes using the wrong Shift key. There are a lot of programs out there that will help you do deliberate practice, it's just a matter of putting in some time.
Go meet people. It's amazing how many people are out there searching for talent. If they can't hire a full time, they often resort to contractors. That's you.
We will actually call/text the candidate before and after study period is over to ensure focus. Kind of like having a personal trainer for interviews.