Landing your dream job in the software engineering field can be a tough process. Launching a software engineering career typically requires many applications and several rounds of non-technical and technical interviews. In this article, we focus on the technical aspect of the hiring process. You’ll learn what a technical interview is, why they are important to hiring managers, and how you can prepare for this type of interview.
What Is a Technical Interview, and Why Does It Matter?
Technical interviews are commonplace in fields like science and engineering. In software engineering, technical interviews may involve take-home coding challenges, whiteboard interviews, or pair programming interviews.
For tech companies, all of these technical interview styles are effective ways of measuring an applicant’s core skills. For instance, the company can analyze how you approach and solve problems, what your technical communication and programming skills are like, and which programming languages and frameworks you’re comfortable using.
It’s not surprising, then, that plenty of job-seeking software engineers devote time to practicing and preparing for technical interviews.
But, you don’t need to prepare for tough technical interviews by yourself. Coding school Codesmith helps aspiring software engineers prepare for technical interviews before their immersive programs even begin.
The Codesmith Technical Interview and How It Sets You Up for Success
Codesmith’s top-tier Software Engineering Immersive programs prepare residents for successful careers in the software engineering space. The admissions process, including a technical interview, not only prepares aspiring residents for the Software Engineering Immersive program but also for future job-related technical interviews.
The Codesmith technical interview happens over a video call with a Codesmith engineer. You will be asked to solve problems using JavaScript, and you will be evaluated on five core software engineering skills: technical communication, non-technical communication, analytical problem-solving, perseverance through challenges, and JavaScript and programming knowledge.
Kyle Combs, Senior Software Engineer and Lead Instructor at Codesmith, says that these skills are what most employers look for in job interviews and that no one skill is more important than the other.
Codesmith doesn’t just get you job-ready but also job interview-ready! With the Codesmith technical interview, you’ll sharpen your communication skills and easily demonstrate your technical expertise to prospective employers.
Get started here.“A technical interview is very much about the journey, not the destination,” says Combs. “While it is important to actually solve some problems, it is really more about how you go about solving problems and the steps you take that we are looking to assess in a technical interview.” After all, Combs says “knowing the answer to things isn’t really what being an engineer is all about.” Instead, it’s about how you work through and find answers to problems you have not encountered before.
That means that aside from demonstrating technical knowledge in interviews, you will also need to showcase your communication skills. According to Combs, communication is equally vital when sitting through real-world technical interviews.
“When you are in a job interview, they have 45 minutes to one hour to assess your technical ability,” says Combs. “And, a large part of that is just going to be talking back and forth. You are going to have conversations about code and solving problems. So, learning how to implement the proper vocabulary and how to talk about things is very important in that process.”
Finally, Codesmith’s technical interview gauges how well you work with others.
“If you go to a job interview, this is one of the things that they are going to be gauging as well,” says Combs. “Is this person someone I would actually want to work with for eight hours a day every day?”
Codesmith’s admissions process sets residents up for success during the Software Engineering Immersive. The immersive program’s core curriculum will help you further reach your full potential as a software engineer. For instance, in addition to the technical training, you’ll learn how to become a better technical and non-technical communicator. You’ll also learn how to work solo or collaborate with other engineers in pairs and groups with the guidance of Codesmith’s expert instructors.
“The full-time program was extremely rigorous. It was intense; we moved really fast, and the hours were long,” shares Codesmith alum Brandi Richardson. But, she says, “The best things about Codesmith are the community, the hands-on learning, the projects you built, and the hiring support.”
The technical interview combined with Codesmith’s rigorous training program ensures that every resident leaves the coding school fully prepared to build and find success in their new careers.
So, how do you prepare for Codesmith’s technical interview?
How to Prepare for Codesmith’s Technical Interview
Codesmith has a variety of free learning resources to help you prepare for the technical interview and the immersive program. At the core of these resources is Codesmith’s supportive community, which is available to all Codesmith learners regardless of where they are in their coding journey.
These resources include the following:
- CSX. This is Codesmith’s free, self-paced coding learning platform and community. The CSX modules cover all concepts that may be part of the Codesmith Technical Interview. The CSX Slack channel allows coding learners to meet peers and set up pair programming sessions designed to build their technical, communication, and collaboration skills.
- Free Workshops. Codesmith offers a variety of live, online workshops every week. They include Intro to JavaScript, JavaScript the Hard Parts, and Pair Programming sessions. Codesmith also offers info sessions and workshops about preparing for the technical interview.
- Prep Programs. Choose from two Prep Programs: the two-day JavaScript for Beginners course and/or the two-week CS Prep course, both of which teach JavaScript fundamentals and prepare applicants for Codesmith’s immersive programs.
- YouTube. Codesmith’s YouTube channel has videos that help aspiring coders, whether they are just beginning their tech journey or are already at intermediate or intermediate advanced levels. Learning content is organized by skill level and indicates what subjects are included in Codesmith’s Technical Interview.
- Alumni Advisor and Technical Interview Mentors. Codesmith’s Alumni Advisors and Technical Interview Mentors offer guidance and support to immersive program applicants.
The time it takes to prepare for Codesmith’s technical interview varies from person to person. Do you have prior coding experience? How much time can you commit to your prep work? Do you have other responsibilities alongside your studies? Whatever your circumstance, Codesmith has resources available to help.
As a reminder, Combs says: “It’s hard to get into Codesmith because Codesmith is hard. It is an intense immersive program. Once it starts, it doesn’t slow down. So, we spend a lot of time making sure that you are ready for that process before you get started.”
Launch Your Tech Career with Codesmith
Codesmith’s Software Engineering Immersive programs are designed to prepare residents for mid- to senior software engineering roles. The Immersive programs can be taken in person or online and on a full-time or part-time schedule.
Codesmith’s technical interview is vital in preparing you for Codesmith’s rigorous software engineering immersive curriculum, and for future job-related technical interviews. Codesmith grads launch incredible careers in tech.
In fact, as shared in the most recent CIRR outcomes reports (July-December 2021), more than 82 percent of Codesmith graduates were employed in the field within six months of graduating. Across all full-time immersive programs during this period, the median salary for Codesmith graduates was $130,000. The median salary for the part-time remote immersive program was $137,000.
Preparing to take your Codesmith technical interview? Practice your skills at an upcoming free workshop or visit Codesmith’s YouTube channel to build with code at your pace!
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
