Technical Interview Preparation: The Ultimate Tech Interview Cheat Sheet

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the technical interview process: Familiarize yourself with the stages and formats of technical interviews to reduce anxiety and improve performance.
• Essential technical skills: Master key technical concepts, such as programming languages, data structures, algorithms, and system design to excel in coding interviews.
• Effective preparation strategies: Utilize practice interviews, coding challenges, and study resources to enhance your problem-solving abilities and technical knowledge.
• Communication and soft skills: Develop strong communication skills to effectively convey your thought process and collaborate with interviewers during problem-solving.
• Post-interview follow-up: Learn how to handle follow-up communications professionally to leave a lasting positive impression on hiring managers.

When it comes to securing a position at top tech companies, technical interviews play a critical role. With the industry facing waves of layoffs, job openings for positions like software engineer dropped to a three-year low in 2024.1 Now, in this increasingly competitive landscape, thorough technical interview prep is more important than ever before.

Effective web development or software engineering interview preparation goes beyond just brushing up on programming languages—it’s about developing a strategic approach to the interview that covers every aspect of the process. By investing time in interview preparation, you can set yourself up to stand out to tech companies and take a confident step toward your career goals.

In this article, we’ll go through some best practice strategies for nailing your technical interview. We’ll help you gain a thorough understanding of preparation methods, highlight common challenges, and give you tips for success to secure a tech role that’s a fit for your experience and expertise.

Why Tech Interview Prep Matters

What’s the purpose of a technical interview, and why should you take the time to carefully prepare for it? This is an opportunity to show potential employers your grasp of programming languages, data structures, or other relevant tech knowledge, as well as how you utilize soft skills such as communication, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills in applying them. Taking the time to prepare effectively throughout each stage of the interview process is crucial, as it will help you build the confidence you need and enable you to display the benefits you’ll bring to the team, whether you’re interviewing for a full-time job, part-time job, or contract work.

Understanding the technical interview process

The first step in preparing for tech interviews begins with researching the tech company you’re interviewing at. Examine the job description to identify key responsibilities, skills that they consider “need to have” and “nice to have,” and if possible, the company culture, values, and products.

Aligning your answers with the company’s mission and asking questions like “Can you tell me about typical projects those in this role have completed in the past?” will help showcase your thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and overall interest in the company.

The interview process often begins with a phone interview, which acts as an initial assessment of your technical skills and overall fit for the position. This call might include questions about your coding background and a discussion of your experience in the tech industry. In this call, which may be conducted by the company’s HR department or a team manager, you’ll also have a chance to ask questions about the company yourself in order to assess if it’s aligned with your own goals and desired work environment.

After your initial phone screening, you may then move on to other interviews with team members, as well as the tech interview. These typically require candidates to complete an asynchronous coding assessment, which will test your coding abilities and can involve solving algorithms or data structure problems. Depending on the role, you may have a systems design interview, which will evaluate your ability to design scalable and efficient systems.

Lastly, an in-person interview (either on-site or via a video call) may include in-depth technical assessments, including on-the-spot whiteboard coding and system design, and behavioral interviews to assess soft skills and cultural fit.

But what are the key differences between technical and non-technical interviews? Your tech interview prep should focus on problem-solving and technical expertise versus soft skills. The most effective way to prepare is to use comprehensive resources and targeted strategies that have helped many engineers succeed in landing jobs. However, it’s important to showcase any asset when you have the chance, from programming experience to interpersonal skills, as you can expect questions about coding problems, technical questions specific to the role, and behavioral questions throughout the process.

Essential technical skills to master

What are the most important skills for technical interview success? While it does vary by role, there are several areas any coder will want to highlight.

A software engineering or other coding interview will include interview question sections about programming languages to determine your technical skill in relevant languages, such as Java, Python, or JavaScript. Other topics you’ll want to be ready to discuss include:

• Data structures and algorithms
• Arrays
• Linked lists
• Trees
• Graphs
• Sorting algorithms

Your programming interview will likely include a system design interview, covering the basics of designing scalable systems and your familiarity with system components, databases, and APIs.

Lastly, there will be questions about technical problem-solving, including techniques for approaching and figuring out complex problems. It’s important to demonstrate your logical reasoning and analytical skills in this section, which may include case interviews that allow you to show how you’d respond to the types of real-world problems faced by your potential future team. If you’re wondering how to improve problem-solving skills for technical interviews, GitHub also has a helpful list of resources.

Effective preparation strategies

So how should you get ready for your interviews? Effective tech interview preparation all comes down to practice. You can search for common interview questions online, complete a practice coding challenge or two, and even participate in a mock interview.

Practice coding interviews can be done on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, Interview Cake, and Interview Kickstart, which allow you to participate in mock interviews to simulate real scenarios. When doing so, try to make sure you’re participating in a mock coding interview geared toward the role you’re applying to, such as a data scientist, software engineer, or web developer position.

We also recommend using study resources, including books like Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell and online courses and tutorials to strengthen technical knowledge. A structured interview prep course can provide curated lists of questions and expert guidance to help you master algorithms, data structures, and more within different interview formats. If you’re someone who thrives on external support, interview prep courses and bootcamps like Interview Kickstart and Interview Camp can help support you through structured preparation.

Ultimately, creating an effective study plan and being diligent about your time management is essential to successful preparation. Set realistic goals and create a schedule, balancing practice with rest to avoid burnout. Being well-rested and calm will put you in the right mindset to nail your interview.

Preparing for your interview: Behavioral and communication skills

Learning what to say in a technical interview can feel challenging, but building communication skills is the ideal place to start.

Showcasing your communication skills in a behavioral interview is key, as it allows you to demonstrate your thought process and problem-solving ability under pressure. If you can clearly articulate your thoughts, practice active listening, and engage with the interviewer, you will build rapport and convey your collaborative capabilities in a way that can help you stand out in a crowded interview pool.

Common behavioral interview questions include topics like past experiences, teamwork, and conflict resolution. You might be asked broad, open-ended questions, such as “What are some of the challenges you had to overcome?” or “What is your strategy for dealing with mistakes?” These types of questions are asked to give you the opportunity to reflect on your own performance and allow your interviewer to gain insight into your character.

One interview tip is to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure responses:

1. Set the scene by briefly giving some context to the situation: For example, did your former company implement a new quarterly CTA goal?
2. Describe the task that makes you fit into the story: Were you given an important project that would help the company meet its new goal?
3. Go into details about the actions you took in order to succeed in your role: Did you find a way to optimize a page on the website to encourage more engagement on the CTA?
4. Finish with the results of your actions: Maybe your page enhancements led to a 73% increase in button clicks, or perhaps a 62% increase in registrations, etc. As with resumes, hiring managers don’t only want to know what you did, but what you accomplished.

Keeping these key aspects of a well-rounded answer in mind will help ensure you’re being thorough and deliberate with your approach. It’s a good idea to practice answering these kinds of questions before the actual interview, so you can come prepared to speak on your soft skills without having to try to come up with examples in the moment.

Common technical interview questions

The types of questions you’ll be tasked with in your technical interview will depend on the role you’re applying to. All roles rely on different hard and soft skills for success, so the interviewer will create questions for your specific position, assessing your ability to complete the tasks effectively, think critically and quickly, and communicate your process and results.

Typically, coding assessments include common tasks, such as reversing a linked list or finding duplicates in an array. Beyond that, the technical interview will largely be specific to the programming language you’ll be working with.

Here are some language-specific coding interview question topics to prep for:

• Java interview questions: object-oriented concepts, exception handling, multithreading
• Python interview questions: data types, functions, modules, Pythonic coding practices
• Javascript interview questions: scope, closures, event handling, asynchronous programming

Depending on the role, you might be asked system design questions or to give examples and approaches to designing specific systems, such as a URL shortener or messaging app.

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Ultimately, focusing on collaboration during interviews is the key to success. Treating coding interviews as collaborative problem-solving sessions, rather than a you-vs.-the-interviewer situation, can help cement your status as a responsive, considerate person who will be a valuable addition to a team. Being open to hints and feedback from the interviewer is just as important as showcasing technical skills and will make you a stronger candidate.

During the interview: Tips for success

You’ve done all your tech interview prep, and now it’s time for the big day. Here are some final tips and ideas to help you succeed:

• Showcase your approach to problem-solving:  Technical interviewing isn’t just a pop quiz—it’s a way for your potential employer to understand how your mind works. When presented with a problem, break it down into manageable parts while verbalizing your thoughts to keep the interviewer engaged.
• Demonstrate both technical and soft skills: During the interview process, the hiring manager will be interested in understanding how you’ll function as part of their team. Make sure to focus on technical expertise, teamwork, and adaptability, showing enthusiasm and a willingness to learn throughout the process. Questions like “What are some of the challenges you had to overcome?” are an opportunity to connect on a personal level.
• Stay calm and keep going: When faced with difficult questions, don’t panic. Staying calm and composed while emphasizing your ability to face a challenge will go a long way in making a positive impression. Try thinking aloud and discussing potential solutions rather than rushing to a conclusion you’re unsure of.

Lastly, many people wonder how to handle technical interview follow-up communications. Consider sending a personalized email to the hiring manager or any other members of the team you may have met. Be sure to include at least one reference to something you discussed during your interview. If you’re unsure of their email address, you can always ask the HR hiring representative to forward an email on your behalf.

Overcoming challenges in technical interview prep

What are the most challenging aspects of technical interview prep? Even experienced engineers can face unique challenges and may benefit from advanced resources or expert-led coaching. And for many people, there are additional constraints due to work or personal commitments, or difficulty in certain technical areas. With so much at stake, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and quit before you’ve had a chance to properly prepare.

Creating strategies to support your interview prep is key to your success. Prioritize key topics based on the role you’re applying for, studying with depth rather than breadth. It’s more important to show your interviewer that you have the specific skills they’re seeking for this role than it is to demonstrate wide, general knowledge. Seeking help from mentors and joining study groups can also help you build the network of support you need to stay on track, and don’t be shy about asking for a review of your resume or mock interview performance in order to gain valuable feedback for improvement.

Remember the key to maintaining motivation is setting achievable goals. Celebrate small victories with your friends, family, or accountability buddies from your support network, and remember that any progress means you’re getting that much closer to your goals.

Resources, tools, and tips

Here are some recommended resources to help you on your journey.

• LeetCode: Extensive library of coding problems
• HackerRank: A space to practice coding and participate in contests
• Interview Cake: Tailored practice problems and explanations
• Big Interview: Video lessons and practice tools

You can also consider joining online forums, such as Stack Overflow and Reddit communities like Learn Programming and Experienced Devs, or participating in local coding meetups or virtual study groups. Testing out your skills in mock interviews will help you arrive prepared and ready on the big day.

Whether you want to be a software engineer, web developer, or another role at a tech company, technical interview prep is the key to building your future career success. Building thorough groundwork and maintaining consistent practice are the keys to nailing your technical interview and will allow you to showcase both your technical and soft skills.

This practice-makes-perfect approach will enable you to face interviews with confidence. Persistence leads to improvement. So even if you’re not yet ready to succeed, showing up for yourself repeatedly will help you develop the essential skills employers seek.