The technical interview can be one of the most dreaded parts of finding a job as a software engineer. Depending on the company where you’re interviewing, your experiences can vary widely, which makes preparing even harder.
Having been on both sides of the hiring process, I know how difficult it can be. So, I want to offer some tips for success.
Maybe these aren’t the tips you’ll need for interviews at the biggest, baddest tech companies out there, but hey, not everyone needs to work at a FAANG company. You can be perfectly happy and well-compensated at many other places, too.
So, if you’re looking for a job in tech or are planning on interviewing soon, here are my tips, broken down by interview type.
The algorithm-y / data structure interview (or phone screen)
What to expect:
A problem or two that involves manipulating data structures, usually in the language of your choice. The big tech companies publish guides on what to expect, and you can find a breakdown of the most common questions on LeetCode. Sometimes they’re phrased more as real-world problems rather than something straightforward, like find all the permutations of a string.
