Technical interviews present the interviewee with a problem, or case, to solve. Your answer is not as important as your analysis of the problem and how you communicate your analysis and approach. Technical interviews are often used for engineering and software development roles and may occur in-person or virtually.

What to be prepared for

You may experience a variety of interviews throughout your process: some companies may send a remote coding interview/assignment prior to an interview process to test skillsets and competencies. Others may initiate a technical interview (or multiple) throughout the hiring process.

 

Focus on fundamentals

Interviewers will mainly focus on asking questions in relation to data structures, algorithmic complexity analysis, class design, etc. You may be asked about fundamentals directly, or questions where you will showcase your fundamental knowledge.

Think of fundamentals as the tools in your toolbox. They’re going to stay the same no matter what new technology comes out. With strong fundamentals, you’ll be better prepared to tackle open-ended problems 

What to expect

As part of the technical interview, you may be asked to work side-by-side with the interviewer and complete a White-boarding of a virtual screen-share platform (i.e. Google Docs) exercise. This experience allows you the opportunity to walk through your steps in solving the given problem, articulate your thought process, ask questions, and think through the solution.

White-boarding is an active skill. Be mindful of space and be able to walk through it with purpose for everything you include. In virtual white-boarding (Google Doc), space is not as much a factor.

Discussing your process and answering questions

How well can you communicate your thought process and solution will be monitored during the interview. How you think through the problem, organize your thoughts and communicate your answer is often as important as your conclusion.

  • ASK questions—yes, the interviewer wants to hear from you too! Make this conversational (but professional) and share what you are thinking, where you are at in providing a solution to the problem, and how you may need guidance to move through the process successfully. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if something is unclear or there’s not a lot of detail provided.

 

TIPS:

Don’t overload yourself | Scheduling interviews and time in between each will assist in being able to devote your time and attention to each role, company and interview. If you find yourself scheduling multiple interviews during peak interview season, consider having time in between each interview to regroup.

Take your time | Understand the perimeters of your interview process and utilize the time allocated. Do not rush through the process.

Think big picture | How will solving this problem impact the role, company, business model, etc.?

Talk it out | Practice processing through your strategy and approach with others. Articulating the steps and actions will help the interviewer understand how to

Showcase essential skills | Showcase essential skills, along with your technical expertise. Companies want to understand how you are as a colleague, and teammate, and how well you receive and communicate guidance and feedback

How to prepare

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Consider different online, self-paced resources, as well as books with practice problems and concepts to consider. With the right types of focused practice, you’ll be ready to ace your technical interviews.

HackerRank | Practice technical assessments, real-time coding interviews, and put programming languages to practice

TopCoder | Open global community of designers, developers, data scientists, and competitive programmers to gain practice in technical processes

Cracking the Coding Interview | 189 Programming Questions

Programming Interviews Exposed: Secrets to Landing your next job by John Mongan and Noah Suojanen | New coding examples, information on the latest languages, chapters on sorting and design patterns, tips on LinkedIn, and interview preparation software

 

Sample questions to consider

  • Tell me about a work problem that required a complicated solution and how you worked with your team to resolve it.
  • What’s a new software or technology you recently worked with and how did you come to learn it?
  • What do you do when it looks like a project you are working on might miss a deadline?
  • Tell me about the stakeholders and internal clients you work with outside of IT and how your work supports overall business goals.
  • Tell me about a time you explained a technical process or concept to someone who didn’t have a technical background.
  • Can you tell me about a project where you volunteered to help or offered support?
  • Tell me about a work product you delivered that you’re particularly proud of.
  • What tools and strategies do you use to organize and prioritize your work to best meet team goals, expectations, and deliverables?

 

Additional resources to utilize for interview practice:

How to market yourself

In addition to your customized resume and cover letter, you are encouraged to also create an online portfolio or website to showcase your project work. Not only should you include individual and group projects completed throughout your curriculum, but also consider any personal or side project(s) that you have completed or are currently working on. Through your project work, you will be able to spark and showcase your creativity and communicate your passion and motivation for the work that you do.

Github | Essential element of your application material and professional brand: showcase your work!