Mastering Your Software Engineering Interview: Best Practices and Top Resources

From looking back at my software engineering interviews, I would say that interviews in tech require more than just technical knowledge - you also need a plan of attack! Meaning, everyone should have a tactical approach for when he/she enrolls in an interview process! 🎯

✍️ In this article, I’ll focus on the best practices to excel in your software engineering interviews and provide you with some resources that have helped me or I think would’ve (and will) when preparing.

Best Practices 🏆

As I love to read trough such articles in a list format, I decided to go with the same approach here:👇

• Understand the Basics - Your foundation in data structures and algorithms is crucial. Ensure you can comfortably tackle common coding problems.
• Practice, Practice, Practice - Regular coding practice is key to success. Start with easier problems and work your way up. Platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and Pramp offer a wide array of coding challenges.
• Mock Interviewing - Simulate real interview conditions by conducting mock interviews. You can practice with friends or use platforms like Interviewing.io, where you can get feedback from experienced engineers.
• Behavioral Questions - You will be asked about your previos experience, projects, work-related problems and how you navigated trough them. With that in mind, be ready to talk about these stuff as much as about the tech exercises the company gives you. Don’t neglect them and prepare notes on what to say. (that’s what I do)
• System Design - Familiarize yourself with system design concepts, as depending on the role you apply for, this may the most important technical part of the interview! The “System Design Primer” on GitHub is a great resource to get you started.
• Time Management - In and out of the interview, manage your time wisely. Don’t waste too much time on tutorials and don’t talk about simple topics for a lot of time on the interview. If you get stuck, don’t hesitate to ask for hints or clarification.
• Stay Calm - It’s normal to face challenging problems during an interview. Stay composed and think out loud…