How to Prepare for a Technical Interview
Nothing strikes more fear into a tech professional than the prospect of a technical interview. Being challenged by the blank slate of a whiteboard while an interviewer waits for you to prove you’re a 10x-er is enough to make any developer consider switching careers to an artisan cheesemaker.
In this article, we will explore how to prepare for a technical interview, so you don’t have to move out to the country (where Netflix still has to buffer before each episode).
Whether you have an opportunity lined up or are merely considering a career change, properly preparing is essential to ensure a successful technical interview. Not only are you competing against the test, but also the other applicants who are taking it, so it is essential to stand out and perform well.
As an experienced full-stack developer who has participated in technical interviews on both sides of the table, I’ll discuss lessons learned from bombing out of Facebook’s tech screening and give you insights from an interviewer’s perspective. We’ll also cover the technical aspects of interviewing at Scalable Path.
Since this topic has been explored in depth before, we’ll take a more modern approach by providing universal advice that applies to candidates interviewing at a tech giant like Google, a fast-moving startup, or a run-of-the-mill SMB far outside of the valley. I’ll explain why memorizing algorithms and practicing coding are only part of the picture, and ultimately help you focus on the blind spots that often trip candidates up and potentially cost you an offer.
Now, let’s now take the time to dive in and get prepared for that coding interview.
Table Of Contents
Types of Technical Interviews
The tech industry is known for having one of the most varied and challenging sets of technical interview formats. These formats can generally be broken down into two categories, academic and practical:
Academic formats test fundamentals and concepts via abstract challenges, similar to testing in a school setting. Practical interviews evaluate candidates against more real-world problems, indicative of what they may be faced with in their actual job role.
