How to Prepare for Your Technical Interview

A technical interview is a job interview for a position at a tech company that specializes in manufacturing or selling some form of technology. In a technical interview, interviewers typically ask the candidates to demonstrate their technical knowledge through a combination of situational questions, behavioral interview questions, and coding challenges to test their technical skills.

The typical technical interview process includes a phone interview, a remote test, an onsite problem-solving test, and an in-person interview. Depending on the company, tech interview questions may be asked by development or engineering team members, hiring managers, or human resources staff.

The purpose of a technical interview is to assess the interviewee’s skill set and technical ability to determine whether they are the right fit for the company’s needs. Interviewers will ask questions designed to better understand the candidate’s technical prowess, problem-solving skills, thought process, communication skills, and ability to work as a team player.

Ultimately, the purpose of a technical interview is for the interviewee to demonstrate their ability to become a software developer or programmer rather than discuss it.

There are typically three parts to a technical interview:

1. 1. Phone screen: A phone screen, or interview by phone, is typically the first part of a tech interview and is often less rigorous and tech-oriented than other portions of the interview process. Recruiters may focus their questions on the candidate’s soft skills, such as communication skills or teamwork, and understanding of the company’s mission, which is its set of values, philosophy, and competitive advantages.
2. 2. Remote coding: During this part of the interview process, the interview gives the candidate a test to determine their level of coding proficiency, which they must complete within a predetermined time frame. The interviewer may monitor the test in real-time on a web-based code editing program. Some remote coding tests will include bonus questions and brainteasers. Some companies, like startups, do not include remote coding as part of the interview process.
3. 3. Onsite interview: The final phase of the technical challenge occurs onsite at the company’s headquarters and typically comprises two parts: a technical interview and a coding test. During the onsite interview, interviewers will ask the candidate follow-up questions focused on their technical experience. For the coding test, the company will ask the candidate to complete coding challenges on a whiteboard. However, some companies do not include the whiteboard challenge in this part of the interview.

Here are some common technical interview questions:

1. 1. Behavioral questions: These questions seek to determine how the interviewee acts in a workplace environment and may include questions about their most recent project, or a project that gave them a sense of pride. Interviewers may also ask about practical applications or examples of technical knowledge and experience.
2. 2. Educational questions: The purpose of these questions is to determine the candidate’s educational experience and any technical certifications they may have received. Interviewees should mention any scholarships, coursework, and learned technologies relevant to the job description.
3. 3. Problem-solving questions: These questions typically focus on hypothetical situations and how the interviewee would address them. The purpose of these questions is to determine the interviewee’s ability to use their experience and technical skills to solve technical problems that might occur as part of the job and the degree to which they have anticipated these problems.

Several different strategies can help interviewees prepare for a technical interview, including:

• Practice: Consistent practice is the key to cracking the coding interview. Give yourself daily coding challenges. Time yourself coding on a whiteboard by hand to feel both the method and the time pressure. Use online resources that provide coding problems and mock interviews.
• Relax: It’s just as important for recruiters to see how you respond to challenges as it is to answer technical interview questions correctly. How you respond to giving the right answer—or the wrong answer—will give potential employers a picture of how you handle pressure, as will your body language.
• Study: Brush up on the core elements of computer science before your interview: data structures, sorting algorithms, and programming languages. Focus your studies on elements that apply to the job description. Avoid cramming for your interview, which can create unnecessary stress, and instead, use your interview prep time wisely.
• Wrap-up: If you answer a technical interview question incorrectly, you can mention it to the recruiter at the end of the interview and even ask them for the correct answer to show initiative. Always thank the interviewer for their time, either in-person or in a follow-up email afterward.

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