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How to prepare for the technical interview for software engineer roles?
I'm a rising third-year college student majoring in computer science and consider a possible career in software development. As I plan to apply for next summer's internship, I would appreciate any advice on how to get started on preparing for the technical interview.
I've heard that LeetCode is helpful, but as there are so many problems on the website, how do I know what problems to focus on? Are there any extra tips on the order or quantity of practicing LeetCode problems? How exactly should I take advantage of LeetCode to practice?
Also, would appreciate if anyone has taken CodePath's technical interview class and share how helpful it is (or what aspect of it is most helpful). Thank you so much!
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8 answers
Updated
Chris’s Answer
1. Learn web languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and pick at least one other language such as Java, C#, Python, or C++.
2. Use your chosen language to explore programming basics like variables, data types, flow control, and loops, then move on to more advanced topics.
3. Find a training platform focused on your chosen language. Practice coding, take quizzes, and complete tests to prepare for technical interviews.
4. Use sites like CodePath and LeetCode to improve your skills and learn how to solve real-world problems with your language.
5. Create projects in your chosen language to demonstrate your skills and understanding.
6. Create a free project portfolio to showcase your skill: check-out this on GitHub for a free portfolio site: https://docs.github.com/en/pages/getting-started-with-github-pages/creating-a-github-pages-site
Code on!
2. Use your chosen language to explore programming basics like variables, data types, flow control, and loops, then move on to more advanced topics.
3. Find a training platform focused on your chosen language. Practice coding, take quizzes, and complete tests to prepare for technical interviews.
4. Use sites like CodePath and LeetCode to improve your skills and learn how to solve real-world problems with your language.
5. Create projects in your chosen language to demonstrate your skills and understanding.
6. Create a free project portfolio to showcase your skill: check-out this on GitHub for a free portfolio site: https://docs.github.com/en/pages/getting-started-with-github-pages/creating-a-github-pages-site
Code on!
Updated
Puneet’s Answer
Getting ready for a software engineering interview can be exciting, like gearing up for a big race. With the right plan, steady practice, and a smart approach, you’re set to succeed. Here’s a simple guide to help you shine:
1. Understand the Basics
- Focus on key areas like arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, and sorting methods.
- Learn to evaluate solutions using Big-O Notation.
Check out resources like the Tech Interview Handbook and GeeksforGeeks for helpful insights.
2. Solve Coding Problems
- Use sites like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codeforces.
- Begin with easy tasks, then tackle harder ones.
- Look for common patterns and improve your solutions.
3. Explore System Design
- Learn to create scalable systems, such as a chat app.
- Understand concepts like load balancing and databases.
4. Improve Communication
- Practice explaining your ideas clearly.
- Try mock interviews with friends or online platforms.
5. Get Ready for Behavioral Questions
- Use the STAR method to describe your experiences.
- Think about past projects and teamwork.
Extra Tips
- Choose a main programming language and get comfortable with it.
- Learn about the company’s technology and prepare accordingly.
- Practice mock interviews to build confidence.
With these steps, you’re on your way to doing great in your interview!
1. Understand the Basics
- Focus on key areas like arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, and sorting methods.
- Learn to evaluate solutions using Big-O Notation.
Check out resources like the Tech Interview Handbook and GeeksforGeeks for helpful insights.
2. Solve Coding Problems
- Use sites like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codeforces.
- Begin with easy tasks, then tackle harder ones.
- Look for common patterns and improve your solutions.
3. Explore System Design
- Learn to create scalable systems, such as a chat app.
- Understand concepts like load balancing and databases.
4. Improve Communication
- Practice explaining your ideas clearly.
- Try mock interviews with friends or online platforms.
5. Get Ready for Behavioral Questions
- Use the STAR method to describe your experiences.
- Think about past projects and teamwork.
Extra Tips
- Choose a main programming language and get comfortable with it.
- Learn about the company’s technology and prepare accordingly.
- Practice mock interviews to build confidence.
With these steps, you’re on your way to doing great in your interview!
Updated
Richard A. (Tony)’s Answer
Yi,
Two things come to mind -
Mock Interviews where YOU are the hiring manager! (Good Party Time that!)
To truly understand what you need to do, understand what the hiring manager is looking for at an interview. Get your friends to do interviews with you as the interviewer - Yes, do mocks with you as the candidate, but focus on being the interviewer to really understand what works and what doesn't. Map out what YOU would be looking to hire, how you can sus that out in 30 minutes, and then think about what they are really looking for (and it is NOT some lengthy list of qualifications).
Second: Think really hard how flexible you can be to demonstrate an interest in the TEAMS OUTCOME first. These guys are looking to complete a job or release, not help a young CS undergrad buff their resume. They want people willing to dig in odd areas and contribute to the team's success. This means thinking about areas you may or may not be actually focused on: Security, scripting, Automated testing, Requirements reconciliation, and the list goes ON and ON .... Think about asking what it is that keeps THEM up at night, or where the biggest challenge is in the current cycle and how you as an intern can participate in that challenge.
Do all the normal stuff too - but try these to REALLY shine at your favorite interview.
Tony
Two things come to mind -
Mock Interviews where YOU are the hiring manager! (Good Party Time that!)
To truly understand what you need to do, understand what the hiring manager is looking for at an interview. Get your friends to do interviews with you as the interviewer - Yes, do mocks with you as the candidate, but focus on being the interviewer to really understand what works and what doesn't. Map out what YOU would be looking to hire, how you can sus that out in 30 minutes, and then think about what they are really looking for (and it is NOT some lengthy list of qualifications).
Second: Think really hard how flexible you can be to demonstrate an interest in the TEAMS OUTCOME first. These guys are looking to complete a job or release, not help a young CS undergrad buff their resume. They want people willing to dig in odd areas and contribute to the team's success. This means thinking about areas you may or may not be actually focused on: Security, scripting, Automated testing, Requirements reconciliation, and the list goes ON and ON .... Think about asking what it is that keeps THEM up at night, or where the biggest challenge is in the current cycle and how you as an intern can participate in that challenge.
Do all the normal stuff too - but try these to REALLY shine at your favorite interview.
Tony
Updated
Rui’s Answer
To prepare technically for software engineering interviews, start by becoming familiar with core data structures and algorithms: arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, stacks, and heaps. Learn key techniques such as sorting, searching, recursion, dynamic programming, greedy methods, and divide-and-conquer. Practice regularly on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and Codeforces to improve speed and problem-solving skills.
Choose one programming language (e.g., Python, Java, or C++) and become proficient in its syntax, built-in functions, and performance characteristics. Understand how to write clean, efficient code and analyze time and space complexity. For later-stage interviews, familiarize yourself with basic system design concepts like scalability, databases, caching, load balancing, and RESTful APIs. Resources such as Grokking the System Design Interview are helpful.
Be prepared to answer behavioral questions about projects, teamwork, and challenges. Conduct mock interviews to practice explaining your thought process clearly and confidently.
Over time, build personal or collaborative coding projects and contribute to open-source to demonstrate practical skills. Host your work on GitHub with clear documentation and a consistent commit history. Real-world experience not only sharpens technical ability but also helps you stand out to recruiters.
Wish you all the best with your interviews!
Choose one programming language (e.g., Python, Java, or C++) and become proficient in its syntax, built-in functions, and performance characteristics. Understand how to write clean, efficient code and analyze time and space complexity. For later-stage interviews, familiarize yourself with basic system design concepts like scalability, databases, caching, load balancing, and RESTful APIs. Resources such as Grokking the System Design Interview are helpful.
Be prepared to answer behavioral questions about projects, teamwork, and challenges. Conduct mock interviews to practice explaining your thought process clearly and confidently.
Over time, build personal or collaborative coding projects and contribute to open-source to demonstrate practical skills. Host your work on GitHub with clear documentation and a consistent commit history. Real-world experience not only sharpens technical ability but also helps you stand out to recruiters.
Wish you all the best with your interviews!
Updated
Jim’s Answer
When I interview potential Software Engineers (or many other technical positions), I'm looking to understand what they're passionate about and how they think. I often try to draw out of them some examples of some hard problems they've faced and how they solved them. At it's core, software development is about problem solving, so it's crucial to be able to take a hard problem, break it down into it's component parts, and figure out a plan to develop code to implement those parts. So, before the interview, think about some hard problems you've run into, be it an assignment in school or just a situation in real life, and how you went about solving it. Sure, if it's a coding example, that's obviously a good fit answer, but don't discount giving examples of how you broke down other problems, attacked them logically and achieved a great outcome.
That said, the other big thing I'm looking for in an interview is to understand how people handle things going wrong. I ask them to describe a disaster that ended up in their lap, and what they did to solve the problem. The good news is that we can all remember the disasters we've faced, but before the interview, think through them and find the one or two you're most proud of having solved, and break down what you did to pull it off. Being able to articulate this in an interview can really help the interviewer see how you could help them get out of a bad spot!
That said, the other big thing I'm looking for in an interview is to understand how people handle things going wrong. I ask them to describe a disaster that ended up in their lap, and what they did to solve the problem. The good news is that we can all remember the disasters we've faced, but before the interview, think through them and find the one or two you're most proud of having solved, and break down what you did to pull it off. Being able to articulate this in an interview can really help the interviewer see how you could help them get out of a bad spot!
Updated
David’s Answer
Preparing for technical interviews as a rising third-year computer science student is a great move, especially if you're targeting software engineering internships next summer. Start by building a solid foundation in data structures and algorithms—topics like arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, stacks, queues, sorting, dynamic programming, and recursion are crucial. It helps to first review these concepts from textbooks or video tutorials (e.g., by Abdul Bari, MIT OpenCourseWare, or freeCodeCamp) before jumping into problem-solving. Once you’re comfortable with the theory, practice applying these concepts through coding problems.
LeetCode is indeed a valuable resource, but due to the sheer volume of problems, it’s important to practice strategically. Focus on the Top Interview Questions list and the LeetCode Blind 75 (or NeetCode 150)—these curated lists cover the most frequently asked problem types in interviews. Start with easy problems to build confidence, then move to mediums, and attempt a few hard ones only after you're comfortable. Aim for consistency: solving 1–2 problems daily over several months is more effective than cramming. After solving each problem, make sure you truly understand the solution and can explain it out loud; this improves both comprehension and interview communication.
CodePath’s technical interview prep course is well-regarded, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds or those without prior internship experience. The course stands out for providing structure, mentorship, and peer support, which can help you stay disciplined and motivated. Many students find the live sessions, weekly problem sets, and mock interviews especially beneficial. If accepted, it’s a great complement to self-study on LeetCode, providing accountability and feedback that you might not get working alone.
LeetCode is indeed a valuable resource, but due to the sheer volume of problems, it’s important to practice strategically. Focus on the Top Interview Questions list and the LeetCode Blind 75 (or NeetCode 150)—these curated lists cover the most frequently asked problem types in interviews. Start with easy problems to build confidence, then move to mediums, and attempt a few hard ones only after you're comfortable. Aim for consistency: solving 1–2 problems daily over several months is more effective than cramming. After solving each problem, make sure you truly understand the solution and can explain it out loud; this improves both comprehension and interview communication.
CodePath’s technical interview prep course is well-regarded, especially for students from underrepresented backgrounds or those without prior internship experience. The course stands out for providing structure, mentorship, and peer support, which can help you stay disciplined and motivated. Many students find the live sessions, weekly problem sets, and mock interviews especially beneficial. If accepted, it’s a great complement to self-study on LeetCode, providing accountability and feedback that you might not get working alone.
Updated
Mary’s Answer
Hi Yi,
When we interview candidates, we look at both their skills and how well they fit the job requirements. It's great that you're preparing with LeetCode, as many interviews include problem-solving tasks. These tasks usually involve a small presentation where you'll need to apply your knowledge and explain your process.
I recommend using AI tools to help you understand the job description better. You can ask questions like:
- What questions might be asked in a technical interview for this role?
- What skills or tools should I focus on for daily tasks in this job?
- Can you give me case scenarios for a specific topic so I can prepare for the interview and know how to respond professionally?
These are just starting points, and you can come up with more ideas to help you in your preparation. Good luck!
When we interview candidates, we look at both their skills and how well they fit the job requirements. It's great that you're preparing with LeetCode, as many interviews include problem-solving tasks. These tasks usually involve a small presentation where you'll need to apply your knowledge and explain your process.
I recommend using AI tools to help you understand the job description better. You can ask questions like:
- What questions might be asked in a technical interview for this role?
- What skills or tools should I focus on for daily tasks in this job?
- Can you give me case scenarios for a specific topic so I can prepare for the interview and know how to respond professionally?
These are just starting points, and you can come up with more ideas to help you in your preparation. Good luck!
Updated
Aaron’s Answer
To succeed in technical interviews, you need a solid grasp of the technology and effective problem-solving skills. While giving the right answer is crucial, it's equally important to fully understand the question and think creatively to find a solution. If you're unsure about an answer, be honest. Instead, suggest alternative ways to solve the problem or share solutions you've used for similar issues.