Interview Type: Technical 

In a technical interview, you might: 

• Write and debug code on a whiteboard or in a shared editor 

• Explain a technical concept in depth 

• Solve a system design problem 

• Work through an engineering challenge 

• Answer knowledge questions about your field 

Interviewers are assessing: 

• Technical knowledge: Do you understand core concepts in your field? 

• Problem-solving: How do you approach an unfamiliar problem? 

• Communication: Can you explain your thinking clearly? 

• Coding/analytical skills: Can you write clean code or solve complex problems? 

• Ability to think under pressure: Can you stay calm and work through a difficult problem? 

Technical interviews can happen in several formats: 

Pre-interview online assessment: 

Some companies send a coding challenge or technical test to complete on your own before the phone screen. It’s typically timed and must be completed by a deadline. Treat this as seriously as any interview—many candidates are eliminated at this stage. 

Phone or video screen: 

You might discuss your background and get basic technical questions. For coding interviews, you may type answers into a shared Google Doc or code collaboratively on a platform like CoderPad. Ask ahead of time what platform they’ll use so you can practice. 

On-site interview: 

This can include whiteboarding code, answering technical knowledge questions, solving design problems on a whiteboard, or giving a technical presentation. You might interview with different teams or have multiple rounds. 

Understand the problem: 

Before you start coding or solving, clarify what’s being asked: 

• Ask what the expected input and output are 

• Ask about edge cases or constraints (“Does the input include negative numbers?” “Is it always valid input?”) 

• Confirm the scope (“Do I need to optimize for speed or memory?” “Is this meant to scale to millions of users?”) 

This shows careful thinking and prevents you from solving the wrong problem. 

Think out loud: 

Explain your approach before you dive in: 

• “I’d approach this by first [step 1], then [step 2]. I’d do this because…” (this helps the interviewer follow your thinking). 

• Discuss trade-offs: “I could do this with a hash table for fast lookups, or sort the data and use binary search. I think hash table is simpler here because…” 

• Ask if they have any questions about your approach before you start writing code 

Write clean code: 

• Use clear variable names (not x, y, z) 

• Write pseudocode first if it helps you organize your thoughts 

• Add comments as you go if needed 

• Test your code mentally as you write (“If the input is empty, what happens?”) 

Listen to feedback: 

If the interviewer suggests an optimization or different approach, listen carefully. They might be hinting that your first approach isn’t optimal, or they might be testing if you can think on your feet. 

Don’t bluff: 

If you don’t know the answer: 

• Say so honestly: “I haven’t worked with that library before, but I’d approach it by…” 

• Problem-solve: “I don’t know the exact syntax, but I remember it works like this. Let me think through the logic…” 

• Move forward: Don’t spend 10 minutes stuck on one thing. Make a reasonable assumption and keep going. 

Software engineering/coding: 

Review data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables), algorithms (sorting, searching, recursion), and basic design patterns. 

Systems/hardware engineering: 

Be ready to discuss circuit design, control systems, signal processing, or other core concepts. Understand how things work at multiple levels (component, system, application). 

Operations/plant engineering: 

Know your field’s standard practices, troubleshooting approaches, and how to think through operational problems. Be ready to discuss a challenging project you’ve worked on. 

Data science: 

Know statistics, data manipulation, machine learning basics, and SQL. Be ready to discuss a project you’ve built and your approach to problem-solving. 

Review your coursework: 

Go back to the fundamentals. Review notes from courses directly relevant to the role. You don’t need to remember everything, but refreshing your knowledge helps. 

Carefully read the job description: 

What technical skills are they emphasizing? If they mention “experience with C++ and multithreading,” review those topics specifically. 

Research the company: 

Understand what problems the company solves, what tech stack they use, what challenges they face. This context helps you ask informed questions and understand the relevance of interview problems. 

Practice explaining concepts: 

Record yourself explaining a technical concept (how a hash table works, what polymorphism is, etc.) and watch it back. You should be able to explain clearly without jargon—or explain jargon as you go. 

Talk through problems with others: 

If you can pair-program or work through problems with a peer, that’s valuable practice. 

• Think out loud so the interviewer can follow your reasoning and correct you if you’re headed wrong 

• Ask clarifying questions to make sure you understand what’s being asked 

• Offer multiple approaches before settling on one (“I could do X, but Y might be faster because…”) 

• Listen carefully to hints or feedback from the interviewer 

• Don’t panic if you get stuck. Take a breath, think through it, ask for help if needed 

• Focus on the process, not the answer. Interviewers care about how you solve problems 

• Manage your time and pace your work so you finish with time to review 

• Test your logic before saying you’re done. Walk through an example mentally or on paper 

Business professional attire is standard for most technical interviews. Unless the company specifically says casual, wear a suit, business professional, or business casual clothing. You can borrow professional attire from Husky Closet.