The Tech Interview
As I end my time at Oregon State University, preparation for technical interviews has been challenging and overwhelming. I have Googled searches on how to prepare and the results can be very intimidating. But, I think I found a way to train without stressing myself out too much.
Work on Soft Skills
Soft skills are probably my strong suit, but it doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t prepare for them. The interviewer will ask, “Tell me about yourself?” in most interviews. This seems like an easy question, but it is very difficult if you are not prepared to answer it. Your response shouldn’t start with your experience from Kindergarten to the present day, but rather relevant information about your life experiences that directly pertain to the job you are applying for. Other soft skill questions also inquire about how you work with others and how you resolved prior conflicts in previous professional settings. Interviewees should also be prepared to answer why they want to work for the company they are applying for. The responses to all of these questions should be practiced and prepared because you do not want to be caught unprepared during the actual interview.
Questions on a Specific Technologies
There are many technologies out there in the world, but you should not try to learn them all before the interview. Since I am interested in a software engineering job involving web development, I focusing on these technologies specific to the position. But I also have to make sure that I understand the fundamental of software development. Fundamentals such as basic syntax, testing and debugging, object-oriented programming, and the design process. If your knowledge of the fundamentals is strong, a software engineering position in technologies other than web development may be possible if the interviewer feels that I have a strong grasp of the basics.
Whiteboard Questions
Whiteboard questions will take most of my time and dedication for the technical interview. These questions involve solving algorithms on a whiteboard without the aid of a computer. When I first started to prepare, I tried to memorize as many algorithms as I could and this was a very difficult approach. I decided to go for a more systematic approach that helps me understand the underlying solutions pattern and apply these patterns to solve most of the questions that the interviewer will ask. The interviewer wants to assess your knowledge of common data structures such as arrays, linked lists, hashmaps, queues, heaps, graphs, etc. I plan on focusing on each data structure until I feel that I am confident enough to move to the next one.
Wish me luck and thanks for reading!
