technical problem solving interview

15 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions

In an interview for a big tech company, I was asked if I’d ever resolved a fight — and the exact way I went about handling it. I felt blindsided, and I stammered my way through an excuse of an answer.

It’s a familiar scenario to fellow technical job seekers — and one that risks leaving a sour taste in our mouths. As candidate experience becomes an increasingly critical component of the hiring process, recruiters need to ensure the problem-solving interview questions they prepare don’t dissuade talent in the first place.

Interview questions designed to gauge a candidate’s problem-solving skills are more often than not challenging and vague. Assessing a multifaceted skill like problem solving is tricky — a good problem solver owns the full solution and result, researches well, solves creatively and takes action proactively.

It’s hard to establish an effective way to measure such a skill. But it’s not impossible.

We recommend taking an informed and prepared approach to testing candidates’ problem-solving skills . With that in mind, here’s a list of a few common problem-solving interview questions, the science behind them — and how you can go about administering your own problem-solving questions with the unique challenges of your organization in mind.

Key Takeaways for Effective Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Problem solving lies at the heart of programming.
Testing a candidate’s problem-solving skills goes beyond the IDE. Problem-solving interview questions should test both technical skills and soft skills.
STAR, SOAR and PREP are methods a candidate can use to answer some non-technical problem-solving interview questions.
Generic problem-solving interview questions go a long way in gauging a candidate’s fit. But you can go one step further by customizing them according to your company’s service, product, vision, and culture.

Technical Problem-Solving Interview Question Examples

Evaluating a candidates’ problem-solving skills while using coding challenges might seem intimidating. The secret is that coding challenges test many things at the same time — like the candidate’s knowledge of data structures and algorithms, clean code practices, and proficiency in specific programming languages, to name a few examples.

Problem solving itself might at first seem like it’s taking a back seat. But technical problem solving lies at the heart of programming, and most coding questions are designed to test a candidate’s problem-solving abilities.

Here are a few examples of technical problem-solving questions:

1. Mini-Max Sum

This well-known challenge, which asks the interviewee to find the maximum and minimum sum among an array of given numbers, is based on a basic but important programming concept called sorting, as well as integer overflow. It tests the candidate’s observational skills, and the answer should elicit a logical, ad-hoc solution.

2. Organizing Containers of Balls

This problem tests the candidate’s knowledge of a variety of programming concepts, like 2D arrays, sorting and iteration. Organizing colored balls in containers based on various conditions is a common question asked in competitive examinations and job interviews, because it’s an effective way to test multiple facets of a candidate’s problem-solving skills.

3. Build a Palindrome

This is a tough problem to crack, and the candidate’s knowledge of concepts like strings and dynamic programming plays a significant role in solving this challenge. This problem-solving example tests the candidate’s ability to think on their feet as well as their ability to write clean, optimized code.

4. Subarray Division

Based on a technique used for searching pairs in a sorted array ( called the “two pointers” technique ), this problem can be solved in just a few lines and judges the candidate’s ability to optimize (as well as basic mathematical skills).

5. The Grid Search

This is a problem of moderate difficulty and tests the candidate’s knowledge of strings and searching algorithms, the latter of which is regularly tested in developer interviews across all levels.

Common Non-Technical Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Testing a candidate’s problem-solving skills goes beyond the IDE . Everyday situations can help illustrate competency, so here are a few questions that focus on past experiences and hypothetical situations to help interviewers gauge problem-solving skills.

1. Given the problem of selecting a new tool to invest in, where and how would you begin this task?

Key Insight : This question offers insight into the candidate’s research skills. Ideally, they would begin by identifying the problem, interviewing stakeholders, gathering insights from the team, and researching what tools exist to best solve for the team’s challenges and goals.

2. Have you ever recognized a potential problem and addressed it before it occurred?

Key Insight: Prevention is often better than cure. The ability to recognize a problem before it occurs takes intuition and an understanding of business needs.

3. A teammate on a time-sensitive project confesses that he’s made a mistake, and it’s putting your team at risk of missing key deadlines. How would you respond?

Key Insight: Sometimes, all the preparation in the world still won’t stop a mishap. Thinking on your feet and managing stress are skills that this question attempts to unearth. Like any other skill, they can be cultivated through practice.

4. Tell me about a time you used a unique problem-solving approach.

Key Insight: Creativity can manifest in many ways, including original or novel ways to tackle a problem. Methods like the 10X approach and reverse brainstorming are a couple of unique approaches to problem solving.

5. Have you ever broken rules for the “greater good?” If yes, can you walk me through the situation?

Key Insight: “Ask for forgiveness, not for permission.” It’s unconventional, but in some situations, it may be the mindset needed to drive a solution to a problem.

6. Tell me about a weakness you overcame at work, and the approach you took.

Key Insight: According to Compass Partnership , “self-awareness allows us to understand how and why we respond in certain situations, giving us the opportunity to take charge of these responses.” It’s easy to get overwhelmed when faced with a problem. Candidates showing high levels of self-awareness are positioned to handle it well.

7. Have you ever owned up to a mistake at work? Can you tell me about it?

Key Insight: Everybody makes mistakes. But owning up to them can be tough, especially at a workplace. Not only does it take courage, but it also requires honesty and a willingness to improve, all signs of 1) a reliable employee and 2) an effective problem solver.

8. How would you approach working with an upset customer?

Key Insight: With the rise of empathy-driven development and more companies choosing to bridge the gap between users and engineers, today’s tech teams speak directly with customers more frequently than ever before. This question brings to light the candidate’s interpersonal skills in a client-facing environment.

9. Have you ever had to solve a problem on your own, but needed to ask for additional help? How did you go about it?

Key Insight: Knowing when you need assistance to complete a task or address a situation is an important quality to have while problem solving. This questions helps the interviewer get a sense of the candidate’s ability to navigate those waters.

10. Let’s say you disagree with your colleague on how to move forward with a project. How would you go about resolving the disagreement?

Key Insight: Conflict resolution is an extremely handy skill for any employee to have; an ideal answer to this question might contain a brief explanation of the conflict or situation, the role played by the candidate and the steps taken by them to arrive at a positive resolution or outcome.

Strategies for Answering Problem-Solving Questions

If you’re a job seeker, chances are you’ll encounter this style of question in your various interview experiences. While problem-solving interview questions may appear simple, they can be easy to fumble — leaving the interviewer without a clear solution or outcome.

It’s important to approach such questions in a structured manner. Here are a few tried-and-true methods to employ in your next problem-solving interview.

1. Shine in Interviews With the STAR Method

S ituation, T ask, A ction, and R esult is a great method that can be employed to answer a problem-solving or behavioral interview question. Here’s a breakdown of these steps:

Situation : A good way to address almost any interview question is to lay out and define the situation and circumstances.
Task : Define the problem or goal that needs to be addressed. Coding questions are often multifaceted, so this step is particularly important when answering technical problem-solving questions.
Action : How did you go about solving the problem? Try to be as specific as possible, and state your plan in steps if you can.
Result : Wrap it up by stating the outcome achieved.

2. Rise above difficult questions using the SOAR method

A very similar approach to the STAR method, SOAR stands for S ituation, O bstacle, A ction, and R esults .

Situation: Explain the state of affairs. It’s important to steer clear of stating any personal opinions in this step; focus on the facts.
Obstacle: State the challenge or problem you faced.
Action: Detail carefully how you went about overcoming this obstacle.
Result: What was the end result? Apart from overcoming the obstacle, did you achieve anything else? What did you learn in the process?

3. Do It the PREP Way

Traditionally used as a method to make effective presentations, the P oint, R eason, E xample, P oint method can also be used to answer problem-solving interview questions.

Point : State the solution in plain terms.
Reasons: Follow up the solution by detailing your case — and include any data or insights that support your solution.
Example: In addition to objective data and insights, drive your answer home by contextualizing the solution in a real-world example.
Point : Reiterate the solution to make it come full circle.

How to Customize Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Generic problem-solving interview questions go a long way in gauging a candidate’s skill level, but recruiters can go one step further by customizing these problem-solving questions according to their company’s service, product, vision, or culture.

Here are some tips to do so:

Break down the job’s responsibilities into smaller tasks. Job descriptions may contain ambiguous responsibilities like “manage team projects effectively.” To formulate an effective problem-solving question, envision what this task might look like in a real-world context and develop a question around it.
Tailor questions to the role at hand. Apart from making for an effective problem-solving question, it gives the candidate the impression you’re an informed technical recruiter. For example, an engineer will likely have attended many scrums. So, a good question to ask is: “Suppose you notice your scrums are turning unproductive. How would you go about addressing this?”
Consider the tools and technologies the candidate will use on the job. For example, if Jira is the primary project management tool, a good problem-solving interview question might be: “Can you tell me about a time you simplified a complex workflow — and the tools you used to do so?”
If you don’t know where to start, your company’s core values can often provide direction. If one of the core values is “ownership,” for example, consider asking a question like: “Can you walk us through a project you owned from start to finish?”
Sometimes, developing custom content can be difficult even with all these tips considered. Our platform has a vast selection of problem-solving examples that are designed to help recruiters ask the right questions to help nail their next technical interview.

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6 REST API Interview Questions Every Developer Should Know

By Mike Simpson

When candidates prepare for interviews, they usually focus on highlighting their leadership, communication, teamwork, and similar crucial soft skills . However, not everyone gets ready for problem-solving interview questions. And that can be a big mistake.

Problem-solving is relevant to nearly any job on the planet. Yes, it’s more prevalent in certain industries, but it’s helpful almost everywhere.

Regardless of the role you want to land, you may be asked to provide problem-solving examples or describe how you would deal with specific situations. That’s why being ready to showcase your problem-solving skills is so vital.

If you aren’t sure who to tackle problem-solving questions, don’t worry, we have your back. Come with us as we explore this exciting part of the interview process, as well as some problem-solving interview questions and example answers.

What Is Problem-Solving?

When you’re trying to land a position, there’s a good chance you’ll face some problem-solving interview questions. But what exactly is problem-solving? And why is it so important to hiring managers?

Well, the good folks at Merriam-Webster define problem-solving as “the process or act of finding a solution to a problem.” While that may seem like common sense, there’s a critical part to that definition that should catch your eye.

What part is that? The word “process.”

In the end, problem-solving is an activity. It’s your ability to take appropriate steps to find answers, determine how to proceed, or otherwise overcome the challenge.

Being great at it usually means having a range of helpful problem-solving skills and traits. Research, diligence, patience, attention-to-detail , collaboration… they can all play a role. So can analytical thinking , creativity, and open-mindedness.

But why do hiring managers worry about your problem-solving skills? Well, mainly, because every job comes with its fair share of problems.

While problem-solving is relevant to scientific, technical, legal, medical, and a whole slew of other careers. It helps you overcome challenges and deal with the unexpected. It plays a role in troubleshooting and innovation. That’s why it matters to hiring managers.

How to Answer Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Okay, before we get to our examples, let’s take a quick second to talk about strategy. Knowing how to answer problem-solving interview questions is crucial. Why? Because the hiring manager might ask you something that you don’t anticipate.

Problem-solving interview questions are all about seeing how you think. As a result, they can be a bit… unconventional.

These aren’t your run-of-the-mill job interview questions . Instead, they are tricky behavioral interview questions . After all, the goal is to find out how you approach problem-solving, so most are going to feature scenarios, brainteasers, or something similar.

So, having a great strategy means knowing how to deal with behavioral questions. Luckily, there are a couple of tools that can help.

First, when it comes to the classic approach to behavioral interview questions, look no further than the STAR Method . With the STAR method, you learn how to turn your answers into captivating stories. This makes your responses tons more engaging, ensuring you keep the hiring manager’s attention from beginning to end.

Now, should you stop with the STAR Method? Of course not. If you want to take your answers to the next level, spend some time with the Tailoring Method , too.

With the Tailoring Method, it’s all about relevance. So, if you get a chance to choose an example that demonstrates your problem-solving skills, this is really the way to go.

We also wanted to let you know that we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview. After all, hiring managers will often ask you more generalized interview questions!

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1. Can you tell me about a time when you had to solve a challenging problem?

In the land of problem-solving questions, this one might be your best-case scenario. It lets you choose your own problem-solving examples to highlight, putting you in complete control.

When you choose an example, go with one that is relevant to what you’ll face in the role. The closer the match, the better the answer is in the eyes of the hiring manager.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“While working as a mobile telecom support specialist for a large organization, we had to transition our MDM service from one vendor to another within 45 days. This personally physically handling 500 devices within the agency. Devices had to be gathered from the headquarters and satellite offices, which were located all across the state, something that was challenging even without the tight deadline. I approached the situation by identifying the location assignment of all personnel within the organization, enabling me to estimate transit times for receiving the devices. Next, I timed out how many devices I could personally update in a day. Together, this allowed me to create a general timeline. After that, I coordinated with each location, both expressing the urgency of adhering to deadlines and scheduling bulk shipping options. While there were occasional bouts of resistance, I worked with location leaders to calm concerns and facilitate action. While performing all of the updates was daunting, my approach to organizing the event made it a success. Ultimately, the entire transition was finished five days before the deadline, exceeding the expectations of many.”

2. Describe a time where you made a mistake. What did you do to fix it?

While this might not look like it’s based on problem-solving on the surface, it actually is. When you make a mistake, it creates a challenge, one you have to work your way through. At a minimum, it’s an opportunity to highlight problem-solving skills, even if you don’t address the topic directly.

When you choose an example, you want to go with a situation where the end was positive. However, the issue still has to be significant, causing something negative to happen in the moment that you, ideally, overcame.

“When I first began in a supervisory role, I had trouble setting down my individual contributor hat. I tried to keep up with my past duties while also taking on the responsibilities of my new role. As a result, I began rushing and introduced an error into the code of the software my team was updating. The error led to a memory leak. We became aware of the issue when the performance was hindered, though we didn’t immediately know the cause. I dove back into the code, reviewing recent changes, and, ultimately, determined the issue was a mistake on my end. When I made that discovery, I took several steps. First, I let my team know that the error was mine and let them know its nature. Second, I worked with my team to correct the issue, resolving the memory leak. Finally, I took this as a lesson about delegation. I began assigning work to my team more effectively, a move that allowed me to excel as a manager and help them thrive as contributors. It was a crucial learning moment, one that I have valued every day since.”

3. If you identify a potential risk in a project, what steps do you take to prevent it?

Yes, this is also a problem-solving question. The difference is, with this one, it’s not about fixing an issue; it’s about stopping it from happening. Still, you use problem-solving skills along the way, so it falls in this question category.

If you can, use an example of a moment when you mitigated risk in the past. If you haven’t had that opportunity, approach it theoretically, discussing the steps you would take to prevent an issue from developing.

“If I identify a potential risk in a project, my first step is to assess the various factors that could lead to a poor outcome. Prevention requires analysis. Ensuring I fully understand what can trigger the undesired event creates the right foundation, allowing me to figure out how to reduce the likelihood of those events occurring. Once I have the right level of understanding, I come up with a mitigation plan. Exactly what this includes varies depending on the nature of the issue, though it usually involves various steps and checks designed to monitor the project as it progresses to spot paths that may make the problem more likely to happen. I find this approach effective as it combines knowledge and ongoing vigilance. That way, if the project begins to head into risky territory, I can correct its trajectory.”

17 More Problem-Solving-Based Interview Questions

In the world of problem-solving questions, some apply to a wide range of jobs, while others are more niche. For example, customer service reps and IT helpdesk professionals both encounter challenges, but not usually the same kind.

As a result, some of the questions in this list may be more relevant to certain careers than others. However, they all give you insights into what this kind of question looks like, making them worth reviewing.

Here are 17 more problem-solving interview questions you might face off against during your job search:

How would you describe your problem-solving skills?
Can you tell me about a time when you had to use creativity to deal with an obstacle?
Describe a time when you discovered an unmet customer need while assisting a customer and found a way to meet it.
If you were faced with an upset customer, how would you diffuse the situation?
Tell me about a time when you had to troubleshoot a complex issue.
Imagine you were overseeing a project and needed a particular item. You have two choices of vendors: one that can deliver on time but would be over budget, and one that’s under budget but would deliver one week later than you need it. How do you figure out which approach to use?
Your manager wants to upgrade a tool you regularly use for your job and wants your recommendation. How do you formulate one?
A supplier has said that an item you need for a project isn’t going to be delivered as scheduled, something that would cause your project to fall behind schedule. What do you do to try and keep the timeline on target?
Can you share an example of a moment where you encountered a unique problem you and your colleagues had never seen before? How did you figure out what to do?
Imagine you were scheduled to give a presentation with a colleague, and your colleague called in sick right before it was set to begin. What would you do?
If you are given two urgent tasks from different members of the leadership team, both with the same tight deadline, how do you choose which to tackle first?
Tell me about a time you and a colleague didn’t see eye-to-eye. How did you decide what to do?
Describe your troubleshooting process.
Tell me about a time where there was a problem that you weren’t able to solve. What happened?
In your opening, what skills or traits make a person an exceptional problem-solver?
When you face a problem that requires action, do you usually jump in or take a moment to carefully assess the situation?
When you encounter a new problem you’ve never seen before, what is the first step that you take?

Putting It All Together

At this point, you should have a solid idea of how to approach problem-solving interview questions. Use the tips above to your advantage. That way, you can thrive during your next interview.

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Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

About The Author

Mike simpson.

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com. His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes , Entrepreneur , CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan , Penn State , Northeastern and others. Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page .

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How to Prepare for Technical Interviews – Problem-Solving Tips + Mindset Tricks to Get You Ready

Hi everyone! In this article we're going to talk a bit about technical interviews. I'll share a few tips that, based on my experience, might help you go through these interviews successfully.

I originally wrote this article more than a year ago, before getting my first job offer as a developer.

I'm sharing this with you now because I recently went through another interview process. And I found that the same concepts and thoughts that helped me get my first job offer allowed me to pass all the interviews successfully again. 🙂

My Background

I took up coding more or less a year ago. I started learning out of pure curiosity, and as I learned more about it and was able to build personal projects, I just fell in love with it.

I got so obsessed and passionate about it that I dedicated all the free time I had to coding, reading about code, watching videos about code, and just learning as much as I possible could, because for me it was fun and interesting!

Time passed and at a point I started imagining myself working as a developer. First it was like a blurry thought, and then I started thinking about it seriously and learning about what I needed to do to get to that point.

My learning journey and the approach I took towards becoming a dev will probably be the subject of another article, but my point is that I made it! I recently got an offer for my first job as a full time developer and I couldn’t be happier about it.

And there were many things and learning experiences I had to go through to get to this point, but I’d say the toughest one – and the one I was less prepared for – was technical interviews.

What are Technical Interviews Like?

I come from a social sciences background, and most of the time, within that field, there’s nothing too “technical” to talk about during interviews. Employers normally hire you based on your experience and behavior during interviews.

But in the coding field it’s really different. Experience is valuable, of course, but employers also value projects you can show to them, theoretical knowledge about different programming topics, and, most of all, the problem solving skills you can show off during technical interviews.

In almost all selection processes I went through, there was a technical interview in which an interviewer tossed me a problem and I had to solve it live with them looking at me the whole time.

This is a standard practice for coding jobs, but I wasn’t prepared at all. I failed miserably more than once, and these experiences were some of the most embarrassing and frustrating moments in my professional life so far.

At times I felt stupid for even thinking I’d be capable of switching careers at almost 30. I thought I just wasn’t smart enough. But luckily I kept going, researched about technical interviews, learned, practiced, and kept failing until I didn’t fail anymore.

Technical interviews are tough and can be really stressful if you’re not prepared correctly. Also, even though I successfully passed a selection process, I know I still have a lot to learn about this and that I’ll need to perfect this skill to further grow my career in the future. So here are my main tips for nailing your technical interviews.

1. Prepare for the Interview

This is important for all kind of interviews, but for technical interviews I think it’s crucial. Your chances of passing these evaluations are way lower if you don’t prepare correctly for them.

Here are some ideas that allowed me to better prepare for these interviews.

Do Your Research

Find out about technical interviews in general, how are they normally organized, what interviewers ask and what do they intend to measure, what kind of problems do companies toss at you, and what are the best approaches towards interviews.

The internet is an infinite resource of knowledge, so don’t waste it! Google about everything you can and take advantage of the experience of the thousands of people who have gone through similar situations and share their experiences.

Practice Solving Problems

Problem solving is a skill just like any other. There is specific knowledge you’ll need to get good at it, but most of it is practice and getting your brain to be comfortable in that situation.

There are tons of websites that contain the types of problems you’ll see during interviews. freeCodeCamp has an amazing course designed for this. Some other cool resources are hackerrank.com , leetcode.com , codewars.com , exercism.io , app.codesignal.com , and algoexpert.io .

Solve as many problems as you can from any of these sites and you’ll start getting good at them.

And when you practice, at first it’s okay to just worry about solving the problem. But once you get comfortable enough, a great idea is to try to make your practice as similar as possible to an actual interview. And by this I mean setting a timer, explaining your solution out loud, analyzing your final algorithm and refactoring…just basically following all the steps you’d normally follow in an actual interview.

If your practice is similar to the actual situation, once you get to that situation you’ll feel more confident because in some way you’ve already been there.

Build a Theoretical Foundation

Besides actually practicing, learning theoretical concepts about algorithms and data structures is a great idea to get better at solving these problems.

Think about it as adding tools to your toolbox. The more tools and concepts you have in your mind, the more problems will sound familiar or ring a bell in your brain, and from that you'll be more able to arrive at a solution.

There are many resources on the internet, some free and some paid. A course about data structures and algorithms is pretty much a must for any programmer, so I encourage you to find a good one. Here are a couple you can start with:

Data Structures Explained
Learn Data Structures from a Google Engineer
Learn Algorithms and Data Structures in Python
Learn about Algorithms and Data Structures

Of course also theoretical knowledge about your programming language of choice and any other tools in your stack (frameworks, libraries, databases, and so on) is also very important.

Imitate Others

It’s ok to run into problems you don’t know how to solve or to come up with solutions that are not the best suited ones.

In these type of situations, or always actually, it’s a good idea to take a look at how other people solved that same problem and learn from them. What approach did they take? What ideas did they have? Did they get stuck? How did they move towards the solution?

Analyze their solution and their behavior, identify what works for them, think if that could work for you and if the answer is yes, copy them! It’s crucial that you deeply understand why their solution works and how their logic works. You want to internalize the logical approach, not the code, as that’s just an after effect.

Looking at problem solutions and videos of mock interviews is a good idea to get this kind of data.

Understand What Kind of Interview You'll Have

I mentioned the most classic type of technical interview is the one based on algorithms and data structures, in which the interviewer will give you a problem to solve through an algorithm.

But I found that there're also interviews that are mostly theoretical, in the sense that the interviewer will ask questions to measure your knowledge about a given programming language, framework, library, design and architecture patterns, and so on.

Another kind of interview is where the interviewer shows you an actual project or asks you to build one. During the interview you discuss the decisions you made to build it or implement new features/modifications on it.

Each kind of interview is different and might require different preparation, so it's always a good idea to ask the company what will the interview be based on, and prepare accordingly.

2. Breathe and Think Things Through

Once you've seen and gone through a ton of examples and start feeling somewhat confident around coding problems, it’s time to get to the deeper stuff.

Here are some tips that helped me go through the interviews successfully.

This sounds crazy right? The best approach to solving most coding problems is actually not coding, or at least not right away .

No matter how anxious or secure you are about the idea you have in mind, I find it better to always take a step back and make sure you understand things deeply before going to the details and breaking out the code.

So how do you do that?

Understand the Problem

The first step to solving a problem is actually understanding it. And to understand it, the best idea is to “make it yours”, and internalize it.

A good idea is to read the exercise twice, repeat it again in your own words, and go through multiple examples (simple ones, complex ones, examples with null or invalid inputs…).

No matter how silly, complex or simple the problem may seem, this helps you make sure you understand it properly and gives your brain data and time to come up with solution ideas.

Make Sure You Understood It

Repetitive? Yeah, but effective. Check and make sure you understood what you need to do and how your function will work.

Ask yourself, what are the inputs going to be? What will be the output? Check for edge cases. Will you always receive the same input or could you expect different formats? Do you have to be prepared for strange cases or does the exercise restrict the kind of situation you’ll encounter?

It’s better to clear out all this things before even starting to think about a solution.

Explore Your Toolbox

I said that learning theoretical concepts and practicing is like adding tools to your problem solving toolbox. When you see a new problem, it’s a good idea to explore that toolbox and see if any of the concepts or solutions you’ve used in the past could work here.

Could it help to use some sort of counter? What about implementing some sort of data structure to help you out? Could you use pointers or a sliding window? Would it be a good idea to take a divide and conquer approach? What about recursion? Could sorting the input help for anything?

You don’t necessarily have to know the exact path to take, but comparing the problem to previous patterns you’ve seen can help spark ideas in your mind.

Of course the more you practice solving problems and learning about possible solutions, the more patterns you’ll have to remember and compare.

Break Down the Problem

Once you’ve analyzed the problem deeply, hopefully you’ll have at least an idea of how to tackle it, or where to start.

A great idea here is to try to think about the different steps you need to take to get to your solution and write down those steps to analyze them, check if your logic is correct, and later use them as little memory helpers and “instructions” for you to translate into code.

Simplifying your solution through steps and specially writing them down will often help you identify flaws in your logic or cases you didn’t think about before.

This is great because you’re at a stage when it’s really easy to modify your approach or lean towards a different idea. You didn’t waste time coding or getting yourself into a maze of logic that doesn’t actually work.

Simplify the Problem

Specially when facing complex and difficult problems, a good idea is to first ignore the main difficulty of the problem and try to solve a similar, simpler version of it.

When you nail that solution, bring the main difficulty back and see if you can translate your solution to it.

Visualize the Problem

Complex problems are sometimes difficult to get your head around. Having a whiteboard, either a physical or a digital one, is always a great idea.

Visually stimulating your brain by drawing up the problem or an idea can be a good approach to buy yourself some time and see if that perspective shows you some data you didn’t notice.

Start to Write Your Code

So once you have a clear idea of the steps you’ll need to cover to get to the solution, it’s time for translating that into code. This should be the simple part if you’re comfortable enough with the language.

A thought to keep in mind here is that if you can’t remember something very specific, don’t let that hold you down – pseudo code it and carry on with the rest of the solution.

Talk to your interviewer and see if they can help you with that part, or ask if they'll let you Google it. In most cases this will be ok and the important thing will be to show that you nailed the correct logic to solve the problem.

Test Your Code

Test your solution at every step and at the end. There’s nothing more annoying than writing a ton of code and later seeing it fail without knowing the exact cause.

Test your code and your logic at every step of the solution, as this will allow you to catch bugs earlier and will save you from wasting time and effort.

Of course testing at the end is important to check if your solution actually works! So throw your function different inputs and edge cases to see if it behaves as expected.

Analyze the Solution

Once you've gotten to the solution, you’re not done yet. It’s a great idea to show your interviewer you can analyze what you did too.

Ask yourself and tell them, what’s the big O complexity of your solution? Can you think of a way to improve the performance or the memory usage of your algorithm? Is there a way to make your function easier to read and understand?

Even if you can’t think about how to code it exactly, it’s great to show them that you’re the kind of developer who is always going to look for improvements and not settle for something that just works.

Improve Your Solution

Of course, if you can find ways to optimize your solution and know how to code it, do it!

And about this, in a coding interview situation you’ll rarely come up with the perfect solution for a problem. You’re under pressure and on the clock, so it’s perfectly ok to come up with a so-so solution and then refactor it until it reaches an acceptable level.

It’s often better to show you can solve the problem even if not in the perfect way than spend all your time just thinking about the perfect solution.

Talk to Your Interviewer

Talk with your interviewer during the whole process. What your interviewer is trying to measure is your problem solving ability and your level of comfort with your programming language of choice.

That is a hard thing to measure if you don’t open your mouth and just code away.

It’s crucial that you talk to your interviewer and let them know what you’re thinking, what is your thought process, what ideas are you having, how are you understanding the problem, what logic are you going to follow with your solution and why are you making decisions.

Talk to them, ask questions, explain yourself, and if you get stuck or don’t know how to go on, explain to them exactly the thing that is giving you trouble. In most cases you’ll get some help and more importantly you’ll show them you’re actually trying to work towards a solution.

Listen to Your Interviewer

When you’re being given the problem to solve – and specially if you get tips or feedback from your interviewers – pay attention! No matter if you think you already have the best idea or if there’s something that’s driving you crazy and need to solve right now, just drop it and listen to what you’re being told.

If you don’t listen to feedback, you’re giving a very negative signal to your possible future employers. Think about it: would you like to work with someone that doesn’t listen to feedback? Besides, feedback will certainly help you solve your problem, so listen!

3. Control Your Emotions

This for me was the toughest part of the interviewing process, and it's something I didn’t really find a lot of information about when researching technical interviews.

Dealing with the anxiety and frustration these situations can provoke is hard, but also a crucial step to improve your performance.

So here are some things that have helped me in this regard.

Prepare Your Body and Mind

Interviews are stressful situations in which you have to deal with expectations and perform to reach those expectations while being judged by other people.

I’ve always felt uncomfortable in these type of situations so I’m quite familiar with the type of anxiety you might feel.

Something that helps me is try to think about it like the moment of a game for a sports player or when actors get out on stage. You normally see these people trying to warm up and focus before they start to perform, right? There’s a reason for that – and it’s that this preparation actually enhances performance and gets you ready to give your best.

It may sound stupid at first, but stretching, warming up your voice, meditating, imagining the moment in your mind and picturing yourself being successful in the moment are all things that will push you towards doing nicely in this important moment.

Be Confident

Easier said than done, right? Absolutely. Confidence for most people isn’t something you can just turn off and on, but something you build along the way and comes with lots of practice, studying, and preparation behind it.

You'll build confidence with the work you do prior to the interview, but once you’re in the moment it’s important to remember that you want to show the interviewers you have confidence in yourself as a coder and that you trust yourself to solve any problem you face.

This doesn’t mean you have to know absolutely everything and be able to solve any complex problem absolutely by yourself. Rather, it means that you won’t panic when you face something you don’t know how to solve at first, and that you have the ability to slowly analyze the problem, break it down, and work towards a solution.

Stress, anxiety, and the wish to show that you can solve the problem can make you rush more than you need to. And rushing can lead to missing key information, flaws in your logic, bugs in your code, and errors in general.

So take your time, actually, take more time than you actually need. Analyze the heck out of the problem, talk slowly, code slowly, think slowly, and remember to breath. Things are easier to deal with when you take your time and slow-mo the process.

Don’t Take it Personally – or Do...

You’ll mess up at some point, that’s a certainty. Especially in your first interviews, you’ll probably fail and feel miserable about it. It’s just the way it is, and it's a step that is needed for you to understand where you need to improve.

A key issue here is how you deal with that frustration. I could tell you to think about it as a process, to not get mad when you fail, to be patient… But if you’re an anxious and self demanding person as I am, you’ll be very frustrated when you fail, and there’s nothing you can do to avoid it.

But how do you deal with that? Do you get depressed and quit coding forever? Do you get scared of interviews and never apply for a job ever again?

Personally, I get very mad at myself when I fail at something or find out I don’t know something I "was supposed" to know. I get mad at myself for not preparing correctly or for missing things, and even though that anger feels bad at first, later on is something that pushes me forward.

I feel so bad about it that I make absolutely sure I won't fail at that again, and I practice as hard as I can to avoid being in that situation again.

Different approaches work for different people, but the thing is to handle your emotions in a way that pushes you forward and not backwards.

Learn from Your Mistakes

As it’s a certainty you’ll mess up, the smart thing to do is to learn from the errors you made and try to not make them again.

Always try to take note of the problems you were presented and your solutions, analyze your mistakes, analyze other possible approaches you could have taken, what optimizations you didn’t see, and what key concepts you didn’t remember at that moment.

Also always ask your interviewers for feedback about what you could have done better. This information is gold if you get the best of it.

If you love coding, you probably have lots of fun doing it. Never forget that, no matter the context.

In interviews, try to approach each problem with curiosity rather than fear of failing. Try to show your interviewers you’re enthusiastic about problems, because you’re probably going to work with similar stuff on a daily basis.

Plus if you’re having fun and thinking in a positive way, you’ll be more relaxed and your mind will be clearer, which of course helps your problem solving skills.

If you pass or if you fail, at the end it doesn’t matter, in the sense that your approach and behavior should stay the same.

Just as code can always be improved, so can you as a programmer. You should always keep learning, keep getting better, keep practicing, keep facing stuff you didn’t know anything about and eventually overcoming it.

So don’t get too high if you pass or too low if you miss – just keep coding and keep learning.

As always, I hope you enjoyed the article and learned something new. If you want, you can also follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter .

See you later!

I'm a fullstack dev (javascript | typescript | react | node | AWS) and computer engineering student. Here I write about the things I learn along my path to becoming the best developer I can be.

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What Is a Technical Interview?

A technical interview is a type of job interview that aims to evaluate a candidate’s technical expertise, problem solving and communication skills through coding exercises, system design discussions, whiteboard sessions and behavioral interview questions and more. It’s often used to assess candidates in careers like software engineering, IT and data science.

The objective is to ascertain your capacity for problem-solving under pressure, as well as evaluating your communication and interpersonal abilities. Technical interviews may include various formats, such as coding exercises , algorithmic problem-solving, system design discussions, whiteboarding sessions or hands-on tasks using relevant tools or technologies. Candidates may be asked to write code, analyze code snippets, optimize algorithms, explain concepts or design system architectures.

Technical interviews are often conducted in the following formats:

Coding interviews
System design interviews
Behavioral and technical combination interviews
Take-home assignments
Technical presentations

7 Types of Technical Interview Questions

Depending on the particular function and industry, technical interview questions might be asked on a wide range of subjects. These inquiries are intended to evaluate applicants' technical expertise, capacity for problem-solving and breadth of subject knowledge. Following are a few examples of typical technical interview categories:

1. Coding and Programming

These inquiries evaluate an applicant's proficiency for using programming languages like Python , Java , C++ or JavaScript to write code and resolve issues. They could entail coding puzzles, data structures , algorithmic challenges or writing code to address a particular issue.

2. System Design

These inquiries test a candidate’s competence for large-scale system design and architecture. They frequently concentrate on the trade-offs, scalability, dependability, and performance of complex systems.

3. Data Structures and Algorithms

These types of questions test a candidate’s comprehension of various data structures and algorithms, including arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs, as well as sorting, searching, traversals and dynamic programming. Candidates may be required to analyze problems involving time and spatial complexity or to use these ideas in their solutions.

4. Database and SQL

These types of questions test a candidate's understanding of SQL queries , database design principles and database management systems . Candidates may be required to build database structures, write sophisticated queries or optimize queries for performance.

5. System Architecture

These kinds of questions concentrate on a system’s overall structure and its parts. They might go through issues like networking, distributed systems, cloud computing , security and scalability .

6. Testing and Debugging

These kinds of questions evaluate a candidate’s understanding of software testing principles, debugging methods and their aptitude for finding and resolving coding problems.

7. Web Development

The web technologies covered by these questions include HTML , CSS , JavaScript, frameworks like React or Angular , RESTful APIs and browser compatibility. The development or optimization of web applications, resolving front-end issues or debugging of web-related problems may be required of candidates.

More on Software Engineering Top 50 JavaScript Interview Questions With Example Answers

20 Technical Interview Questions to Know

Technical interviews often include questions that test the candidate’s understanding of software and how software works. It’s important to both be knowledgeable about the coding language you’ll primarily be working in and various development methodologies.

Common Technical Interview Questions

Describe the concept of a binary search algorithm and its time complexity.
What are the main differences between HTTP and HTTPS?
Explain the concept of a linked list and its advantage over an array.
What is the purpose of a code review in testing?
What are the different programming languages used in web development?
How does caching work in web development?
How would you optimize low-performing SQL code?
What is the role of a load-balancing system of architecture?
What is horizontal scaling and how does it differ from vertical scaling?
What is a service-oriented architecture (SOA)?

Here are some practice questions with answers to help you prepare.

1. Describe the concept of a binary search algorithm and its time complexity.

Binary search is a divide-and-conquer algorithm used to efficiently search a sorted array. It repeatedly divides the search space in half until the target element is found or determined to be absent. The time complexity of binary search is O(log n) , as the search space is halved with each comparison.

It significantly lowers the number of comparisons required to find an element by splitting the search space in half during each iteration. Large data sets benefit greatly from its outstanding efficiency due to its time complexity. The elegance of this algorithm rests in its capacity to quickly arrive at the intended outcome, highlighting the significance of algorithmic effectiveness in problem-solving.

The time complexity of binary search is O(log n), where n is the number of elements in the array. This is because the number of comparisons made by binary search is always log2(n). For example, if there are 10 elements in the array, binary search will make seven comparisons. If there are 100 elements in the array, binary search will make seven comparisons. Binary search is a very efficient search algorithm. It’s much faster than linear search, which compares each element in the array to the target value until a match is found. Binary search is also more efficient than other search algorithms, such as the jump search algorithm.

Given an array of integers, find the index of the target element.

Binary search code for the array described above

2. Explain the concept of a linked list and its advantages over an array.

A linked list is a data structure consisting of nodes, where each node contains a value and a reference to the next node. Unlike arrays, linked lists have dynamic size and can efficiently insert or delete elements at any position. However, linked lists have slower access times and require extra memory for storing references.

Linked lists are often used to represent data that isn’t sorted or that needs to be inserted or deleted frequently. This is because linked lists can be easily manipulated, without the need to shift other elements in the list.

Linked lists are helpful in situations requiring effective manipulation because elements can be added or removed without requiring significant data transfers. However, it's crucial to remember that linked lists have slower access speeds than arrays because they don't have contiguous memory storage and have more memory requirements for holding node references.

Here are some of the advantages of linked lists over arrays:

Dynamic size : Linked lists can grow or shrink dynamically, without the need to pre-allocate memory.
Efficient insertion and deletion : Insertion and deletion of elements in a linked list is very efficient, as it only requires updating the pointers of the affected nodes.
Memory efficiency : Linked lists can be more memory efficient than arrays for storing data that is not sorted or that needs to be inserted or deleted frequently.

You are given the heads of two sorted linked lists list1 and list2 . Merge the two lists into one sorted list. The list should be made by splicing together the nodes of the first two lists. Return the head of the merged linked list.

Merge two lists into one list code example

3. Describe the difference between a stack and a queue data structure.

A stack and a queue are both linear data structures, which means that they store data in a sequence. However, they differ in the way that they allow elements to be inserted and deleted. A stack is a last in first out (LIFO) data structure. This means that the last element that is inserted into a stack is the first element that is removed. Stacks are often used to implement recursion, which is a programming technique that allows a function to call itself.

A queue is a first in first out (FIFO) data structure. This means that the first element that is inserted into a queue is the first element that is removed. Queues are often used to implement tasks such as printing jobs or processing requests.

Given a string s containing just the characters ' (', ')', '{', '}', '[' and ']' , determine if the input string is valid.

Considering a given string of characters, 's' , that only contains the letters '(', ')', '', '', '[', and ']' , poses the task. It’s your task to validate the input string. In other words, you need to check to see if the string's bracket placement complies with the bracket pairing conventions. To make sure the sequence creates a well-balanced arrangement, it is necessary to verify that each opening bracket is accurately matched and closed by its corresponding equivalent.

Code examples showing the difference between a stack and queue

4. What are the main differences between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) is an unsecured protocol used for transmitting data over the internet. HTTPS (HTTP secure) is a secure version of HTTP that encrypts data using SSL/TLS protocols, providing confidentiality and integrity. HTTPS is indicated by a padlock symbol in web browsers and is commonly used for secure transactions, such as online banking or e-commerce. However, there are some key differences between the two.

Security : HTTP is not a secure protocol. This means that data transmitted over HTTP can be intercepted and read by anyone in between the sender and receiver. HTTPS, on the other hand, is a secure protocol. This means that data transmitted over HTTPS is encrypted and cannot be read by anyone in between the sender and receiver.
Speed : HTTP is generally faster than HTTPS. This is because HTTPS requires additional encryption and authentication steps, which can add some overhead. However, the difference in speed is usually not significant.
Use : HTTP is used for a wide variety of purposes, including browsing websites, downloading files, and streaming media. HTTPS is typically used for tasks that require a higher level of security, such as online banking, shopping, and email.

Here are some examples of websites that use HTTPS:

Banking websites : Banks use HTTPS to protect customer data, such as account numbers and passwords.
Shopping websites : Shopping websites use HTTPS to protect customer credit card information.
Email services : Email services use HTTPS to protect user messages.

5. Describe the purpose and use cases of design patterns in software development.

Design patterns are reusable solutions to commonly occurring problems in software design. They provide a structured approach to designing and organizing code, improving code maintainability, reusability and readability. Design patterns, such as Singleton, Factory and Observer, have specific use cases and can simplify complex software architectures. They are used to solve common problems that arise in software design, and they can help to improve the quality, maintainability and reusability of code.

There are many different types of design patterns, but they can generally be divided into three categories:

Creational patterns : These patterns deal with the creation of objects.
Structural patterns : These patterns deal with the structure of objects and how they interact with each other.
Behavioral patterns : These patterns deal with the behavior of objects and how they respond to events.

Some of the most common design patterns include:

Factory pattern : This pattern provides a way to create objects without specifying their concrete type.
Singleton pattern : This pattern ensures that there is only one instance of a class in an application.
Adapter pattern : This pattern allows two incompatible classes to work together.
Strategy pattern : This pattern allows objects to change their behavior at runtime.
Observer pattern : This pattern allows objects to subscribe to events and be notified when those events occur.

6. How would you design a scalable system for handling high traffic and large amounts of data?

Scalable systems can be achieved through techniques like load balancing (distributing traffic across multiple servers), horizontal scaling (adding more servers), caching frequently accessed data, using distributed databases and employing techniques like sharding or partitioning to handle large data volumes. There are many ways to design a scalable system for handling high traffic and large amounts of data. Here are some of the most common approaches:

Use a distributed architecture . A distributed architecture breaks down the system into smaller components that can be scaled independently. This makes it easier to add more capacity as needed.
Use a caching layer . A caching layer stores frequently accessed data in memory, which can improve performance by reducing the number of times the database needs to be accessed.
Use a load balancer . A load balancer distributes traffic across multiple servers, which can improve performance by preventing any single server from becoming overloaded.
Use a content delivery network (CDN) . A CDN stores static content, such as images and JavaScript files, in multiple locations around the world. This can improve performance by delivering content to users from a server that is close to them.
Use a database that is designed for scalability . There are many different types of databases, and some are better suited for scalability than others. For example, NoSQL databases are designed to store large amounts of data without requiring a lot of processing power.

7. What is the difference between unit testing and integration testing?

Unit testing focuses on testing individual components or units of code in isolation, while integration testing verifies the interaction between multiple components to ensure they work together correctly. Both testing are performed at different stages of the development process.

Individual pieces of code are tested in unit testing, a sort of software testing, to make sure they function as expected. Individual functions, classes, or modules can all be considered units of code. The developer who created the code being tested usually creates unit tests, and they frequently make use of a unit testing framework. Unit testing is typically performed first, followed by integration testing. This allows developers to identify and fix bugs early in the development process, when they are easier to find and fix.

Integration testing is a type of software testing where individual units of code are combined and tested as a group to ensure that they work together correctly. Integration tests are typically written by a software tester, and they often require the use of a test harness. The main difference between unit testing and integration testing is the level of granularity at which they are performed. Unit testing focuses on individual units of code, while integration testing focuses on how individual units of code interact with each other.

Here are some additional benefits of unit testing and integration testing:

Increased quality: Unit testing and integration testing can help to identify and fix bugs early in the development process, when they are easier to find and fix. This can help to improve the overall quality of the software.
Reduced development time: By identifying and fixing bugs early, unit testing and integration testing can help to reduce the amount of time spent debugging later in the development process. This can lead to shorter development cycles and faster time to market.
Reduced costs: Unit testing and integration testing can help to reduce the costs associated with software development. This is because they can help to prevent bugs from reaching production, which can save money on bug fixing and customer support.

A unit test for a function that adds two numbers together might check to make sure that the function returns the correct value for different input values. An integration test for a system that allows users to add items to a shopping cart might check to make sure that the items are added to the cart correctly when the user clicks the "add to cart" button.

Unit testing verifies particular pieces of code to make sure they work as intended. Testing an addition function, for instance, verifies that it is accurate regardless of the input. The effectiveness of integrated pieces is evaluated through integration testing.

8. What are some common software testing methodologies?

Software testing methodologies are the strategies, processes, or environments used to test software. They encompass everything from unit testing individual modules, integration testing an entire system or specialized forms of testing such as security and performance. There are many different software testing methodologies, some of the most common methodologies include:

Waterfall Model

The waterfall model is a linear, sequential approach to software development. Testing is typically conducted at the end of the development process, after all of the requirements have been defined and the code has been written.

For example, a company that is developing a new enterprise software application might use the waterfall model. The company would first define the requirements for the application, then design the application, write the code, and test the application at the end of the development process.

Agile Model

The agile model is an iterative, incremental approach to software development. Testing is conducted throughout the development process, in short cycles known as sprints. This allows for early detection of defects and changes to be made quickly.

For example, a startup that is developing a new mobile app might use the agile model. The team would start by creating a minimum viable product (MVP) and then release it to users for feedback. The team would then iterate on the app based on the feedback, adding new features and fixing bugs.

Iterative Model

The iterative model is a hybrid approach that combines elements of the waterfall and agile models. Testing is conducted throughout the development process, but it is not as frequent as in the agile model.

For example, a government agency that is developing a new website might use the iterative model. The agency would first develop a prototype of the website, then test it with users to get feedback.

The DevOps approach is a culture and methodology that emphasizes the collaboration between development, operations, and security teams. Testing is an integral part of the DevOps process and is conducted throughout the development lifecycle.

For example, A large retailer that is developing a new e-commerce platform might use the DevOps approach. The retailer would have a dedicated team of developers, operations engineers, and security engineers who would work together to develop and test the platform.

9. What is the purpose of a code review in testing?

Code reviews are conducted to ensure that the code meets quality standards, follows best practices, and is free from bugs and potential issues. They help identify defects early in the development process. A developer's code is examined by another developer or a team of developers during a code review process. A code review is performed to identify problems in the code, enhance its readability and maintainability and make sure it complies with the project's specifications.

In testing, code reviews can be used to:

Find bugs that unit tests may have missed. Unit tests are good at finding errors in individual units of code, but they can't always find errors that occur when multiple units of code interact with each other. Code reviews can help to find these types of errors.
Improve the code’s readability and maintainability. Code that is easy to read and maintain is less likely to have errors. Code reviews can help to improve the readability and maintainability of code by identifying and fixing issues such as poor naming conventions, inconsistent coding styles, and complex logic.
Ensure that the code meets the project’s requirements. Code reviews can help to ensure that the code meets the project's requirements by identifying and fixing any gaps or inconsistencies between the code and the requirements.

Software quality can be raised with the help of code reviews. Code reviews can assist in preventing problems from entering production and enhancing the overall quality of the software by identifying errors, enhancing readability and maintainability, and making sure the code complies with project objectives.

10. What are the different programming languages used for web development?

The most popular programming languages for web development are:

More on Software Engineering Guide to the JavaScript Array Filter() Method

11. What is the difference between front-end and back end development?

Front-end development focuses on building the user interface and user experience of a website or application using technologies like HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Back end development involves building the server-side logic and database interactions using languages like Python, Ruby or Java.

Front end includes tasks such as designing the layout, creating the graphics, and coding the functionality. Back end includes tasks such as writing code, managing databases and configuring servers.

For example, a front end developer might be responsible for designing the layout of a website, creating the graphics and images for the website, and adding animations and interactivity to the website. A back end developer might be responsible for developing the code that allows users to log in to a website, add items to a shopping cart, or make a purchase.

12. Explain the concept of AJAX and its significance in web development.

Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX) is a technique used to send and retrieve data from a server asynchronously without reloading the entire web page. It allows for dynamic content updates, improved user experience, and reduced server load.

AJAX is a powerful tool that can be used to create more interactive and responsive web applications. It can be used to do things like:

Update the contents of a web page without reloading it. This can be used to create live updates, such as news feeds or stock tickers.
Get user input without reloading the page. This can be used to create forms that are more responsive and user-friendly.
Send data to the server without reloading the page. This can be used to do things like submit forms or start a new session.

Here are some of the benefits of using AJAX in web development:

Improved user experience
Reduced bandwidth usage
Increased flexibility

Overall, AJAX is a powerful technology that may be utilized to build online applications that are more responsive, dynamic, and effective. It's critical for web developers to comprehend how AJAX functions and how to apply it to enhance web apps.

13. How does caching work in web development?

Caching involves storing certain web resources (such as images, stylesheets or JavaScript files) in the browser or on intermediate servers to improve page loading speed. It reduces the need to re-download resources, resulting in faster subsequent visits or requests. It’s a technique that stores frequently accessed data in a temporary location so that it can be accessed faster.

In web development, caching is used to store static content, such as images, CSS files, and JavaScript files, so that they do not have to be retrieved from the server each time a user requests a page. This can significantly improve the performance of a website, especially for pages that are frequently visited.

There are two main types of caching in web development:

Browser caching is when the browser stores a copy of a web page in its local cache. This allows the browser to load the page more quickly the next time the user visits it.
Server caching is when a web server stores a copy of static content in its memory. This allows the web server to serve the content more quickly to users.

14. Explain the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases.

SQL databases are relational databases, which means that data is stored in tables that have rows and columns. Each row represents a single record and each column represents a single piece of data about that record. SQL databases use structured queries to access data. Structured queries are written in a language called SQL, which stands for structured query language. SQL queries are used to select, insert, update and delete data from tables.

NoSQL databases are non-relational databases, which means that data is not stored in tables. NoSQL databases use a variety of data models, including document, key-value and graph. Document databases store data in documents, which are similar to JSON objects. Key-value databases store data in key-value pairs, where the key is a unique identifier and the value is any type of data. Graph databases store data in a graph, which is a network of nodes and edges.

Here are some examples of SQL and NoSQL databases:

SQL : MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.
NoSQL : MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB and Redis.

15. How would you optimize a slow-performing SQL query?

To optimize a slow SQL query, you can consider various approaches such as indexing appropriate columns, rewriting the query using efficient joins or subqueries, minimizing the number of returned rows and ensuring the proper use of database statistics. Here are some steps you can take to optimize a slow SQL query:

Analyze the query execution plan : Use the database’s query execution plan analyzer or EXPLAIN statement to understand how the database is executing the query. Look for any full table scans, inefficient joins, or other costly operations.
Index optimization : Ensure that the relevant columns used in WHERE, JOIN and ORDER BY clauses are indexed appropriately. Indexes can significantly improve query performance by allowing the database to quickly locate the required data.
Rewrite or refactor the query : Consider rewriting the query to use more efficient join types, subqueries, or conditional logic. Simplify the query by eliminating unnecessary calculations or redundant operations. Breaking complex queries into smaller, manageable parts can also improve performance.
Limit the result set : If you only need a subset of data, use the LIMIT clause to retrieve a specific number of rows. This can reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed and transmitted, improving query performance.

16. Explain the ACID properties in the context of database transactions.

ACID stands for atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability. These properties ensure the reliability and integrity of database transactions. Let's delve into each property:

Atomicity : Atomicity guarantees that a transaction is treated as a single, indivisible unit of work. It follows the "all or nothing" principle, meaning that either all the operations within a transaction are successfully completed, or none of them are.
Consistency : Consistency ensures that a transaction brings the database from one valid state to another valid state. It defines a set of rules or constraints that the database must adhere to.
Isolation : Isolation ensures that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. Each transaction is isolated from other transactions, allowing them to execute as if they were the only transaction running on the database.
Durability : Durability guarantees that once a transaction is committed, its changes are permanent and will survive any subsequent failures, such as power outages or system crashes. The committed data is stored in non-volatile storage (such as a hard disk) to ensure its durability.

Together, the ACID properties ensure data integrity, reliability, and consistency in database transactions. They play a crucial role in maintaining the accuracy and reliability of data in various applications, such as financial systems, e-commerce platforms and enterprise-level applications.

17. What is the role of load balancing in system architecture?

Load balancing distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers or resources to improve performance, scalability, and availability. It ensures that no single server or resource is overloaded, optimizing resource utilization and preventing bottlenecks. In system architecture, load balancing is used to distribute traffic across multiple servers. This can improve performance by reducing the load on each server. It can also improve reliability by ensuring that if one server fails, the others can continue to handle traffic. And it can improve scalability by making it easy to add more servers as demand increases.

There are two main types of load balancing:

Hardware load balancers: These are physical devices that sit in front of the servers and distribute traffic across them.
Software load balancers: These are software applications that run on the servers and distribute traffic across them.

18. How would you design a system to handle high availability and fault tolerance?

To achieve high availability and fault tolerance, you can use techniques like redundancy, replication and failover mechanisms. For example, you can replicate critical components and deploy them across multiple servers or data centers. Use load balancers to distribute traffic, and implement automated failover mechanisms to seamlessly switch to backup resources in case of failures.

Designing a system to handle high availability and fault tolerance involves implementing strategies and technologies that minimize downtime and ensure continuous operation even in the face of failures. Here are some key considerations and approaches:

Load balancing
Distributed architecture
Replication and data synchronization
Monitoring and automated recovery
Regular testing and maintenance
Scalability

By incorporating these strategies and techniques, a system can be designed to handle high availability and fault tolerance, ensuring uninterrupted operation even in the face of failures or adverse conditions.

19. What is horizontal scaling, and how does it differ from vertical scaling?

Horizontal scaling is a technique for increasing the capacity of a system by adding more nodes. This is done by adding more servers to the system, each of which runs the same application. Horizontal scaling is a good option for systems that need to handle a large number of concurrent users or a large amount of data.

The main difference between horizontal and vertical scaling is that horizontal scaling adds more nodes to the system, while vertical scaling adds more resources to existing nodes. Horizontal scaling is a more scalable solution than vertical scaling, but it can be more complex to implement. Vertical scaling is a less scalable solution than horizontal scaling, but it is easier to implement.

The best approach to scaling a system depends on the specific needs of the system. If the system needs to handle a large number of concurrent users or a large amount of data, then horizontal scaling is the best option. If the system needs to handle a sudden increase in demand, then vertical scaling can be a good option.

Examples of horizontal scaling include:

Adding more servers to a cluster
Using a load balancer to distribute traffic across multiple servers
Using a content delivery network (CDN) to cache static content

Examples of vertical scaling include:

Upgrading the memory of a server
Adding more CPU cores to a server
Adding more storage to a server

20. What is a service-oriented architecture (SOA)?

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services. Services are self-contained modules that perform specific functions and communicate with each other using standardized protocols. SOA promotes reusability, interoperability, and flexibility in system design.

Through established procedures, SOA services communicate and carry out certain duties. By enhancing system adaptability and reuse, SOA enables independent component evolution. It encourages the modular architecture of software, allowing for easy scaling and integration while maintaining resilience and flexibility.

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a software design approach that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services. These services communicate with each other via well-defined interfaces. SOA is a way of thinking about software architecture that emphasizes the composition of services.

SOA has several benefits, including:

Reusability: Services can be reused in multiple applications, which can save time and money.
Scalability: SOA applications can be scaled up or down easily, as needed.
Interoperability: SOA applications can be easily integrated with other systems.
Flexibility: SOA applications can be easily changed or updated.

More on Software Engineering Multithreading and Multiprocessing Explained

How to Prepare for a Technical Interview

A technical interview involves technical expertise, problem-solving abilities and efficient preparation techniques. Here are some thorough procedures to assist you in getting prepared:

Understand the Job Requirements

Get acquainted with the job's qualifications and description. Review the main programming languages, frameworks, technical abilities and tools that were mentioned. This will help you prepare for the precise areas that are crucial for the position.

Review Core Technical Concepts

Refresh your memory of the core ideas connected to the work position. Data structures, algorithms, object-oriented programming concepts, database ideas, network protocols, operating systems and any other pertinent subjects that may fall under this category. To further your understanding, consult books, coding platforms or online tutorials.

Practice Coding Problems

Practicing coding challenges frequently asked in technical interviews will help you improve your problem-solving abilities. You can find coding challenges on websites like LeetCode , HackerRank and CodeSignal . Start with simpler questions and work your way up to more difficult ones. Understand the time and space complexity of your algorithms and take time to analyze and improve your solutions.

Practice Explaining Your Coding Process and Solutions

Explain your coding strategy in detail, laying out your plans before getting into the code. Walk logically through the answers, focusing on problem-solving strategies, trade-offs and optimization. Demonstrate adaptability in tackling various coding challenges and sensitivity to edge cases. This will help you showcase your technical expertise and ability to work with team members.

Review System Design Concepts

Study numerous system design concepts like scalability, dependability, availability, load balancing, caching and database design if the role requires conversations about system architecture. Learn the common architectures and design patterns for systems.

Research the Company and Industry

Learn more about the company’s offerings, services and technologies. Set up a Google Alert for the company or search the web for the most recent market developments or trends that are pertinent to the position. With this information, you'll be able to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the business and tailor your responses to meet its technical needs.

Build Projects or Contribute to Open Source

To obtain experience, work on your own projects or contribute to open-source initiatives. This will show that you can use your technological expertise to solve problems in the real world. Keep track of your initiatives and be ready to talk about them in the interview.

Review Your Resume and Past Projects

Be prepared to talk about your resume and provide further details on any listed projects or experiences. Examine your prior efforts, successes and difficulties. Be prepared to describe the choices you made and the lessons you gained while emphasizing the technical components of your projects.

Prepare Questions to Ask

Research and prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the company, team dynamics, technical challenges or any other relevant topics. This shows your genuine interest and engagement in the conversation.

Built In’s expert contributor network publishes thoughtful, solutions-oriented stories written by innovative tech professionals. It is the tech industry’s definitive destination for sharing compelling, first-person accounts of problem-solving on the road to innovation.

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16 Common Technical Interview Questions & How to Answer Them

This list of top technical interview questions comes straight from recruiters and tech CEOs. Ace your next job interview with this guide.

16 Common Technical Interview Questions and how to answer them

While some people might not find tech job interviews nerve-wracking, for most of us (even those with Computer Science or IT degrees), the interview process is the stuff anxiety dreams are made of.

While you’ll certainly have come across some of the standard interview questions you can expect in a tech job interview (think: behavioral questions, questions about your technical skill set, certifications, knowledge of project management systems and the development process) tech interviews are notoriously unpredictable. Hello, nonsensical curveball questions. 😏

It can leave you feeling lost when it comes to preparing.

But there’s no reason to panic. Ultimately, recruiters, tech companies, and other stakeholders are interested in your communication skills and your problem-solving skills (sometimes more so than your programming know-how).

And their questions are designed to reveal how you think and work through problems — not to trip you up or embarrass you.

For this post, we compiled some of the top questions you can expect in technical interviews. To help demystify the experience, we spoke with hiring professionals who supplied key tech interview questions and some pointers for formulating answers — even to the questions nobody sees coming.

First, we’re covering the broad types of questions that CEOs and other managers tend to ask when interviewing candidates for technical positions. Then we cover more technical questions — the kind meant to test your actual coding know-how.

Table of Contents

Common Questions Hiring Managers Ask in Technical Interviews to Find Out if You’re Right For the Job

8 real examples of technical interview questions that test your coding skills.

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1. “What do you know about our company?”

Sound obvious? Sometimes the best technical interview questions are — and they’re more revealing than you might expect.

Alan Hattman, Manager of Talent Acquisition at Peloton Technology, has a yikes-worthy story that proves that the importance of research can’t be stressed enough: While he was looking to hire a Director of Marketing, not one but two candidates thought they were interviewing for a different company with a similar name.

“They thought we were a bike company,” Hattman says. (Peloton Technology is a vehicle technology company. The interviewees had confused it with Peloton Cycle.) “They even talked about how they used our product and everything. So those were automatic fails. Do your homework. Research the job and the company you’re applying for.”

When it comes to reading up on a prospective employer, Jenna Kass, Recruiting Manager at Tableau Software, says she always appreciates when “candidates take the time to research our company from a business standpoint.” Before you walk into the interview, find out who the company’s competitors are and gather information about their audience or customers.

The last step is to build on your research with your own expertise. ShipMonk CEO Jan Bednar asks candidates for feedback about his company’s product—specifically for changes they’d make. His ideal response “would not only explain what they would like changed but also how they would change it.”

2. “What’s the most challenging/exciting project you have done in the past two years?”

Your work should lead the way in any technical interview and Lauren Thompson, Zillow’s Communications Coordinator, says that in addition to technical specifications, Zillow’s interviewers want to see “the innovation [an interviewee] comes out with from the project.” The goal of this technical interview question? To figure out what you’re passionate about, she says.

You should start preparing for this question long before you send out resumes, and a safe bet is to dig into each of your projects as you go to focus on what parts (of web development, app development, etc.) you’re passionate about, what motivates you, and what types of work you want to do in the future.

Then, practice articulating that list, so if an interviewer asks you to explain a project from your portfolio, you’ll have more to say than a simple list of specs.

Your answer might sound like: “I love 8-bit gaming, so I developed a C++ emulator for Chip-8. It combined my interest in digital preservation with getting to dust off my Tetris and Pac-Man skills. I’m looking forward to applying some of the C++ tricks I used to more projects in the future.”

3. “What kind of tech projects do you work on in your spare time?”

If you haven’t already picked up on it, passion goes a long way in tech — almost everyone I spoke to for this article mentioned it at some point.

Kevin Hayen, CTO of Let’s Be Chefs, considers self-directed creative work a critical piece of assessing entry-level applicants and veteran candidates alike. The way an interviewee answers these types of questions shows Hayen “what in tech they are really passionate about or if they even are passionate about tech” in the first place.

It doesn’t matter what your hobby is: Talk it up with all the genuine enthusiasm you have. Like many of these questions, it’s not the actual answer that interests Kevin — he says he doesn’t care if the answer is open source, DIY, or even just playing around.

Hayen says that this question also helps him figure out “how the candidate might fit into a particular team and what ‘bonus’ skills they might bring to the company” — things you didn’t even think to add to your resume but will make you a more well-rounded applicant.

4. “Tell me about the most difficult technical challenge you’ve encountered and how you resolved it.”

Bryan Petro, COO of GetMyBoat, asks this technical interview question to make sure prospective employees can do more than check off a box when a problem is fixed. “We’re not looking for people who can just churn through bugs,” Bryan says, “but people who can understand the big picture as part of a larger product team.”

So that you’re not up all night before an interview, wracking your brain for every challenge you’ve ever faced, try keeping a log of the times your skills were pushed to their limits and how you rose to the occasion as you work on projects. You don’t need to write essays here — a few bullet points to jog your memory will suffice.

5. “What technologies could you not live without?”

Stephen Negron of LegalTech Consulting, Inc. wants to know what tech skills candidates bring to the table, of course. But after that’s out of the way, he has a different line of questioning — a list of “revealing questions” that tell him about the interviewee’s life as a techie (and potential team member).

Tell me about your computers at home. What’s your internet speed?
What are your favorite gadgets? Apps?
What kind of phone do you have?
What are your tech pet peeves?

“I really want to know if they practice what they preach, if they live the tech life, and if they have an understanding of the everyday tech frustrations,” he says.

This is a point that’s easy to overlook amidst loftier talk of expertise, but if you’re not consciously engaging with devices, apps, and websites, all the technical skills in the world won’t bridge that gap toward empathizing with the end user when it comes to designing your own products.

6. “What would you bring to our monthly bakeoff?”

“It may sound like a silly question,” says Max Schleicher, Digital Marketing Manager at Insureon, but this job interview question gives him insight into candidates that a resume simply can’t. It’s a twist on the curveball question — which usually shows an interviewee’s logic skills.

While he appreciates those questions, Schleicher wants to see creativity, social skills, and communication style. “Trust me,” he says. “You can learn a lot about someone from their baking preferences.”

There’s no wrong answer, whether it be a standard “brownies” or “double butterscotch blondies with almonds,” he says. The critical tell is whether interviewees “buy in, whether they’re excited, and how well they’re going to fit into the culture we’re working to create.”

This question has another purpose: Schleicher says that a question like this humanizes him and the company because he wants to win over the applicant, too. “We want to sell our culture and our sense of teamwork to new candidates. We want to attract candidates that buy into that,” he says.

7. “Tell me about a time you were asked to do something you had never done before. How did you react, and what did you learn?”

The key to working in tech isn’t knowing everything–that’s not even possible for multi-decade vets of the industry. For Brendan Browne, VP of Talent Acquisition at LinkedIn, this question boils down to the number one soft skill needed at LinkedIn: adaptability.

“Soft skills like adaptability are a hard thing to suss out but they’re critical for someone to be successful here,” Browne says. Projects change direction all the time, while departmental reorganizations and management shifts lead to priorities being rearranged. “Your ability to deal with these scenarios will impact where you’re best able to contribute at a company.”

As far as the best way to show your adaptability in an interview setting, Browne says he’s “looking for real answers, not the canned, stereotypical responses.”

Go with an experience from your career (a department re-org, a client changing their mind last minute) or personal life (becoming a parent, a cross-country move) that shows how you’ve been able to “adapt, persevere, and manage change.”

Not a particularly adaptable person? Don’t panic. Self-awareness is also a key trait Browne looks for. “You don’t need to pretend certain skills are your strong point if they aren’t. If adapting quickly is hard for you, that’s okay. You likely have other soft skills an employer wants (collaboration, culture fit, etc.), so play those up during your interview,” he says.

8. “How much does a first class one-way ticket from New York to Abu Dhabi cost on Etihad?”

ShipMonk CEO Jan Bednar doesn’t really expect anyone to know the answer—it’s the infamous curveball question. “Frankly,” he says, “we’d be a bit surprised if they did.” Then why ask it?

“Whether they guess $3,000 or $80,000 is functionally immaterial,” Bednar says. Instead, it’s all about the process. “What steps do they take to solve the question? Do they draw upon past experiences? Projections? General knowledge? These are the skills we want to see,” Bednar says.

(Back to Top.)

In addition to the questions above, which assess your non-technical skills more than anything — such as your software development interests — hiring managers also ask technical, knowledge-based questions to determine your technical knowledge. In other words, they have to test you to make sure you have the right skill set for the job.

Whether you’re a Python pro, a Java developer, or a jack of all trades in terms of programming languages, there are language-specific questions or general programming knowledge base questions you’re expected to know, regardless of the job description.

For this post, we scoured the Internet for common questions hiring managers ask during technical knowledge-based interviews and how to answer them.

While being able to answer these questions will benefit all aspiring developers , front end developers in particular will want to know the answers to these questions.

Interview tip: when prepping for the various types of technical interviews you might face, we recommend Googling for technical interview questions and answers for your specific area of expertise (e.g. “front end developer interview questions”) to get a good idea of the range of questions that you may be asked and to practice answering them.

Even if you don’t know all of the answers right off the bat, with practice, you’ll be on your way to acing your technical interview in no time.

1. What is the main difference between Prototypal and Class inheritance?

From Temok :

“In JavaScript, inheritance is different from a lot of other development languages. In JavaScript, the object system is based on a prototype, not the class. Objects are only a collection of value pairs and names. As far as the inheritance is concerned, there is only one construct in JavaScript: objects. Each object has a private property that comprises a link to other objects, known as the prototype of that object.”

2. What does CORS mean and how does it work?

From Mozilla :

“Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) is an HTTP-header based mechanism that allows a server to indicate any origins (domain, scheme, or port) other than its own from which a browser should permit loading of resources. CORS also relies on a mechanism by which browsers make a “preflight” request to the server hosting the cross-origin resource, in order to check that the server will permit the actual request. In that preflight, the browser sends headers that indicate the HTTP method and headers that will be used in the actual request.”

3. What is ClickJacking?

From Fullstack Cafe :

“ClickJacking is an attack that fools users into thinking they are clicking on one thing when they are actually clicking on another. The attack is possible thanks to HTML frames (iframes). Its other name, user interface (UI) redressing, better describes what is going on. Users think they are using a web page’s normal UI, but in fact there is a hidden UI in control; in other words, the UI has been redressed. When users click something they think is safe, the hidden UI performs a different action.”

4. What is the difference between let, const, and var?

“Originally, var was the only option JavaScript had for defining variables. In ES6, we got const and let as additional options. The important takeaways are:

Variables defined with const cannot be reassigned.
Const and let variables are block-scoped.
Var variables are function scoped.
Variables defined with var are hoisted.”

5. What is WCAG and what are the differences between A, AA, and AAA compliance?

From Digital Accessibility Center:

“WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium.

Single A is viewed as the minimum level of requirement which all websites, apps, and electronic content such as documents should adhere to.
Double A is viewed as the acceptable level of accessibility for many online services, which should work with most assistive technology which is now widely available on both desktop and mobile devices, or which can be purchased as a third-party installation.
Triple A compliance is viewed as the gold standard level of accessibility, which provides everything for a complete accessible offering, including all the bells and whistles which make the difference between a very good experience and an excellent one.”

6. How do you find the largest and smallest number in an unsorted integer array?

From Faceprep :

“ Method 1 : Traverse the array iteratively and keep track of the smallest and largest element until the end of the array. Method 2 : Traverse the array recursively and keep track of the smallest and largest element until the end of the array. Method 3 : Sort the array using STL and return the first element as the smallest element and the last element as the largest element.

For example, consider the array. arr = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} Smallest element : 1 Largest element : 5″

7. What is a closure?

From Eric Elliot at JavaScript Scene :

“A closure is the combination of a function bundled together (enclosed) with references to its surrounding state (the lexical environment). In other words, a closure gives you access to an outer function’s scope from an inner function. In JavaScript, closures are created every time a function is created, at function creation time.

To use a closure, define a function inside another function and expose it. To expose a function, return it or pass it to another function.

The inner function will have access to the variables in the outer function scope, even after the outer function has returned.”

8. What are the differences between null and undefined?

From That JS Dude :

“JavaScript has two distinct values for nothing, null and undefined.

undefined means that the value of the variable is not defined. JavaScript has a global variable undefined whose value is “undefined” and typeof undefined is also “undefined.”

Remember, undefined is not a constant or a keyword. undefined is a type with exactly one value: undefined.

Assigning a new value to it does not change the value of the type undefined.

8 Ways to get Undefined:

A declared variable without assigning any value to it.
Implicit returns of functions due to missing return statements.
Return statements that do not explicitly return anything.
Lookups of non-existent properties in an object.
Function parameters that have not passed.
Anything that has been set to the value of undefined.
Any expression in the form of void(expression)
The value of the global variable undefined

null means empty or non-existent value which is used by programmers to indicate “no value.”

null is a primitive value and you can assign null to any variable. null is not an object, it is a primitive value.

For example, you cannot add properties to it. Sometimes people wrongly assume that it is an object, because typeof null returns “object.”

Btw, null == undefined ref: history of typeof null.”

Having a set of tech skills is one thing, but communicating your ability to use them practically, creatively, and efficiently is what will help you land the job.

As I interviewed hiring professionals for this article, multiple people told me that surprise brain teaser questions are all about your thought process, not your answer — so don’t be afraid to give follow-up explanations as you go along.

So if you find yourself face-to-face with one of these tough technical interview questions, take a breath, don’t get flummoxed, and talk the interviewer through your thinking. That’s all they want to hear.

What are technical questions in an interview?

Technical questions in an interview are questions that are designed to assess your specific knowledge and skills related to the technical aspects of a job. These can include questions about programming languages, software tools, problem-solving, algorithms, and industry-specific knowledge.

How do I prepare for a technical interview?

To prepare for a technical interview, review the job description to understand the required skills, practice common technical questions and problems, study up on relevant tools and languages, and prepare to explain your previous projects and experiences. Mock interviews and coding challenges can also be helpful.

What are the basic questions for a technical support interview?

What questions are asked in a technical competency interview.

In a technical competency interview, you might be asked to discuss your experience with specific technologies, solve real-world problems on the spot, demonstrate how you approach complex projects, and provide examples of how you've applied technical knowledge in practical situations.

Is a technical interview difficult?

The difficulty of a technical interview can vary depending on the company, the role, and your own level of preparation and expertise. Some interviews may be highly challenging, with complex problems to solve, while others might focus more on general technical understanding and thought processes.

How do I explain my technical skills in an interview?

To explain your technical skills in an interview, be specific about the technologies you know, discuss how you've used them in past projects, and highlight any successful outcomes or achievements. Use clear, non-technical language to describe your expertise and how it applies to the role you're interviewing for.

Justina Hwang

Category: Blog , Entry Level Tech Jobs , Front End Developer , Interviews

How to Answer the Toughest Questions in Your First Tech Interview

LTCWM > Blog > Working in tech > Job hunting > Technical Interviewing 101: Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Tech Interview

A beginner's guide to the technical interview

Technical Interviewing 101: Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Tech Interview

Updated on February 19th, 2024 | Sign up for learn to code tips

Table of Contents

What Is a Tech Interview?
Common Questions

Phone Screen

Remote coding challenge, onsite interview and whiteboard challenge.

After the Tech Interview
Preparing for Your Interview
Common Mistakes

What is a technical interview? The technical interview, which may also be called a tech interview or software engineer interview, is unlike any other job interview.

It’s a specialized, rigorous process that tests your coding skills, problem-solving abilities, and personality.

But even though technical interviews are intimidating (with whiteboard challenges, remote coding challenges, and even full days of onsite tech interviews sometimes), it’s a lot easier when you know what to expect and have invested time into tech interview prep.

That’s why I wanted to create an epic, comprehensive guide to technical interviews and coding interview preparation for tech newbies!

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In this guide, you’ll learn how to ace a technical interview even if it’s your first one!

We’ll start by covering what a technical interview entails. Then, we’ll get into what you can expect during a technical interview in each stage of the process and what you can do to stand out.

You’ll learn about some common technical interview questions and topics you should know. And we’ll wrap up with tips on preparing for a technical interview (plus what not to do).

Inside, you’ll also find coding interview tips and advice from technical interview experts who have gone through the process themselves AND conducted tech interviews from the other end of the table.

Their first-hand knowledge will teach you how to prepare for a technical interview with real-world considerations in mind.

Disclosure: I’m a proud affiliate for some of the resources mentioned in this article. If you buy a product through my links on this page, I may get a small commission for referring you. Thanks!

⭐ Psst! My favorite interview prep tool is Interview Cake ⭐

Note: Right now, many tech companies have temporarily or permanently moved staff to remote work instead. If you’ve been invited for a virtual tech interview, learn about the remote interview process , plus some virtual technical interview tips for success.

What Is a Technical Interview?

Unlike other types of interviews, tech interviews involve challenges and assignments. They’re more like an exam than a typical question-and-answer interview.

Like the phrase “Show, don’t tell,” you have to prove that you have the skills required to do the job, rather than just tell the interviewer that you have them.

Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of the technical interview is not to trick you with riddles, brain teasers, or impossible questions. Instead, it’s to see how you tackle real-world problems–like the ones you might be facing once you have the job!

So, what happens in a technical interview? Every company is different, but let’s take a look at the average situations you might face.

The stages of a technical interview

Often, tech interviews will come in three basic stages:

📞 1st stage: the technical screening interview (via phone or video).

Good news! The company liked your resume and wants to talk to you more.

This short social & technical screen interview stage is designed to see if you are qualified and enthusiastic enough to proceed to the next technical round.

An initial technical screening interview typically lasts 15-30 minutes.

📝 2nd stage: remote coding interview/assignment.

Some companies will want to test your coding skills with a preliminary test before having you actually come in.

It may be conducted over the phone, via Skype or Zoom, or as a homework-type assignment through a web application or email.

If the company is respectful of your time, a remote coding challenge should only take a few hours.

💻 3rd and final stage: onsite interview/whiteboarding challenge.

This is the stage that most people call the actual “technical interview.” It involves an in-person interview with coding challenges you have to complete on a whiteboard in front of the interviewer(s).

Tech interviews at this stage can also be done remotely over video conference if the company is remote.

Whiteboard interviews typically last 1-2 hours, but the whole onsite technical interview can be several hours to a full day.

As I said before, though, every company’s tech interview process is different. Here are a few examples of how some popular tech companies organize their technical interview stages:

Google : initial phone or Google Hangout interview (30-60 min); onsite tech interview (~4 hours made up of 4 separate interviews)
Facebook : Initial technical screening interview (30-50 min); onsite interview (1 full day)
Uber : initial phone screen (30-60 min); in-person interview (1 full day made up of 6 back-to-back personal and technical interviews)

How to prepare for a software developer interview also depends on the seniority of the role you’re applying for—e.g. is it more of a junior or senior position?

Junior computer science interview questions and technical rounds may not be as intense as higher-level computer engineering interview questions.

To find more about what the company you’re interviewing with might ask you, or more about their technical interview process, do a little research.

Check to see if the company has a tech blog. Sometimes companies devote entire blog articles to their tech interview process and what to expect (here’s an example from a company called Asana ).

Failing that, Glassdoor has an “Interviews” tab for lots of companies, big and small, where current and former employees—as well as people who interviewed but didn’t end up working for the company—share what the process was like.

For example, here is Google’s interview tab on Glassdoor. This feedback could be about traditional or technical interviews, and some users might even share what kinds of coding interview questions they were asked.

If you’re still coming up short, shoot the recruiter or hiring manager a quick email asking what the interview process will look like. Knowing the exact steps in the interview process can help you figure out how to prepare for coding interviews there.

💬 Who you’ll be talking to at your technical interview

Of course, this is another factor that will differ from company to company, but you’ll usually be looking at one of two situations based on company size:

At a startup or smaller company : member(s) of the engineering team, a senior developer, or even the CTO. All interviewers typically have technical experience and may be your future bosses or coworkers.
At a larger company : recruiter, HR staff, or a member of the engineering team. Some interviewers might have little tech knowledge, and it might not be people you’ll directly work with if hired.

You may even have multiple interviews with different people–perhaps a whiteboarding technical interview with the tech team, a culture interview with HR, an executive interview with the CTO, and so on.

Whatever the case, one good tech interview prep tip is to try researching your interviewers first by looking them up on LinkedIn . It can ease your interview anxiety to put a face to a name, plus you might find something you can connect over (you went to the same university, you have similar interests, or something like that to break the ice).

For more on using LinkedIn to get a foot in the door, check out this guide to getting job referrals even as a tech newbie .

👔 What to wear to your tech interview

One of the most common questions people have during any job interview preparation process is what to wear.

Although most tech companies have a relaxed, casual workplace, it’s still important to dress smartly. The general rule of thumb is to dress one level above the company’s dress code (e.g. if the company allows jeans and T-shirts, you should dress in business casual).

To find the dress code, search for the company on social media platforms like Facebook/Instagram, look at their careers page, or consider asking the recruiter/HR staff.

🗒️ What to bring to your coding interview

You don’t really have to bring anything special to a technical interview beyond what you’d bring to a normal one. You’ll probably want to have basics like these:

Printed copies of your resume

Don’t worry about bringing a laptop or coding samples (unless the interviewers specifically request those items).

⏰ How long are technical interviews?

The technical portion of the interview process (whiteboarding) typically lasts 1-2 hours. However, the full interview process, from the phone screen to the final interview, could take much longer.

Here’s a breakdown of some common time ranges:

Technical phone/video screen: 15-30 minutes
Remote coding interview/assignment: 1-2 hours
Onsite interview: Often 1 full day of multiple interviews
Whiteboarding challenge: 1-2 hours

When all is said and done, it’s not uncommon for the whole process to last several weeks as you progress through the different rounds.

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Common Technical Interview Questions

There are a wide variety of common technical interview questions you may come up against during your tech interview — it’s not all whiteboards and code.

However, because every company is so different, it’s impossible to anticipate every possible coding interview question.

Especially for backend developer interviews, some companies may ask computer science-based questions that often include CS trivia, technical puzzles or brainteasers. Other companies may focus more on real-world problems that resemble day-to-day work at the company.

Let’s look at some of the types and topics of programmer interview questions you might encounter during a technical interview.

Types of tech interview questions you may face

A well-rounded software engineer interview will include questions that pertain to a candidate’s hard and soft skills. Here are a few question types you might be asked.

👩‍💼 Behavioral: These questions pertain to how you’ve acted in a specific situation in the past. These are based on real life situations you’ve encountered. Examples include:

Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation.
Give me an example of a time when you worked effectively under pressure.
What happened when you made a mistake at work?

🏢 Situational: These interview questions deal with hypothetical situations in the future and what you might do in that specific scenario. Examples include:

What would you do if you were unsure about the goals or direction of a coding task?
What would you do if your coworkers didn’t complete their part of a coding project on time?
What would you do if your teammate asked you to review their code and it was full of bugs?

👨🏽‍🏫 Education: You may be asked interview questions that are specific to your education, including if and where you went to college, if you’re self-taught and how you taught yourself, etc.

🖥️ Technical knowledge: Technical interview questions that assess your real skills and knowledge is the heart of the tech interview. These can be tech-oriented trivia-type questions like:

How can you make sure that your code is both safe and fast?
When do you use polymorphism?
Explain the difference between an array and a linked list. When would you choose one over the other?

These could also be impromptu questions about the code you write on the whiteboard. That’s because what most companies want to know, more so than what facts you’ve memorized, is how well you can solve problems .

Common computer science interview question topics

As we’ve noted, there are not really any “common” technical interview questions when it comes to specifics.

However, there are a few common themes and subjects of coding interview questions that frequently appear in technical interviews across different industries.

Let’s look at some of these potential technology interview questions and challenges, broken down by topic.

Data structures

Coding interview questions in this category might include:

Explain the differences between an array and a linked list.
Implement a stack or a queue.
Describe the characteristics of a binary tree.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different types of trees (e.g., AVL tree, B-tree).

Computer engineering interview questions often include algorithm challenges such as:

Implement sorting algorithms (e.g., quicksort, mergesort).
Explain the time complexity of common algorithms (e.g., binary search, sorting algorithms).
Solve problems using depth-first search (DFS) and breadth-first search (BFS).

If you’re interviewing for a data-relevant role, your tech interview questions might come with whiteboard assignments like:

Explain the differences between SQL and NoSQL databases.
Write a SQL query to retrieve data from a database.
Design a database schema for a specific scenario.

System design

Computer science interview questions related to system design might include options like:

Design a URL shortening service (or a similar scalable system).
Explain the concept of load balancing.
Discuss the trade-offs between monolithic and microservices architectures.

IT technical interview questions will probably touch on network questions, e.g.:

Explain the OSI model and the TCP/IP stack.
Describe the differences between TCP and UDP.
Solve problems related to network protocols and troubleshooting.

Problem-solving

Just about any type of tech interview will be looking at how you approach problems. Challenges in this category may include things like:

Solve algorithmic problems under time constraints.
Discuss your problem-solving approach for complex scenarios.
Analyze and optimize code for efficiency.

Want a more specific direction as you prepare to face your coding interview questions? One pro tip is that you can go to Glassdoor, look up the company you’re interviewing at, and take a look at what real people say they were asked during interviews at that company.

For example, if you were interviewing at Zoom and wanted to know Zoom software engineer interview questions, you could look at the company’s Glassdoor page and see that the questions asked and topics covered include:

General React questions
Modifying small web apps that were partially implemented
Implementing an LRU Cache in Java
Trivia questions related to Spring boot and concurrent thashing

Of course, these questions may not be the exact questions you’re asked in your interview, but they can give you an idea of what to expect.

Meaningful questions to ask in technical interviews

Interviews are a two-way street. You should be learning about the interviewer and the company, just as much as they’re learning about you!

Asking thoughtful questions is also a good way to stand out in the interview. “The age-old adage ‘people don’t remember what you say, but they remember how you made them feel’ is so true when it comes to interviews,” says Refael ( Pramp ). “When a candidate keeps the flow going in a friendly conversation, instead of making me feel like I am conducting an interrogation, I will remember our brief time together fondly.”

Of course, you should tailor your questions to the specific situation, but what are some examples of questions to ask in a technical interview (or even a traditional interview)?

Here are a few meaningful questions you can ask :

What do you like most about working here?
What frameworks, tools, tech stack , etc. does your company use?
Can you describe the development process here?
How do you test your code?
Does the company offer opportunities for professional development, training for engineers, etc.?
What’s the most challenging project you’ve worked on here?
Is there anything about my resume/application that gives you pause? (this can be a great way to get out ahead of something on your application that the interviewers think is a weakness/red flag)

The other upside: while you’re listening to their answer, you get a little break from talking!

☝️ Back to top

What to Expect When You’re Interviewing

Let’s break down each stage of the typical technical interview process, with quick tech interview tips for how to pass a technical interview and stand out in each part.

Congrats, you’ve already made it past one of the hardest stages: your tech resume caught the eye of the recruiter/company! The phone technical screen interview is your chance to make a good first impression.

You can showcase your tech experience to a degree here, but some technical screening interviews over the phone will be less tech-focused than others. More importantly, focus on conveying your soft skills (enthusiasm, communication, teamwork, etc.).

During the technical phone interview

Here are a few more tips on how to prepare for a technical screening interview via phone/Zoom:

Be excited about the company or project, and that positivity will come across in the interview.
Know your audience. If you’re interviewing with a recruiter (with no programming knowledge), play up your soft skills and don’t get too technical. If you’re interviewing with a software developer, show off that tech knowledge!
Be honest: tell the interviewer what most interests you in a job and what kinds of projects you’d like to work on.
Answer behavioral questions by showing, not telling. Use specific, memorable details and tell a story.

What interviewers are looking for in the phone screen

Beyond just pure tech skills, which they’ve already read about on your resume, interviewers in a phone technical screen interview want to see:

👩‍💻 Passion for tech/coding

😄 Enthusiasm

🗣️ Communication skills

🤗 Culture fit

🤝 Alignment with company mission/values

How to stand out over the phone

Even if you’ve applied to hundreds of jobs, tailor your answers to the exact one you’re interviewing for.

“When a candidate answers the interview questions in a way that is specific to the company and the position, it shows that they have done their research,” says Refael Zikavashvili, co-founder and CEO of Pramp . “It makes me believe them when they say they want the job. Not just any job, but THIS position that they are interviewing for.”

Also, look for opportunities to show your value alignment. “When they make it clear that they support the big picture and the mission of the organization, it’s a great sign that they will be a good fit,” says Refael.

“The coding challenge is typically a lot less rigorous than the whiteboard,” says Chris Lee of Launch School . However, that doesn’t mean you can brush it off or apply less effort, as you’ll often be asked to justify your choices.

This technical round has some flexibility in how companies handle it. So first, let’s go over some of the common types of remote programming interview questions or challenges.

Some companies will give you a real-time monitored challenge to see how you code. Often this is done via a video interview + a web-based code editor like CoderPad , Collabedit , or even a Google Doc.
Other companies (usually startups) may simply require you to complete an at-home assignment instead within a set time limit–usually 48 hours.
Really small startups may not include a remote coding challenge at all–instead bringing you in for an onsite interview immediately after the phone interview–but bigger companies often do. (General rule: the bigger the company, the more structured the hiring process is.)

Coding interview preparation tips for the remote coding challenge

During a real-time coding challenge, communicate with your interviewer and think out loud. Make it a collaborative process (use “we” instead of “I”), since interviewers want to know that you’re a team player.

And remember to slow down. These real-time challenges are not usually timed, so take your time, think it through, and give the interviewer a chance to give you hints.

During a take-home coding assignment, take time to plan out your code before writing it out. Make sure you fully understand the instructions and requirements. Re-read them several times before starting and once more after you’re finished with the challenge to make sure you’ve ticked every box.

💡 Check out this comprehensive article focused on acing the take-home challenge for other awesome tips.

What interviewers are looking for in the coding challenge

Coding skills
Testing code as you write it
Problem-solving skills
Collaboration skills

How to stand out in a remote coding challenge

One way to stand out in your remote coding challenge technical round is to go above and beyond. Sometimes remote coding challenges will come with optional “bonus” requirements. Complete those requirements to impress your interviewers.

Don’t cheat or get help from others to make yourself look better. “During follow-up live interviews, it’s common for employers to probe the candidate to explain why certain choices were made,” says Chris ( Launch School ). “This is why it’s imperative that you don’t get help on the code challenge; if you do, you will be exposed during the follow-up conversation.”

Now we’ve arrived at the most intimidating part of the entire tech interview process.

At tiny startups, onsite technical interviews might be a lot less formal than at bigger companies. Heck, there may not even be a whiteboard to do a coding exercise on!

Still, whatever the company size, it never hurts to know how to prepare for a software engineering interview, so you’re ready for any situation that may arise in your tech interview. (More on how to prepare for technical interviews further down!)

What to do during the onsite technical interview + whiteboard challenge

These steps will help you nail your technical interview—even if you don’t know all the answers!

1. Ask clarifying questions before you even start writing code.

You don’t have to stay in answer mode the whole time—it’s also smart to be thinking of the right questions to ask in a technical interview! And being presented with a technical challenge is a great time to practice this.

Instead of starting to write out your code immediately, slow down. Even if you think you already know how to solve the problem or answer the question, ask clarifying questions.

By doing this, you might get hints from the interviewer, plus you want to make sure you fully understand the challenge/question before diving in.

“I appreciate it when someone takes the time to evaluate the question he faces in the tech interview,” says Refael ( Pramp ). “It shows me that this person is calculated and rather than just writing code, he sees the whole picture.”

“Ask questions around [your initial] assumptions of the question, and try to reason about the question from a bottom-up perspective,” adds Chris.

2. Talk through your code (think out loud) to give the interviewer a window into your thoughts.

What happens in a technical interview is as much about the journey as the destination.

“It’s designed to test a candidate’s communication and problem-solving skills,” says Refael. “More important than the solution is how they work at getting the solution. Can they articulate their thoughts while writing out the code on the whiteboard? Are they putting together a clear response to the question?”

Certain types of programming interview questions aren’t even supposed to have easy answers, making them even more about the thought process.

“Is it an algorithm design problem? If so, sometimes you’re not supposed to know the answer right away,” says Parker Phinney, founder of Interview Cake .

“You’re supposed to have to try a couple ideas and think creatively and maybe even take some ideas your interviewer feeds you and run with them. Just relax and keep thinking out loud and trying new ideas.”

A helpful tip for explaining your thought process is to act like you’re part of the team. If this were a real-life situation, how would you discuss, explain, and solve the problem?

This can also give your interviewers an idea of how you’d collaborate on the team if they were to hire you.

3. Speak clearly and precisely.

Being in a high-pressure situation like a programming interview might have you a little flustered, but work through it. Being as clear and specific as possible can help you keep yourself collected.

“Since programmers work with abstract concepts, speaking clearly and precisely is paramount,” says Chris ( Launch School ). “Though it may not seem like it at first, the vast majority of programming roles are, at the core, social roles.”

A few of Chris’s specific tips to help your tech interview skills:

“Pay attention to vocabulary, even on seemingly simple concepts.
Refer to a concept by its formal name. For example, instead of saying ‘it calls that function and the result is 5,’ say ‘the add_numbers function call returns 5, which is assigned to the variable sum.’
Avoid pronouns and ambiguous words like ‘result’ (usually, there is not a ‘result’ but some output, side effect, or return value). The second example demonstrates clarity of thought and precision of language, leaving the reader with an unambiguous account of what the code is doing.”

4. If you’re stuck, stay calm, think out loud, and try new ideas

Not sure of the answer to some coding interview questions? Start with what you do know.

“Coding interviews are a lot like math exams in high school and university: often, you’ll get ‘partial credit’ for showing your work and putting in some effort to find a solution,” says Refael ( Pramp ).

“If you can demonstrate your thought process, the interviewer will understand that you’re doing your best to find a solution.”

Honesty is key here, because good interviewers can spot when you’re bluffing.

“Don’t panic or try to fib your way through it,” Refael continues. “Be honest that you don’t know, but explain where you would look to solve the issue if you faced it in your daily work.”

If you’re really struggling to solve the problem, what can you do?

Try breaking it down even further and solve a much simpler version. For example, you could write a very basic solution and optimize it later.

The point is to get some code on the whiteboard and talk out loud as you’re figuring things out. In most cases, you’ll get points for trying and showing how your brain works. Plus, writing things out visually can often inspire a solution.

How to pass a technical interview isn’t always about getting everything 100% right, but staying cool and rational under pressure will always help!

5. Check for errors & walk through your solution at the end

Companies want to hire software engineers who can write bug-free code, or at least know how to check for errors.

Towards the end of writing out your solution, begin to check for any errors. This can show interviewers that you’re not just interested in writing code, but that you want to write good code.

When you’re done with your code, walk through your solution so interviewers understand fully what you did and why you did it.

What interview skills employers look for in the onsite technical interview

Problem-solving ability
Ability to think creatively
Communication skills
Analytical thinking skills
Culture fit
How you handle feedback
Ability to solve problems in a structured and systematic way. “Along the way, interviewers will also expect candidates to demonstrate knowledge of performance and optimization tradeoffs between space and time complexity,” says Chris ( Launch School ). “This will require applying algorithms and data structures to the current problem.”
Understanding of the bigger picture. “Candidates may be asked to zoom out of application code and think about how data may flow between systems and the larger infrastructure impact,” explains Chris. “The goal is not to see if the candidate knows a specific piece of knowledge, but if they understand how systems interact and consequences of infrastructure decisions.”

How to stand out in the whiteboard interview

Keep it simple and clear!

“ Designing efficient algorithms is sort of table stakes. Here’s something that really stands out: writing particularly easy-to-read code,” says Parker ( Interview Cake ).

“And like 80% of that is just picking really great variable names. Don’t use shorthand names like ‘x’ and ‘y’ to try to move faster–you’ll just confuse yourself and your interviewer and you’ll look reckless. Take an extra second to pick a variable name that really makes it clear what the variable holds, what type it is, etc.”

💡 Check out this article for 7 other ways to stand out during your coding interview .

Front end skills checklist

Download a free checklist that will walk you through all the skills you need to become a front-end developer.

After the Technical Interview

When the technical interview is over, take a breath: you made it through!

There are a few things you can do to follow up, but for the most part, it’s just a waiting game now.

Tips for after the tech interview

Keep some emotional distance from the process. “Expect to get rejected a lot, and it’s important to not view it as personal judgment,” advises Chris.
Even if you don’t get the job, have the perspective that the interview was great practice for the future. If it was your first one, now you know what to expect from a technical interview! Glean insights from the experience and use them to propel yourself forward.

How to be a memorable candidate

📧 Send a short and sweet thank you email to the recruiter/hiring manager within 24 hours of the technical interview. Ask if there is anything else they need from you, or if there is anything about your interview that gave them pause so you can address it, if possible.

📤 Make a note of everyone you speak to during the tech interview process and reach out to them with a quick note of thanks as well. You can send emails to them individually if you made more of a connection, or send a group email with a general note of thanks to everyone. It will definitely help the team remember you!

📨 If you haven’t heard back after a week, send a brief follow-up email to the tech recruiter or your possible future manager, reiterating your interest in the role and asking about potential next steps.

Now that we’ve gone over what happens in a technical interview, let’s backtrack a little and go over the very first step: how to prepare for a technical interview before you’re in the room where it happens!

Coding Interview Preparation

There’s a lot that goes into preparing for a programming interview . Technical interview preparation is more than thinking up clever answers to “what is your greatest weakness,” after all!

Learning how to prepare for technical interview questions may require a bit of a time investment, but it’s well worth it.

How to prepare for a technical interview

Some elements of coding interview preparation should ideally start well before you even land the interview. Other technical interview preparation steps can be accomplished closer to the day itself.

So, here are some of the most important coding interview preparation tips to master in the days, weeks, or months leading up to your job applications and interviews:

1. Prepare a 30-second to 1-minute elevator pitch for the “tell me about yourself” question and examples/stories for other interview questions

It’s important that you go prepared to talk about non-coding topics like your employment history, career goals, past projects, etc.

The technical interview could just be one part of many if you’re at a company with a long interview process, and you’ll probably have to answer some version of this question when you meet new interviewers. It’s a great time to demonstrate soft skills and passion.

It’s also a good idea to prepare some real-life examples and anecdotes/stories ahead of your interview. Doing this can help you prepare for pretty much any behavioral or situational interview question.

This works because if you have some examples/stories ready to go, you can apply them to nearly any interview question — which is important because you can’t really prepare for every single software developer interview question you might come across.

So, for example:

You could think of an accomplishment you’re super proud of. That one example could be applied to questions like “Describe a time you went above and beyond at work” or “What’s your proudest accomplishment?”
You could have an example of a time you made a mistake at work. That one example could be applied to questions like “Tell me about a time you made a mistake at work” or “Give me an example of a time you overcame a challenge”

Other stories/examples to prepare include:

When you worked as part of a team
When you solved a difficult problem
When you showed leadership
What you’re passionate about and why

Think about how to adapt your anecdotes to fit common software developer interview questions you might face.

2. Before you go, study up on the most important CS fundamentals

Don’t stress yourself out like you’re cramming for an exam and trying to learn everything–but do dedicate extra preparation time to key technical interview skills.

Parker ( Interview Cake ) advises narrowing your focus to two main areas: “Fill the gaps in your knowledge of data structures and algorithms . Run a lot of practice problems.”

For software engineer interview prep or really anything computer-science related, start with these must-study topics:

Big O Notation
Sorting and search algorithms
Hash tables
Dynamic programming

💡 Need a more guided study of these topics? Check out The Ultimate Data Structures & Algorithms Course for a deep dive into the most common topics that come up in technical interviews, with 100+ popular interview questions asked by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and other big companies.

💡 Another great resource for learning everything you need to know about algorithms and system design is Interview Camp . Their weekly live sessions and 60+ hours of self-paced content will help you conquer your coding interviews by learning real-life techniques.

Of course, depending on the exact position you’re applying for, there might be other topics you think you should brush up on during your coding interview practice. How to prepare for software developer interviews is obviously different from how to prepare for data science interviews.

3. Pick one programming language and know it really well

Here’s one of the “do this before you land the technical interview” tips: specialize. You should know at least one programming language really well, preferably C++ , Java , Ruby , Python , Go , or C.

Companies usually let you choose the language you’re most comfortable with. But which language should you use?

Go for the language you have the most practice with. Even if the company uses a different tech stack, choosing the language you know inside and out will often be the better option.

💡 You can use my 10%-off AlgoExpert discount to get access to coding practice questions with written solutions in nine popular programming languages. Just use the code ltcwm when you check out.

💡 Want to use Java in your interview? Check out Pass the Technical Interview with Java — a Codecademy course designed to help you nail the technical interview in this specific language. They also have a technical interview prep course for JavaScript lovers .

Check out these LTCWM resources for places to go to brush up on your coding skills:

100+ of The Best Places to Learn to Code For Free
The Best Places to Learn Web Development Online
Recommended Beginner Coding Resources and Tools

4. Do regular coding challenges/smart practice

During your coding interview preparation, it’s important to study the right way .

Start early so you don’t have to cram. How early? It will depend on your level of experience, how many hours per day/week you can dedicate to studying, and how soon your interview is, but if possible, start preparing before you even have a tech interview scheduled. 4-8 weeks is a good amount of time to aim for.

According to this Redditor : “If you can dedicate 1 to 2 hours most nights, you can prepare for a FAANG coding interview in 2 weeks without being completely burned out. Another 2 weeks and you can be prepared for the onsite with more coding, system design, and behavior interviews.”

Aim to solve 2-3 coding interview practice questions per day. A great resource providing software developer interview questions is Interview Cake . My review of Interview Cake is definitely positive: not only do you get a ton of practice technical job interview questions, you learn the right way of thinking about them.

Practice coding by hand on a whiteboard or piece of paper (without the help of a code editor). Consider imposing a deadline on yourself to get accustomed to working under time pressure.

The more realistic a scenario you can create, the more effective your coding interview preparation will be.

You can use my 20%-off Interview Cake discount to get the full course with comprehensive information and a ton of practice technical interview questions–or join the email list to get one coding interview question per week for free. Plus read my review of Interview Cake .

5. Understand tech fundamentals

In the majority of cases, technical interviewers aren’t going to grill you on obscure concepts or expect you to recite complex formulas from memory.

“Most questions will not be based on gotcha-knowledge,” says Chris ( Launch School ). “Instead, the interview conversation will be probing your ability to deconstruct complex concepts and seeing if you can peel back the layers.”

For example, he continues, “An interviewer may ask ‘If you had a page that’s experiencing performance issues, how would you go about figuring out the bottleneck?’ This open-ended question is simultaneously assessing a candidate’s knowledge of fundamentals, and at the same time allowing the candidate to show off their depth of understanding. It’s these open-ended questions where interviewers can [identify] those who can work at a deeper engineering level. The only way to stand out is to understand the fundamental concepts that underpin the feature in question.”

6. Come to the interview with a relevant project to talk about

“A lot of people will advise job hunters to build a project and showcase that during the interview,” says Chris. “This is a great tactic because it allows the candidate to flip the conversation from being grilled to showcasing their ability.”

However, just like you should tailor your cover letter to the company you apply to, you should think about a highly relevant project to feature during your software engineer interview prep.

“A good general rule would be to build projects that, at minimum, match the complexity of work for the job you’re applying,” advises Chris. “Prospective employers will then be able to see that you not only can but actually have done work at the level that they require.”

Don’t have a relevant project? Start building one the second you’ve sent out your job application! Or start contributing to open source projects .

Join the free portfolio course

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“Smart candidates should target specific roles,” Chris continues. “Study the requirements of the role and the type of projects the role is expected to work on. Then map out a way to independently produce projects of approximately equal complexity. You’ll stand out if you bring that type of project to the interview.”

💡 Check out this LTCWM podcast episode with Parker ( Interview Cake ) for more tips on how to come up with coding projects to build and talk about in interviews.

7. Learn to manage your time effectively

The more focused and efficient you can be during your tech interview preparation, the better you’ll do when you’re actually in the hot seat. Set a timer when practicing . Aim to finish a problem in about 30-45 minutes (including debugging at the end).

If you run into snags, think of ways you’d explain your hesitation and potential next-step ideas to the interviewer.

Here are some more time management strategies that can help during your tech interview prep.

8. Do mock coding interviews

Having a technical interview cheat sheet, reading books like “Cracking the Coding Interview,” (from Amazon) and doing online coding challenges on sites like Interview Cake are all amazing, but if you want to take it even further, live coding interview preparation might be what you need to really get comfortable and polished.

“ Pramp.com is an excellent place for getting realistic coding interview practice–and it’s free!” says CEO Refael. “While solving coding problems can help you improve your technical abilities, mock interviews with peers can also enhance your soft skills: the way you communicate, your body language, etc.”

Ultimately, interviewing is a skill, and your interview skills are sharpened with practice. Knowing how to prepare for coding interviews comes with time!

“Practice, practice, practice,” says Chris ( Launch School ). “Your 20th interview will be dramatically different from your 1st, so try to get to the 20th in a practice setting and your first ‘real’ interview will actually be your 21st.”

💡 With AlgoExpert, you can schedule a mock coding interview with an actual human being.

9. Get a study buddy or find a coding mentor

Got a friend or peer with similar job goals? Recruit them to help!

Study coding concepts and work through problems together. Take turns interviewing one another so you understand the perspective of the interviewer as well. You’ll be learning how to answer technical interview questions while you learn how to ask them, too!

10. Have a process you can rely on to deconstruct questions

Technical interviews can get tough–you’re probably not going to be thrown softball questions the whole time. “In a good interview, you will always be made to feel uncomfortable and be given a problem that you can’t just solve right away,” says Chris ( Launch School ).

However, by anticipating this and forming a system to “deconstruct” questions, navigating the hard ones becomes a lot easier. “If you don’t have a process, it’s not going to be possible to figure one out on the fly,” Chris explains. “Think about how to do this before the interview. For example, one that I recommend to people is PEDAC .”

11. Never turn down an opportunity to interview

This circles back around to the idea of practice! Even if a company isn’t your dream place to work, if they invite you for the tech interview stage, go.

“Don’t turn down an opportunity to interview–the more coding interviews you complete, the stronger a candidate you’ll become,” says Refael ( Pramp ).

After all, best case scenario: you get a job. Worst case scenario: you’re one step closer to knowing how to ace a technical interview!

Doing this gives you more experience preparing for technical interviews and more feedback on your performance afterward.

12. Take a little time to reflect on impostor syndrome.

If you catch yourself feeling like you don’t belong at a technical interview or you’re not truly qualified for the job…you’re not alone!

“ Impostor syndrome affects the vast majority of us, especially during interviews,” says Parker ( Interview Cake ). “Most of us really underestimate ourselves!”

That’s where reflection time comes in. As Parker continues: “With a bit of effort, it’s possible to really shift your mindset from ‘I’m an impostor’ to ‘We all have our strengths and our weak points. I’m pretty good at some stuff, and I’m excited to learn more about some other stuff.'”

In the end, preparing for a programming interview often comes down to practice.

Sign up for Interview Cake for tons of other resources to help you sharpen your skills for the technical interview. (And get a special 20% Interview Cake discount using my link !)

13. Use ChatGPT to create a personalized study cheat sheet!

There are tons of AI prompts you can use to help you prepare for an upcoming technical interview. Check out these 10 prompts to get started.

Here are a few example prompts from that tweet:

I’m interviewing for [Your Role] at [Company Name]. I have [Your Experience] in [Your Domain]. What are the technical aspects that need to be covered for the technical interview? Give me a list in order.
Please provide a set of potential questions, expected responses, and relevant insights for a [Your Role] preparing for an interview in a [Company] that specializes in [Company Domain].

You could also give it a question and how you would answer it, then ask ChatGPT to rate your response with a 1-5 rating and give tips on how to improve your answer.

AI can also help in other ways! For instance, Liftoff is an AI-powered interview prep platform that helps you practice your tech interview skills. It acts like a real mock video interview with a very life-like AI person interviewing you.

Common Technical Interview Mistakes to Avoid

Knowing what not to do can be just as important as knowing what to do, so let’s quickly cover a few common technical interview mistakes.

1. Not preparing enough

Seriously, there’s no such thing as too much coding interview preparation.

“The good news is, most candidates don’t put in that time. So it doesn’t take much to really pull ahead of the pack,” says Parker ( Interview Cake ). “It’s such a bummer as an interviewer to watch a candidate really come up short and just think to yourself, ‘I can tell you’re smart–if you had just reviewed some of this stuff I’m sure you’d be able to get this.’”

2. Jumping into the code without taking a moment to think it through

You might be eager to start solving the problem, but take a few minutes to question your assumptions and make a game plan first!

“Starting too quickly gets a lot of people into trouble when they could have taken a moment to prevent confusion down the road,” says Refael ( Pramp ). “Some of the most common mistakes candidates make are avoidable. Pause for a moment to think through the problem-solving process.”

3. Being too arrogant or opinionated

People would rather work with a humble person than an arrogant know-it-all. Especially for those with fewer years of experience, “it’s more important to come across as being malleable and eager to learn, so the employer can envision you in a variety of projects and roles,” says Chris of Launch School . “Even seemingly innocent statements like ‘I love X and don’t like Y’ may come across as ‘I’m limited in my ability to work in a certain way.'”

By considering your “soft” interview skills and choosing your words carefully, you can avoid these misunderstandings. As Chris advises, “A candidate should be tempered in their preference. For example: ‘I’ve been enjoying X lately, but also have experience with Y.'”

4. Not making conversation/chit-chat

Remember, your interviewers are human! It can be extremely valuable to find a point of connection.

“An interview is not just about answering questions correctly, but also about a conversation,” says Chris. “Ask good questions. Laugh and make jokes at appropriate junctures. At the end of the interview, even if you missed a few questions, the overall feeling the interviewer has about you should be positive. If you know that you are not a great conversationalist, make sure to focus on improving this.”

Useful Technical Interview Resources

For further tech interview preparation, check out these resources!

🖥️ Online courses to help you prepare:

Free 7-Day Interview Crash Course (Interview Cake)
Interview Cake Full Course (20% Interview Cake discount through Learn to Code With Me! Get the job, or your money back.)
Mastering the Software Engineering Interview (Coursera)
4 Week Online Bootcamp for Coding Interviews (Interview Camp)
Java Interview Questions: Data Structures and Algorithms (Mammoth Interactive)
Land Your First Tech Job (Break Into Tech)
Data Structures Crash Course (AlgoExpert – get 10% discount with code ltcwm )
Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms (Zero to Mastery)
Master the Coding Interview: Big Tech (FAANG) Interviews (Zero to Mastery)
Full-Stack Interview Prep (Udacity)
Codecademy’s interview prep resources (Codecademy)

📚 Books to read:

These books are all available from Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cracking the Coding Interview (Amazon) by Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Programming Interviews Exposed: Secrets to Landing Your Next Job (Amazon) by John Mongan, Eric Giguere, and Noah Kindler
Elements of Programming Interviews: The Insiders’ Guide (Amazon) by Adnan Aziz, Tsung-Hsien Lee, and Amit Prakash

👨‍💻 Good websites for coding practice problems:

Interview Cake
AlgoExpert (Get 10% off with code ltcwm )
Skilled.dev

➡️ Want more interview prep help? Check out “ The 33 Best Coding Interview Courses and Books “

Before we wrap this up, here are a few technical interview FAQs with links to the answers.

(If you read this whole article, you’re amazing–but if not, this will help you jump around to find what you need to know about how to pass a technical interview!)

Technical Interview FAQs

What is a technical interview?
How do I prepare for a technical ph one interview?
What should I do the day before my tech interview?
What to wear to a technical interview?
How important are algorithms for interviews?
How do I study for a technical interview?
How do I answer technical interview questions I don’t know?
What should I bring to a technical interview?

Time to Go Crush Your Own Technical Interviews!

With these technical interview tips, you’re equipped to begin your own technical interview preparation journey!

The next step is taking advantage of all the amazing resources out there that teach you how to ace a technical interview.

First, head to Interview Cake for extra training, strategies, and practice technical interview questions ( sign up here for an exclusive Interview Cake discount!).

Then, acclimate yourself to live interviews by connecting with your peers on Pramp .

Above all, keep seeking out knowledge, improving your trade, and honing those coding interview skills with practice!

Getting your dream coding job means getting through the interview. But if you go in prepared, the technical interview will be a piece of cake. 🍰

Note: there are affiliate links in this post.

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Are you gearing up for an important job interview that includes problem-solving questions? Congratulations, because you've come to the right place!

In this guide, we'll equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to ace those tricky problem-solving interviews with confidence.

Introduction to Problem Solving Interviews

In today's competitive job market, employers are seeking candidates who possess strong problem-solving abilities. Problem solving is not only about finding solutions to complex issues; it also showcases your critical thinking, analytical, and creative skills. Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of problem-solving interviews, let's gain a clear understanding of what they entail and why they matter.

What Are Problem Solving Interviews?

Problem solving interviews are a specialized type of job interview where employers assess a candidate's ability to handle challenges and make sound decisions in real-life scenarios. These interviews often involve hypothetical situations or case studies to evaluate your problem-solving process and your approach to arriving at effective solutions.

The Importance of Problem Solving Skills in the Workplace

Problem-solving skills are highly valued in almost every industry. Employers seek individuals who can identify problems, think critically, and generate innovative solutions. Whether you're in business, engineering, healthcare, or any other field, the ability to tackle complex issues is essential for personal and organizational success.

How Problem Solving Interviews Differ from Traditional Interviews

Unlike traditional interviews that focus on your qualifications and work experience, problem-solving interviews provide a glimpse into your thought process and decision-making capabilities. Through these interviews, employers assess your potential to handle challenging situations that may arise in the workplace. Being well-prepared for this specific interview format will set you apart from other candidates.

Core Problem Solving Skills

Before you dive into practicing problem-solving questions, let's explore the fundamental skills that make up an effective problem solver.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the foundation of problem solving. It involves objectively analyzing information, evaluating arguments, and making logical decisions. To enhance your critical thinking abilities:

Ask Thought-Provoking Questions: Train yourself to ask "why" and "how" questions to gain a deeper understanding of problems.
Challenge Assumptions: Don't take information at face value; question the underlying assumptions.
Evaluate Evidence: Learn to distinguish between credible and unreliable sources of information.

Analytical Skills

Analytical skills are essential for breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable components. Improve your analytical thinking with these tips:

Practice Data Interpretation: Analyze charts, graphs, and data sets to draw meaningful insights.
Use Root Cause Analysis: Identify the underlying reasons behind problems by applying techniques like the "5 Whys."
Draw Comparisons: Compare past experiences or similar scenarios to find patterns and potential solutions.

Creativity and Innovation

Creative problem solving involves thinking outside the box and generating unique solutions. To nurture your creativity:

Embrace Diverse Perspectives: Seek input from others with different backgrounds and experiences.
Mind Mapping: Create visual diagrams to explore various angles and connections related to a problem.
Encourage Brainstorming: Engage in group brainstorming sessions to generate a wide range of ideas.

Frameworks for Problem Solving

Equipping yourself with problem-solving frameworks can help you approach challenges more systematically. Here are some popular frameworks to explore:

The 5 Whys is a simple yet effective technique to uncover the root cause of a problem. It involves repeatedly asking "why" until you identify the underlying issue.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning tool used to assess a situation's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)

PDCA is a four-step problem-solving model consisting of planning, executing, checking results, and making adjustments as needed.

SCAMPER is a creative thinking technique that involves asking questions related to Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, and Reverse.

Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats is a concept developed by Edward de Bono that encourages individuals to think from six different perspectives, each represented by a colored "hat."

Behavioral-based Problem Solving Questions

Behavioral problem solving questions aim to evaluate how you handled challenges in the past. Be prepared to answer these questions with clarity and confidence:

Example: "Describe a challenging problem you encountered and how you resolved it."

To answer this question effectively:

Set the Scene: Provide context and background information about the situation.
Explain the Challenge: Clearly outline the problem you faced.
Describe Your Actions: Detail the steps you took to address the problem.
Highlight the Outcome: Share the positive results of your efforts.

Example: "Discuss a situation where you had to think creatively to solve a problem."

For this question:

Narrate the Scenario: Paint a vivid picture of the problem you encountered.
Showcase Your Creativity: Explain the innovative approach you adopted.
Explain the Impact: Share the positive outcomes resulting from your creative solution.

Technical Problem Solving Questions

If your role requires technical skills, you may encounter technical problem-solving questions. Here's how to tackle them:

Example: "How would you troubleshoot [specific technical problem]?"

To handle technical problem-solving questions:

Clarify the Issue: Ask for any additional information to fully understand the problem.
Create a Plan: Outline the steps you would take to diagnose and address the issue.
Demonstrate Your Expertise: Showcase your technical knowledge and problem-solving ability.

Example: "Walk us through your approach to [technical challenge] in your previous role."

Provide Context: Explain the technical challenge you faced in your previous role.
Outline Your Approach: Describe the steps you took to overcome the challenge.
Highlight Success: Share the positive results of your efforts.

Case Interviews

Case interviews simulate real-world problem-solving scenarios and are common in consulting and other industries. To excel in case interviews:

Understand the Problem: Thoroughly read and comprehend the case presented.
Identify Key Issues: Break down the problem into its essential components.
Ask Clarifying Questions: Seek clarification on any ambiguous aspects of the case.
Brainstorm Solutions: Generate multiple potential solutions.
Analyze Options: Evaluate the pros and cons of each solution.
Recommend a Course of Action: Select the best solution and provide a rationale.
Handle Pressure: Stay composed and confident throughout the interview.

Problem Solving in Group Settings

Collaborative problem solving is vital in today's team-oriented work environments. Here's how to excel in group problem-solving scenarios:

Active Listening: Pay close attention to others' perspectives and ideas.
Effective Communication: Clearly articulate your thoughts and suggestions.
Encourage Participation: Create an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing.
Respect Diverse Opinions: Value the input of all team members, even if opinions differ.
Build on Each Other's Ideas: Expand on others' suggestions to develop comprehensive solutions.
Manage Conflict: Handle disagreements respectfully and seek common ground.

Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs)

Situational judgment tests assess your ability to handle realistic workplace scenarios. Approach SJTs with these tips:

Read Carefully: Pay attention to the details and instructions in each scenario.
Prioritize Solutions: Identify the most appropriate course of action based on the situation.
Consider the Consequences: Anticipate the potential outcomes of your chosen response.
Adhere to Company Values: Ensure your solutions align with the organization's principles.

Decision-Making Skills

Effective decision making is integral to successful problem solving. Improve your decision-making skills with these strategies:

Gather Information: Collect relevant data and insights before making a decision.
Analyze Options: Evaluate the potential outcomes of different choices.
Consider Risks and Benefits: Weigh the risks against the potential benefits of each option.
Seek Input: If appropriate, consult with colleagues or experts to gain different perspectives.
Trust Your Instincts: Sometimes, intuition can guide you toward the right decision.

Behavioral-Based Problem Solving Interview Questions

1. "describe a challenging problem you encountered and how you resolved it.".

How to Answer: When responding to this question, follow the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answer effectively:

Situation: Set the context by describing the problem you faced.
Task: Explain your role and responsibilities in addressing the problem.
Action: Detail the steps you took to solve the problem, highlighting your problem-solving approach.
Result: Share the positive outcomes of your efforts and any valuable lessons learned.

Sample Answer: "In my previous role as a project manager, we faced a significant budget overrun due to unexpected delays in material delivery. To address this challenge, I first analyzed the root cause of the delay by collaborating with the procurement team and suppliers. Then, I devised a contingency plan that involved working with alternative suppliers and streamlining the project timeline. As a result, we were able to bring the project back on track, saving 15% on costs and meeting the project deadline."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, proactive decision-making, and the ability to collaborate across teams. A well-structured response with quantifiable results is a positive indicator of their problem-solving capabilities.

2. "Tell me about a time when you had to think creatively to solve a problem."

How to Answer: Encourage candidates to walk through the situation, focusing on the following points:

Context: Describe the situation and the specific problem that required creative thinking.
Creativity: Explain the innovative approach or out-of-the-box solution you came up with.
Implementation: Describe how you implemented the creative solution and the results achieved.

Sample Answer: "During a marketing campaign, we faced a sudden drop in engagement. To tackle this, I organized a brainstorming session with the team and encouraged everyone to contribute ideas. We decided to experiment with interactive social media polls and contests, which not only boosted engagement but also increased brand visibility by 20%."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who display creative thinking, openness to collaboration, and the ability to take initiative in solving problems. Consider their approach to risk-taking and how they evaluate the potential impact of their creative solutions.

Technical Problem Solving Interview Questions

3. "how would you troubleshoot [specific technical problem]".

How to Answer: Candidates should approach this question systematically:

Clarify the Issue: Ask for any additional details to fully understand the technical problem.
Methodical Approach: Describe the steps you would take to diagnose the issue.
Expertise: Showcase your technical knowledge and problem-solving ability.

Sample Answer: "If I encountered a server outage issue, I would first check the network connections and power supply. Then, I would review server logs to identify any error messages. If necessary, I would conduct hardware tests and isolate the faulty component. Once the issue is identified, I would take appropriate corrective actions, such as replacing the faulty part or applying software updates."

What to Look For: Pay attention to candidates' technical knowledge, their ability to troubleshoot methodically, and how they communicate technical information concisely.

4. "Walk us through your approach to [technical challenge] in your previous role."

How to Answer: Instruct candidates to provide a clear and structured response:

Context: Set the stage by explaining the technical challenge they faced.
Methodology: Describe the approach they took to tackle the challenge.
Outcome: Highlight the results achieved and any lessons learned.

Sample Answer: "In my previous role as a software developer, we encountered a performance bottleneck in our application. To address this, I conducted a thorough code review, identified areas of inefficiency, and optimized critical algorithms. Additionally, I implemented caching mechanisms to reduce database queries. As a result, the application's performance improved by 30%, leading to higher user satisfaction."

What to Look For: Assess their problem-solving process, technical expertise, and the impact of their solutions on overall performance.

Case Interviews Questions

5. "you are the manager of a manufacturing plant experiencing a decline in production output. what steps would you take to identify the root cause and improve production efficiency".

How to Answer: Candidates should structure their response as follows:

Identify the Issue: Understand the scope of the decline in production output.
Investigate Root Causes: Explain how they would gather data and analyze potential factors affecting production.
Propose Solutions: Outline the strategies they would implement to improve production efficiency.

Sample Answer: "To address the decline in production output, I would first gather production data and conduct a thorough analysis of equipment performance and maintenance logs. I would also interview production staff to identify any workflow inefficiencies. Based on the findings, I would implement a maintenance schedule, provide additional training to staff, and introduce process improvements to optimize production efficiency."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who can analyze complex situations, prioritize solutions, and develop actionable plans.

6. "You are a consultant advising a retail client experiencing a drop in sales. How would you approach this problem and recommend solutions?"

How to Answer: Guide candidates to structure their response effectively:

Understanding the Situation: Gather information on the client's current market position and challenges.
Analysis and Diagnosis: Analyze the market trends and customer behavior to identify potential reasons for the sales decline.
Solutions and Recommendations: Propose actionable strategies tailored to the client's specific situation.

Sample Answer: "As a consultant, I would start by conducting a comprehensive market analysis to understand the competitive landscape and consumer preferences. I would also review the client's sales data and customer feedback. Based on my findings, I might suggest implementing targeted marketing campaigns, enhancing the customer experience through personalized offers, and optimizing the product mix to meet customer demands."

What to Look For: Assess their analytical skills, industry knowledge, and ability to recommend effective solutions based on data-driven insights.

Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs) Interview Questions

7. "you are a team leader, and two of your team members have conflicting ideas about how to approach a project. how do you handle the situation".

How to Answer: Encourage candidates to outline a thoughtful approach:

Active Listening: Stress the importance of understanding both team members' perspectives.
Mediation and Collaboration: Emphasize the need to facilitate open communication and find common ground.
Decision-Making: Describe how they would make a final decision, considering the project's objectives and team dynamics.

Sample Answer: "As a team leader, my first step would be to listen to both team members individually and understand their reasoning. Then, I would hold a team meeting to foster open communication and encourage them to find a compromise that aligns with the project's goals. If necessary, I would make a decision based on a thorough assessment of both ideas and explain the rationale behind the chosen approach to the team."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who demonstrate effective leadership, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to make decisions based on team input.

Decision-Making Skills Interview Questions

8. "describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision with limited information.".

How to Answer: Candidates should structure their response to highlight the decision-making process:

The Context: Explain the circumstances that led to the difficult decision.
Assessment: Describe how they evaluated the available information and potential consequences.
The Decision: Explain the choice they made and the reasoning behind it.

Sample Answer: "In my previous role, we faced a tight deadline on a project, and key team members were unexpectedly unavailable. With limited information, I had to decide whether to proceed with the available resources or postpone the project. I carefully analyzed the potential impact of both options on project quality and client expectations. Ultimately, I decided to postpone the project, as rushing it could compromise its success and client satisfaction."

What to Look For: Assess their ability to make informed decisions under pressure, considering the available information and long-term implications.

9. "How do you handle situations where you need to make a quick decision?"

How to Answer: Encourage candidates to follow these steps:

Assess Urgency: Determine the level of urgency and potential consequences of the decision.
Prioritize Information: Identify the critical information needed to make an informed choice.
Trust Your Instincts: When time is limited, rely on experience and intuition to guide the decision.

Sample Answer: "In situations requiring quick decisions, I prioritize identifying the core information necessary for making an informed choice. I draw on my previous experiences and knowledge to trust my instincts and make swift decisions. However, I always stay open to feedback and reevaluate the decision if new information emerges."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who can maintain composure and make well-founded decisions under time constraints.

Creativity and Innovation Interview Questions

10. "how do you foster creativity and innovation in your problem-solving approach".

How to Answer: Candidates should explain their methods for encouraging creativity:

Encourage Idea Generation: Describe how they create an environment that promotes brainstorming and idea sharing.
Diverse Perspectives: Highlight the importance of involving team members with diverse backgrounds and expertise.
Support Risk-Taking: Emphasize the value of encouraging innovative thinking and being open to experimentation.

Sample Answer: "To foster creativity, I encourage team brainstorming sessions and create a safe space for everyone to share ideas, no matter how unconventional they may seem. I believe that diversity enhances creativity, so I ensure that all team members are actively involved in problem-solving discussions. Additionally, I support risk-taking, understanding that not all innovative ideas will yield immediate results, but they contribute to long-term growth."

What to Look For: Assess their ability to create an environment that stimulates creative thinking and their openness to new ideas.

Core Problem Solving Skills Interview Questions

11. "how do you approach complex problems that seem overwhelming".

How to Answer: Guide candidates to outline a systematic approach:

Break it Down: Advise them to divide the complex problem into smaller, manageable components.
Prioritize: Encourage them to identify the most critical aspects to address first.
Seek Support: Suggest they collaborate with others to gain different perspectives and potential solutions.

Sample Answer: "When faced with complex problems, I first break them down into smaller parts to gain a clear understanding of each component. I then prioritize the issues based on urgency and potential impact. If I find the problem overwhelming, I seek support from colleagues or mentors to gain fresh insights and alternative approaches."

What to Look For: Assess their ability to handle complex challenges methodically and their willingness to seek assistance when needed.

12. "Tell me about a time when you encountered a problem without a clear solution. How did you approach it?"

How to Answer: Encourage candidates to demonstrate adaptability and resilience:

Assess the Situation: Describe how they evaluated the problem's complexity and uncertainty.
Explore Options: Explain how they brainstormed various potential solutions.
Learn from Challenges: Highlight any lessons learned from the experience.

Sample Answer: "During a project, we faced unexpected regulatory changes that left us without a clear solution. To address this, I organized a cross-functional team to explore multiple potential approaches. We ran pilot tests and iterated until we found a viable solution. Though it was challenging, the experience taught me the importance of adaptability and the value of embracing uncertainty in problem-solving."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who demonstrate resilience, resourcefulness , and the ability to adapt to unexpected situations.

Frameworks for Problem Solving Interview Questions

13. "which problem-solving framework do you find most effective, and why".

How to Answer: Encourage candidates to explain their preferred framework and its benefits:

Framework Selection: Describe the reasons behind their choice of a particular problem-solving framework.
Application: Illustrate how they have successfully applied the chosen framework in past situations.
Results: Highlight the positive outcomes achieved through the framework's use.

Sample Answer: "I find the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) framework highly effective because it promotes a systematic approach to problem-solving. By planning carefully, executing the solution, and reviewing the results, it ensures continuous improvement. In my previous role, I used PDCA to optimize our team's project management process, resulting in a 20% increase in project efficiency."

What to Look For: Assess their understanding of problem-solving frameworks and their ability to select and apply the most appropriate one for different scenarios.

14. "How do you tailor problem-solving approaches based on the specific needs of a project or situation?"

How to Answer: Encourage candidates to consider the following factors when adapting their approach:

Project Scope: Explain how they align their approach with the project's objectives and scope.
Stakeholder Needs: Emphasize the importance of considering the perspectives of stakeholders involved.
Flexibility: Highlight their ability to pivot and adjust the approach as new information arises.

Sample Answer: "To tailor problem-solving approaches, I always start by understanding the project's unique requirements and the expectations of stakeholders. I then assess the resources available and the timeline for completion. Flexibility is key, and I remain open to adjusting the approach as the project evolves, ensuring the best possible outcomes for all involved."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who can customize their problem-solving strategies based on the specific context of each situation.

Group Problem Solving Scenarios Interview Questions

15. "describe a time when you led a team in resolving a complex problem. how did you ensure effective collaboration and decision-making".

How to Answer: Guide candidates to address the following key points:

Leadership Approach: Explain their role in leading the team and facilitating collaboration.
Team Dynamics: Describe how they managed conflicts and encouraged diverse perspectives.
Decision-Making Process: Highlight the methodology used to reach a collective decision.

Sample Answer: "In my previous role as a project manager, we faced a complex client issue that required a team effort to resolve. As a leader, I encouraged open communication and organized regular team meetings to discuss progress and challenges. By fostering a culture of trust and respect, team members freely shared their ideas, which led to innovative solutions. We used a combination of majority voting and consensus to make critical decisions, ensuring everyone's voice was heard."

What to Look For: Look for candidates who showcase effective leadership skills, the ability to foster collaboration, and a well-defined decision-making process when handling group problem-solving scenarios.

How to Excel in Problem Solving Interviews?

You've learned about problem-solving skills, frameworks, and how to tackle various types of problem-solving questions. Now, let's explore additional tips to excel in your problem-solving interviews:

Effective Communication in Problem Solving

Clearly articulate your thought process to interviewers.
Use concise and structured responses to explain your solutions.
Practice active listening to understand the interviewers' questions fully.

Time Management and Prioritization Strategies

Allocate sufficient time to analyze the problem before proposing solutions.
Demonstrate the ability to manage time effectively during the interview.
Emphasize the importance of prioritizing critical issues in problem solving.

Demonstrating Resilience and Adaptability

Stay calm and composed when faced with challenging scenarios.
Showcase your ability to adapt to unexpected changes during problem-solving exercises.
Highlight past experiences where you demonstrated resilience in overcoming obstacles.

Mock Interview Practice

Prepare for your problem-solving interviews by engaging in mock interviews. Mock interviews provide valuable feedback and boost your confidence. Here's how to make the most of them:

Choose a Partner: Find a friend or mentor willing to act as the interviewer.
Set Up a Mock Interview: Create a setting similar to a real job interview.
Practice Various Scenarios: Include behavioral, technical, and case-based questions.
Receive Feedback: After the mock interview, seek feedback to identify areas for improvement.
Iterate and Improve: Use feedback to refine your responses and approach.

Mastering problem-solving interview questions is crucial for excelling in job interviews. As candidates, it is essential to showcase our critical thinking, analytical abilities, and creative problem-solving skills. By utilizing various frameworks, such as the 5 Whys or PDCA, we can approach challenges systematically.

Behavioral-based questions provide an opportunity to demonstrate our problem-solving capabilities through past experiences. Meanwhile, technical questions test our expertise in solving real-world issues. Case interviews assess our ability to think on our feet and propose viable solutions under pressure.

Collaborative problem-solving in group settings highlights our leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills. Situational Judgment Tests test our decision-making and problem-solving acumen in ambiguous scenarios.

Remember, preparation is key. Engaging in mock interviews, refining responses, and seeking feedback will boost our confidence and improve interview performance. By showcasing our problem-solving prowess, we set ourselves apart as valuable assets to any organization. So, approach problem-solving interviews with confidence and seize the opportunity to demonstrate your problem-solving excellence. Best of luck in your future interviews!

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Breaking Down Technical Interviews: 5 Commonly Asked Questions and How to Prepare

If you’re in the tech industry, you already know that technical interviews represent a crucial step in landing a job. Technical interviews are designed to assess your skills, expertise and determine if you’re the right fit for the job. To ace your technical interview, preparation is key! In this guide, we’ll help you understand the interview process, explore the most common questions, and provide comprehensive tips and strategies to help you prepare effectively. Let’s dive in and discover how to prepare for technical interviews!

When it comes to technical interviews, it’s essential to be well-prepared. You need to be confident in your technical abilities and ready to demonstrate your expertise. Technical interviews can be intimidating, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. But rest assured, by the end of this guide, you’ll have all the tools you need to prepare effectively and increase your chances of success. Let’s get started!

Before we get into the details of technical interviews, let’s take a closer look at why preparation is so crucial. Being well-prepared for a technical interview will help you:

Feel more confident and relaxed during the interview
Showcase your technical skills and expertise
Demonstrate your ability to solve problems and think critically
Stand out from other candidates

Now that we’ve established why preparation is essential let’s dive into the five most commonly asked technical questions in interviews. Understanding the most common technical questions and how to approach them will give you an edge when it comes to technical interviews. Let’s explore these questions and learn how to answer them confidently.

Understanding the Technical Interview Process

Before diving into the technical questions, it’s crucial to understand the interview process. Technical interviews typically consist of several stages, and it’s essential to know what to expect at each one. The most common stages in the technical interview process include:

Phone screenings
Coding challenges or online assessments
Whiteboard sessions or technical interviews
Behavioral interviews

During the phone screening, the interviewer will ask basic questions to evaluate your communication skills and check whether your qualifications match the role. The coding challenge or online assessment is designed to test your technical abilities and assess whether you can solve real-world coding problems.

Whiteboard sessions or technical interviews are the most critical stage in the process. During this stage, you will be asked to demonstrate your coding skills and solve complex problems on a whiteboard or a coding tool. Make sure to practice beforehand to alleviate your nerves and demonstrate your abilities during the interview.

Finally, the behavioral interview assesses your personality traits, values, and workplace culture fit. The interviewer may ask you about your past experiences, how you handled conflicts, and your problem-solving skills.

The Importance of Preparation

Preparation is key to success when it comes to technical interviews. By understanding the interview process and knowing what to expect at each stage, you can plan and prepare accordingly.

Additionally, familiarizing yourself with commonly asked technical questions and practicing coding challenges can help you build confidence and ensure you’re ready to showcase your skills during the interview.

Next, we’ll dive deeper into the top five most frequently asked technical questions in interviews and provide strategies to effectively answer them.

1. Data Structures

Data structures are fundamental concepts that every developer must know. Interviewers will typically ask questions related to arrays, lists, stacks, queues, and trees. Be prepared to explain the purpose, advantages, and disadvantages of each data structure, as well as their time and space complexity. Practice implementing them in different coding languages to become more confident.

2. Algorithms

Interviewers often ask algorithm questions to test a candidate’s problem-solving skills. Common algorithm questions include sorting and searching algorithms, dynamic programming, and graph algorithms. Be familiar with the time and space complexity of each algorithm and practice implementing them in different coding languages.

3. System Design

System design questions assess a candidate’s ability to design scalable and efficient architectures. Interviewers may ask you to design a web application, a distributed system, or a database schema. Be prepared to discuss trade-offs, scalability, data consistency, and performance. Use diagrams, flowcharts, and tables to illustrate your solutions.

4. Programming Languages

Interviewers may ask questions to test your knowledge of specific programming languages. Be familiar with the syntax, features, and libraries of the language mentioned in the job description. Practice writing code for common tasks, such as reading and writing files, parsing XML and JSON data, and working with a database.

5. Problem-Solving Techniques

Problem-solving questions evaluate a candidate’s ability to analyze and solve real-world problems. Interviewers may present you with a scenario and ask you to identify the problem, propose a solution, and discuss trade-offs. Be prepared to ask clarifying questions, break down the problem into smaller sub-problems, and consider edge cases and constraints.

To prepare for technical questions, research the company and job description, and review the technologies and skills mentioned. Practice coding challenges on websites such as HackerRank and LeetCode. Consider joining a mock interview group or partnering with a mentor to receive feedback. By dedicating time and effort to your preparation, you can showcase your technical skills confidently and stand out during your next technical interview.

How to Prepare for Technical Interviews

Preparing for technical interviews can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right strategies and mindset, you can increase your chances of success and stand out from other candidates. Here are some interview preparation tips to help you prepare effectively:

1. Brush up on fundamental concepts

Technical interviews often test your understanding of fundamental computer science concepts such as data structures, algorithms, and programming languages. Take some time to review these concepts and ensure you have a solid understanding of them. There are plenty of online resources available, such as Khan Academy and Codecademy, that can help you review these concepts.

2. Practice coding challenges

Coding challenges are a common component of technical interviews. Practice solving coding problems on websites such as LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal. These websites offer a variety of coding challenges that will test your problem-solving skills and help you prepare for technical interviews.

3. Research the company and position

Do your research on the company and position you’re interviewing for. Look at the company’s website, read up on their mission and values, and learn about their products and services. This will help you tailor your answers to the company’s needs and showcase your interest in the position.

4. Prepare questions to ask

At the end of the interview, the interviewer will likely ask if you have any questions. Prepare some thoughtful questions to ask about the company and position. This will demonstrate your interest and show that you’ve done your research.

5. Practice, practice, practice

Finally, practice your interview skills as much as possible. Conduct mock interviews with friends or family members, and practice answering common technical interview questions. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll be in your abilities.

If you want to ace your next technical interview, remember that preparation is key. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can increase your chances of success. Remember to familiarize yourself with the technical interview process and common questions, practice coding challenges, and stay up-to-date with relevant technical concepts.

Additionally, don’t forget to practice good communication skills, be confident, and stay calm under pressure. Technical interviews can be challenging, but with the right preparation and mindset, you can accomplish your goals.

Thank you for reading this guide. We hope you found it helpful and informative. Good luck on your next technical interview!

Technical Interviews: A Guide for Tech Talents

July 11, 2023

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Technical interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you’re vying for your dream job. The high stakes involved often amplify the pressure. However, with proper preparation and a confident mindset, you can navigate these interviews successfully. In this blog, we delve into the diverse types and stages of technical interviews, equipping you with valuable tips and strategies to excel and increase your chances of securing your desired tech role.

WHAT IS A TECHNICAL INTERVIEW?

Unlike traditional interviews, technical interviews delve deep into your technical expertise and problem-solving abilities, aiming to evaluate your potential to thrive in a tech-driven environment. Similar to the adage “Actions speak louder than words,” a technical interview requires candidates to substantiate their skills rather than simply professing them to the interviewer.

The recruiting process varies across companies, and this is true for technical interviews as well. Companies employ different types of technical interviews at various stages in the recruitment process. They are designed to evaluate a candidate’s soft and technical skills, as well as their suitability for the role. From phone or video screenings to home coding assignments, live coding exercises, and whiteboard challenges, there are numerous avenues through which your skills can be assessed.

PHONE OR VIDEO SCREENING

The initial stage of the technical interview process often involves a phone or video screening, where recruiters or hiring managers assess the candidate’s qualifications and fit. Congratulations! Reaching this stage indicates the company’s interest in exploring your potential further based on your resume. This interview stage typically lasts 15-30 minutes. Beyond purely technical skills, which are already outlined in your resume, interviewers on a phone screen are interested in assessing your passion for technology and coding, your alignment with the company culture and values, and your overall enthusiasm for the role. To prepare for a technical phone or video interview, consider the following tips:

Tailor your communication based on the interviewer’s background . If you’re speaking with a recruiter who may have limited programming knowledge, focus on highlighting your soft skills. On the other hand, when interviewing with a person with technical experience, feel confident in showcasing your technical expertise and discussing specific technical details.

One valuable tip for preparing for a job interview is to research your interviewers beforehand , which can be done by looking them up on LinkedIn. This practice not only helps alleviate interview anxiety by putting a face to a name but also provides an opportunity to discover potential commonalities, such as attending the same university or sharing similar interests, that can help break the ice during the interview.

Express your excitement for the company or the project you’re discussing during the interview. Demonstrating passion and genuine interest in the work can leave a lasting impression on the interviewer and show that you are motivated to contribute. For example, if you’re applying for a role in automotive driving, you can show your enthusiasm by demonstrating your awareness of the company’s progress and recent achievements , mentioning the recent collaboration between Bosch and CARIAD .

Share your authentic interests in the job and the specific project types that excite you. Being honest about your preferences helps ensure that you’re aligned with the role and the work you’ll be doing, increasing the likelihood of a successful match between you and the company. For instance, communicate your preferred way of working and collaborating: “I like that the job requires cross-functional collaboration as I really enjoy uncovering synergies between teams.”

When addressing behavioral questions, it’s crucial to draw from your previous experiences and use specific examples to illustrate your skills effectively. Focus on providing tangible details and outcomes that paint a clear picture of your capabilities.

For example, when discussing managing a challenging project with tight deadlines, highlight measurable outcomes like increased system performance, improved user experience, or cost savings, to demonstrate the positive impact of your efforts.

Customize your responses to align with the specific job you’re applying for by researching the company’s values, mission, job requirements, recent company news, etc. Incorporate relevant information into your responses to show that you understand the company’s needs and are genuinely interested in contributing to its success

Our Talent Acquisition Manager, Raghda, has shared insight on common mistakes made by tech talents during the initial stage of interviews:

TAKE-HOME CODING ASSIGNMENT

Take-home coding assignments have become a popular method for companies to assess candidates’ coding skills before an in-person interview. As a candidate, this is your opportunity to demonstrate your skills and abilities within a specified time limit, typically around 48 hours. In the following sections, we have compiled a set of tips to help you approach these assignments.

Before diving into the assignment, take the time to fully understand the requirements. Avoid making assumptions and seek clarification by asking questions. Some companies intentionally keep their requirements vague to test your problem-solving approach. Embrace this challenge and demonstrate your engagement and genuine interest by seeking additional information.

Prioritize completing the core requirements of the coding challenge over adding excessive features. Utilize your existing knowledge and skills to provide a solid foundation for your solution, demonstrating your ability to effectively solve problems within given constraints.

Break down the coding challenge into smaller tasks and assign timeframes. Begin with a basic readme and open a pull request. As you code, commit logically and frequently to track progress and allow for easy revisions. Keep pull requests small and review your own work. This systematic approach tells a clear story of your solution and helps you outperform competitors.

Define various scenarios and edge cases that need to be covered by your tests. As you implement each feature or component, write corresponding tests to verify functionality and catch any bugs or issues early on. This demonstrates your commitment to producing a dependable and bug-free solution.

Once the functionality is in place, shift your focus to enhancing the readability and maintainability of your code. Clean, well-structured code is a sign of professionalism and care. Employ best practices, follow coding standards, and document your code to make it easier for others to understand.

Before submitting the assignment, conduct a thorough code review. Ensure your code meets all the requirements. Run comprehensive tests to catch any potential issues. Additionally, carefully follow any additional instructions provided by the company. Attention to detail and a polished final submission will leave a lasting impression.

WHITEBOARD CHALLENGE

Whiteboard challenges are a common component of onsite technical interviews, usually conducted in the later stages of the hiring process. They provide employers with insights into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities and critical thinking skills in real time. These challenges typically take place on a whiteboard or a shared coding environment, allowing you to collaborate directly with the interviewer. Here are some tips to help you navigate onsite whiteboard challenges:

Before diving into the code, take the time to ask clarifying questions. Same as during the take-home assignment, this not only ensures that you fully understand the challenge but also demonstrates your thoughtful approach. By seeking hints and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the problem, you can better formulate an effective solution.

Engage in a verbal dialogue with the interviewer as you work through the problem. Articulate your thoughts, explain your reasoning, and discuss potential solutions. This allows the interviewer to gain insight into your problem-solving process and communication skills, showcasing your ability to collaborate effectively.

Speak clearly and precisely, avoiding ambiguity or vague terminology. Use formal names and specific vocabulary to describe concepts and actions. This clarity of thought and language not only helps you stay focused but also demonstrates your ability to convey complex ideas effectively.

If you encounter challenges or get stuck, remain calm and think out loud. Start with what you know and attempt different approaches or ideas. Remember, the interviewer is interested in your problem-solving approach and thought process. Show your willingness to try, experiment, and adapt as you work towards a solution.

Toward the end of the whiteboard challenge, thoroughly check your code for errors. Demonstrate your commitment to writing bug-free code by reviewing your solution. Once done, take the opportunity to walk through your solution, explaining your approach and highlighting key decisions.

LIVE CODING ASSESSMENT

At Futurepath, we understand the importance of accurately assessing the coding skills of tech talents. That’s why we offer Peer-to-Peer technical assessments as part of our comprehensive evaluation process. These assessments provide candidates with the opportunity to collaborate with another developer in a virtual environment, allowing them to demonstrate their coding abilities in real-time. By leveraging this innovative approach, we ensure that our clients have a thorough understanding of the candidates’ technical capabilities.

Here are some tips to help you prepare and excel in Peer-to-Peer technical interviews:

Regularly engage in online coding challenges and coding questions to sharpen your skills. Collaborate with a friend or acquaintance to simulate mock interviews. This allows you to practice discussing programming problems and explaining your approach to solving them, similar to the real interview situation.

If anything is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification. For example, understanding whether you can use external sources is crucial for showcasing your skills and ensuring a successful interview. By seeking clarification, you demonstrate professionalism, avoid misunderstandings, and align your approach with the interviewer’s expectations.

Don’t rely on mentioning keywords without a deeper understanding. It’s better to acknowledge when you’re out of your depth and explain how you would approach researching a topic. Demonstrating a willingness to learn and adapt is more valuable than giving a misleading or incomplete answer.

Write clean, concise, and readable code during the live coding challenge. Ensure your code can be easily executed and tested. Additionally, clearly communicate the thought process behind your coding decisions, showcasing your logical and reasoned approach.

We are confident that these tips and strategies will greatly benefit you in navigating your technical interviews. However, we understand that each interview is unique and may require individualized guidance. By partnering with Futurepath and our dedicated team of recruiters, you gain access to personalized support and tailored advice, specifically designed to enhance your interview performance.

Let us assist you in navigating the interview process and help you secure the desired position with Volkswagen Group Brands.

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How to do a technical interview: Essential strategies and tips

Introduction

Hiring technical talent is one of your company’s biggest investments. To do it right, you need to know how to conduct a technical interview that allows you to evaluate candidates efficiently and accurately. Implementing a scalable, consistent technical interview process will not only improve the candidate experience—it will also help you hire top talent faster and give capacity back to your engineers.

Recruiters today face several challenges when it comes to technical interviews. Evaluating candidates’ proficiency in complex subjects without heavy involvement from engineering can be hard. Striking the right balance between technical and soft skills evaluation measures, overcoming unconscious biases, and ensuring consistent evaluations among interviewers also pose difficulties.

At CodeSignal, we’ve seen firsthand that pedigree is often a poor proxy for skill—and well-conducted technical interviews are the key to building winning technical teams. Our technical interview and assessment platform is used by hundreds of top tech employers, helping them accelerate time to hire, improve quality of hire, save engineering time, and reduce biases in technical recruiting.

In this article, we’ll explore what a technical interview is, how these types of interviews are usually conducted, and how to do a technical interview most effectively.

Skip ahead to a section of the guide here:

What is a technical interview?

How to prepare for conducting a technical interview
How to conduct a technical interview step-by-step

How can technical interviewers correct biases?

A technical interview is a job interview used by hiring teams to evaluate candidates for software development, engineering, and other technical roles that require specialized expertise. Technical interviews often focus on assessing a candidate’s job-relevant technical skills, problem-solving abilities, communication style, and ability to perform under pressure.

By objectively measuring a candidate’s proficiency in relevant technical areas, these interviews help gauge how successful a candidate may be in the role they’re applying for. They help employers determine whether the candidate possesses the necessary technical skills and whether they will be a good fit for the company.

Part 1: How to prepare for conducting a technical interview

As an employer wanting to know how to do a technical interview successfully, you need to start with an understanding of the role you are hiring for, including the specific technical skills and knowledge required. You’ll also need to develop and implement a structured approach to fairly evaluating candidates—before any interviews occur.

Here are some steps to help you prepare for conducting a technical interview:

Decide on a technical interview format

Hiring teams can use several types of technical interview formats to assess a candidate’s technical skills and knowledge, each with its own distinct purpose and advantages. Here are some common technical interview formats and how they are typically used:

Coding challenges: During a coding challenge , candidates are asked to write, analyze, or debug code. They may also be asked to solve programming problems or complete algorithmic tasks. Typically conducted online, these coding exercises streamline the hiring process and allow companies to quickly identify top technical talent. Technical interview and assessment platforms like CodeSignal contain coding challenges that hiring managers can use, providing employers a platform for objectively assessing candidates’ coding skills.
System design discussions: This type of technical interview assesses a candidate’s problem-solving abilities through the design of complex systems. Interviewers may instruct candidates to craft a system for a specific use case or discuss the design of a real-world system. For example, you may ask a candidate to design a new app for moving companies or a new feature for Facebook. While coding challenges can be given at all technical levels, system design discussions are typically reserved for senior-level positions.
Whiteboard problem-solving: In a whiteboard interview, candidates are asked to solve coding problems or design algorithms on a physical whiteboard in front of the interviewer or hiring panel. While this can help hiring teams understand a candidate’s thought process, it can also create excessive stress and performance anxiety for candidates. With their focus on presentation abilities, whiteboard interviews may also favor candidates with strong communication skills over those with stronger technical skills.
Pair programming interview: In pair programming interviews, the candidate collaborates with an interviewer to solve problems or complete coding tasks in real time. Both the candidate and the interviewer collaborate in a single cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) , with the candidate acting as the “driver” who writes the code, and the interviewer acting as the “observer” who reviews the code and shares in-the-moment feedback. This type of technical interview is often used to evaluate a candidate’s collaboration, communication, and problem-solving abilities.
Take-home assignment: A technical take-home assignment is a project-based assessment where candidates complete a coding or engineering task outside the interview setting. These assignments provide valuable insights into a candidate’s problem-solving abilities, creativity, and practical skills. However, take-home projects can be time-consuming for candidates, as they may require several hours or even days to complete. Expectations and limits around time should be considered in order to keep highly skilled candidates (with limited availability and many options for employment) engaged in your process.

The choice of interview format depends on the role, company culture, and the specific technical skills and abilities you want to assess in candidates. Combining different formats is also an option and can provide a more holistic evaluation of the candidate’s competencies. Ultimately, companies want to choose a format (or formats) that will allow candidates to most accurately and efficiently showcase their relevant technical skills.

Prepare questions tailored to the role

Good technical interview questions align with the technical requirements of the specific role you are hiring for. Start by asking what skills are needed to succeed in the role. Be precise and thorough, gaining input from hiring team members or subject matter experts (SMEs) regarding the job’s technical aspects. For example, a junior Python developer and a senior DevOps engineer will likely have very different interview questions. Once you identify the core technical competencies critical for success, you can focus your questions on the skills most important to the role.

Writing technical interview questions starts with having a solid understanding of what skills your ideal candidate should possess. And while this does take more effort than copying generic interview questions from sites like LeetCode, thoughtful questions will ensure that your interviews are predictive and fair. Writing interview questions must be so precise, CodeSignal even has a team of assessment design engineers and Industrial-Organizational (IO) Psychologists dedicated to the task. Our team develops Certified Evaluations that accurately evaluate on-the-job coding skills, reduce bias, and eliminate question leaks—so engineering teams can spend less time creating and maintaining interview questions.

Consider real-world scenarios

While technical skills assessments like coding challenges can help you evaluate a candidate’s knowledge of algorithmic concepts and data structures, bridging the gap between theory and practice is essential. Beyond book knowledge, technical hires must understand how to tackle problems in real-world conditions. How do they collaborate with their peers, what is their thought process, and how adept are they at solving problems practically? To assess these areas, it’s crucial to introduce realistic scenarios into the interview process that a candidate may encounter on the job.

One way to do this is by using job simulations in technical hiring . However, creating realistic job simulations is often challenging because the tools software engineers typically use run on dedicated hardware. And this, of course, is often nearly impossible to replicate in a technical interview. However, CodeSignal is one of the few technical hiring platforms that emulates the functionality of a local development environment in the cloud, allowing interviewers and candidates to collaborate in a highly realistic integrated development environment (IDE).

Give your candidate any important resources in advance

A technical interview can be intimidating for even the most qualified candidates due to the uncertainty that often surrounds them. To put candidates at ease, provide them with resources to prepare for the interview. Consider sharing a checklist of steps to take before a coding assessment or tips to prepare for the technical interview . By providing a practice assessment to ensure candidates have the proper technical setup, employers should help candidates know exactly what to expect during a technical interview. Not only will this improve the candidate experience, but it will also ensure interviews truly reflect a candidate’s technical abilities. Choosing a technical interview and assessment platform with resources available to candidates —such as mock assessments and tours of the development environment—can save you time on this step.

Create a process for timely feedback and follow-up

Candidates put a great deal of time and energy into technical interviews—and they deserve timely feedback after an interview. Top technical candidates are also in high demand, and not getting back to them quickly may mean you lose them to a competitor. Creating a process for providing feedback after a technical interview will help you deliver a great candidate experience and improve your ability to hire the best technical talent.

An applicant tracking system (ATS) can help you efficiently communicate with candidates about where they are in the recruitment process. You can also share detailed scoring reports with candidates, which allows them to understand how they performed on a coding challenge. Once candidates complete a CodeSignal technical assessment, for example, they will receive a Coding Report that includes an objective measure of their coding skills and more. Even if an applicant is not the right fit for the role they are interviewing for, providing constructive feedback will help them feel valued, improve their performance in future interviews, and help build a strong employer brand.

Part 2: How to conduct a technical interview step-by-step

Technical interviews can be nerve-wracking for candidates and recruiters alike, so it’s important to go into each interview with a specific plan of action. Whether you need to know how to conduct a technical interview remotely or in person, here are seven steps hiring team members should take to ensure the interview is fair, consistent, and relevant to the requirements of the position:

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the platform and select or create appropriate coding tasks

Just as candidates will benefit from getting acquainted with your assessment platform before a technical interview, so too will members of your hiring team. Before interviews commence, have each team member take some time to explore the features, coding challenges library, and live coding environment of your chosen platform. CodeSignal, for example, offers validated pre-screen assessments and an extensive, searchable library of over 4,000 coding questions that can be used in live interviews.

Whether you use your assessment platform’s existing question library or create custom questions, selecting coding problems or challenges that closely align with the job requirements and skills you want to assess is essential. Rather than asking all candidates general algorithmic questions, it’s also important that the questions correspond to the seniority of the role . When senior-level candidates are asked questions testing their core programming knowledge—questions better suited for entry-level or junior developers—they can become frustrated and lose interest. And perhaps rightfully so, since these questions often have little relevance to their day-to-day responsibilities.

Finally, before you start interviewing for an open role, make sure you are set up to ask the same questions in the same order for each candidate. This is considered a “structured interview,” and it allows interviewers to remove bias, deliver a consistent interview process, and more easily compare candidates’ responses. While many technical interviewing solutions make it challenging to conduct a structured interview, CodeSignal’s interview templates bring consistency to the interviewing process. With the ability to create templates that consist of the tasks you want to use during the interview, in your desired order, CodeSignal makes it easy for your team to carry out structured technical interviews.

Step 2: Start the technical interview the right way

So, the technical interview has begun and the candidate is raring to go. The first thing you should do is throw a coding challenge their way, right? Well, not exactly. Even though technical interviews are more like tests than behavior interviews or back-and-forth discussions, it’s still important to create a comfortable atmosphere. As with any interview, kick off the technical interview by welcoming the candidate and providing an overview of the interview process. Even though you likely provided resources to help the candidate prepare for the interview, take time at the start of the interview to go over how the interview testing and assessment platform works. This includes walking the candidate through the coding environment, the input/output format, and any additional features or constraints they should know.

Step 3: Begin with a warm-up question or challenge

With the introductions and explanations complete, it’s time to get into the flow of the technical interview. While you might be ready to put your candidate to the test, don’t lob your most challenging questions out of the gate. Instead, begin with a warm-up question or coding exercise that is relatively simple to break the ice and help the candidate get comfortable with the coding environment.

Step 4: Move on to the main coding interview phase

Once the candidate has completed the initial warm-up exercise, design subsequent questions that build upon prior answers. For example, you might first ask the candidate to construct an interface for a simple use case. Once they demonstrate proficiency in that task, you can progress to giving them a more complex use case. This lets you see how candidates approach problem-solving and handle increasingly challenging coding challenges.

You can present candidates with this sequence of coding questions using the interface of your chosen interview assessment platform. Using the platform to create structured interview templates in advance will also help you design and stick to a question order that gradually progresses in complexity. As you ask each question, be sure to clearly explain the problem statement, input/output format, and any constraints or requirements.

Step 5: Live coding and observation

Once you’ve given an applicant a problem statement to solve during a live coding interview , let them take off and start coding. Quietly observe their approach, code structure, and problem-solving skills as they work through the assessment platform’s coding environment. Encourage the candidate to think aloud and explain their thought process as they work in real time. Monitor the candidate’s progress and provide guidance if they get stuck. To minimize subjectivity and bias, however, you’ll want to offer the same guidance to each candidate, focusing on prompting their thinking rather than giving away the answer.

Step 6: Follow-up questions and discussion

Once the candidate completes a coding challenge, ask follow-up questions to assess their understanding of the solution, code optimization, or potential improvements. After all, you don’t want the candidate just to give you a final answer—you want to understand their thought process and how they reached that solution. Discussing the code implementation, any trade-offs, and what lessons they learned will help you analyze the candidate’s problem-solving abilities and communication skills.

Step 7: Use a rubric to evaluate performance

Just as you must use a structured interview framework to ask fair, consistent questions, you’ll also want a structured evaluation process. A well-defined interview rubric with a concrete scoring guide can help you evaluate a candidate’s competencies for a technical role.

Here are four ways to design an interview rubric that will help you objectively assess and compare candidates’ responses:

Rate skills with a numerical system: Mapping candidate performance to a specific number allows you to create a final score to compare skills between candidates.
Define what each score means: To ensure scoring consistency across different interviewers, outline the range of scores possible for each skill and which observable behaviors the candidate should demonstrate to achieve each score.
Include technical and communication skills: Engineers need hard and soft skills to succeed. Consider all the competencies necessary to the role you’re hiring for, and pick the most important ones to include in your rubric.
Calibrate your rubric through initial interviews: Once you’ve created your rubric, ensure it works as intended. One way to do this is to have each rater score the same interview independently using the rubric and dig into any score discrepancies.

We all carry implicit biases, regardless of how objective we try to be. We may never be able to fully eliminate bias from the interview process as long as humans are involved. However, creating structured technical interviews and asking job-relevant, progressive questions can significantly mitigate bias when hiring for technical positions .

While you could develop structured interviews manually, using pre-built interview templates and coding questions is far easier—and a much better use of your engineering team’s time. CodeSignal’s platform, for example, allows you to scale technical interviews while also fighting bias in the recruitment process. With features that help companies develop and adhere to a consistent, repeatable, and job-relevant interview structure, all candidates can be evaluated against the same objective standards.

In addition to using a technical interview and assessment platform, here are a few ways employers can further reduce bias when conducting technical interviews:

Blind resume screening

According to Glassdoor , a blind hiring process—one that omits any identifiable characteristics not related to a candidate’s qualifications for the job—is a well-known way to remove bias from recruiting. By scrubbing details from resumes that may give away personal or demographic information about a candidate such as their age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or disability, blind resume screening can help keep unconscious bias from affecting early recruitment decisions.

Standardizing the process with structured interviews

A structured interview uses the same questions and evaluation metrics across candidates—and it’s crucial to a consistent and fair recruitment process. By asking the same questions in the same sequence, structured interviews promote equity in the hiring process and allow hiring teams to compare candidates based on their technical abilities objectively. Since many companies involve engineers in technical interviews, using a cloud-based platform like CodeSignal to conduct structured technical interviews can also drastically reduce engineering time spent recruiting.

Avoid biased question wording

Coding questions with unclear or bias-laden wording can confuse candidates and result in an uneven playing field. Removing ambiguous or culturally-specific language—and using only job-relevant examples in your coding tasks—can help you remove bias from interview questions. Leveraging a vendor like CodeSignal, whose team includes technical SMEs and IO Psychologists, can also help you design fair, validated technical assessments that accurately reflect candidates’ skills.

Providing a wide range of coding challenges

Giving candidates various coding challenges throughout a technical interview can help reduce bias and ensure a fair evaluation process. Diverse challenges provide candidates with different backgrounds and experiences an equal opportunity to showcase their abilities. During live coding interviews, the most compelling questions are open-ended and gradually increase in complexity . These questions allow interviewers to avoid leading or limiting candidates while promoting diverse perspectives and ideas.

Final thoughts

With the steps provided in this guide on how to conduct a technical interview, technical recruiters and hiring team members have the insights and best practices they need to interview confidently and effectively. From using structured interviews to avoiding biased questions to implementing a process for post-interview feedback, there are many actions hiring teams can take to improve the technical interview process . But technical interviews also take more than manual effort to be truly equitable and efficient—they require the right technology.

Companies must invest in remote technical interview solutions that allow candidates to properly demonstrate their relevant skills—and allow interviewers to evaluate and compare talent fairly. With CodeSignal’s comprehensive technical interview and assessment platform, organizations can streamline and enhance the entire technical recruiting process. Offering solutions for pre-screening , live technical screening , and live collaborative interviewing , CodeSignal delivers the best candidate experience in a realistic coding environment while helping hiring teams accurately evaluate skill and fit.

Want to learn more about how CodeSignal can streamline your technical interview process and help you make the right hires, faster? Schedule a call with one of our tech hiring experts.

Interview Questions

Comprehensive Interview Guide: 60+ Professions Explored in Detail

26 Good Examples of Problem Solving (Interview Answers)

By Biron Clark

Published: November 15, 2023

Employers like to hire people who can solve problems and work well under pressure. A job rarely goes 100% according to plan, so hiring managers will be more likely to hire you if you seem like you can handle unexpected challenges while staying calm and logical in your approach.

But how do they measure this?

They’re going to ask you interview questions about these problem solving skills, and they might also look for examples of problem solving on your resume and cover letter. So coming up, I’m going to share a list of examples of problem solving, whether you’re an experienced job seeker or recent graduate.

Then I’ll share sample interview answers to, “Give an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem?”

Problem-Solving Defined

It is the ability to identify the problem, prioritize based on gravity and urgency, analyze the root cause, gather relevant information, develop and evaluate viable solutions, decide on the most effective and logical solution, and plan and execute implementation.

Problem-solving also involves critical thinking, communication, listening, creativity, research, data gathering, risk assessment, continuous learning, decision-making, and other soft and technical skills.

Solving problems not only prevent losses or damages but also boosts self-confidence and reputation when you successfully execute it. The spotlight shines on you when people see you handle issues with ease and savvy despite the challenges. Your ability and potential to be a future leader that can take on more significant roles and tackle bigger setbacks shine through. Problem-solving is a skill you can master by learning from others and acquiring wisdom from their and your own experiences.

It takes a village to come up with solutions, but a good problem solver can steer the team towards the best choice and implement it to achieve the desired result.

Watch: 26 Good Examples of Problem Solving

Examples of problem solving scenarios in the workplace.

Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else
Overcoming a delay at work through problem solving and communication
Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
Overcoming issues related to a limited budget, and still delivering good work through the use of creative problem solving
Overcoming a scheduling/staffing shortage in the department to still deliver excellent work
Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
Handling and resolving a conflict with a coworker
Solving any problems related to money, customer billing, accounting and bookkeeping, etc.
Taking initiative when another team member overlooked or missed something important
Taking initiative to meet with your superior to discuss a problem before it became potentially worse
Solving a safety issue at work or reporting the issue to those who could solve it
Using problem solving abilities to reduce/eliminate a company expense
Finding a way to make the company more profitable through new service or product offerings, new pricing ideas, promotion and sale ideas, etc.
Changing how a process, team, or task is organized to make it more efficient
Using creative thinking to come up with a solution that the company hasn’t used before
Performing research to collect data and information to find a new solution to a problem
Boosting a company or team’s performance by improving some aspect of communication among employees
Finding a new piece of data that can guide a company’s decisions or strategy better in a certain area

Problem Solving Examples for Recent Grads/Entry Level Job Seekers

Coordinating work between team members in a class project
Reassigning a missing team member’s work to other group members in a class project
Adjusting your workflow on a project to accommodate a tight deadline
Speaking to your professor to get help when you were struggling or unsure about a project
Asking classmates, peers, or professors for help in an area of struggle
Talking to your academic advisor to brainstorm solutions to a problem you were facing
Researching solutions to an academic problem online, via Google or other methods
Using problem solving and creative thinking to obtain an internship or other work opportunity during school after struggling at first

You can share all of the examples above when you’re asked questions about problem solving in your interview. As you can see, even if you have no professional work experience, it’s possible to think back to problems and unexpected challenges that you faced in your studies and discuss how you solved them.

Interview Answers to “Give an Example of an Occasion When You Used Logic to Solve a Problem”

Now, let’s look at some sample interview answers to, “Give me an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem,” since you’re likely to hear this interview question in all sorts of industries.

Example Answer 1:

At my current job, I recently solved a problem where a client was upset about our software pricing. They had misunderstood the sales representative who explained pricing originally, and when their package renewed for its second month, they called to complain about the invoice. I apologized for the confusion and then spoke to our billing team to see what type of solution we could come up with. We decided that the best course of action was to offer a long-term pricing package that would provide a discount. This not only solved the problem but got the customer to agree to a longer-term contract, which means we’ll keep their business for at least one year now, and they’re happy with the pricing. I feel I got the best possible outcome and the way I chose to solve the problem was effective.

Example Answer 2:

In my last job, I had to do quite a bit of problem solving related to our shift scheduling. We had four people quit within a week and the department was severely understaffed. I coordinated a ramp-up of our hiring efforts, I got approval from the department head to offer bonuses for overtime work, and then I found eight employees who were willing to do overtime this month. I think the key problem solving skills here were taking initiative, communicating clearly, and reacting quickly to solve this problem before it became an even bigger issue.

Example Answer 3:

In my current marketing role, my manager asked me to come up with a solution to our declining social media engagement. I assessed our current strategy and recent results, analyzed what some of our top competitors were doing, and then came up with an exact blueprint we could follow this year to emulate our best competitors but also stand out and develop a unique voice as a brand. I feel this is a good example of using logic to solve a problem because it was based on analysis and observation of competitors, rather than guessing or quickly reacting to the situation without reliable data. I always use logic and data to solve problems when possible. The project turned out to be a success and we increased our social media engagement by an average of 82% by the end of the year.

Answering Questions About Problem Solving with the STAR Method

When you answer interview questions about problem solving scenarios, or if you decide to demonstrate your problem solving skills in a cover letter (which is a good idea any time the job description mention problem solving as a necessary skill), I recommend using the STAR method to tell your story.

STAR stands for:

It’s a simple way of walking the listener or reader through the story in a way that will make sense to them. So before jumping in and talking about the problem that needed solving, make sure to describe the general situation. What job/company were you working at? When was this? Then, you can describe the task at hand and the problem that needed solving. After this, describe the course of action you chose and why. Ideally, show that you evaluated all the information you could given the time you had, and made a decision based on logic and fact.

Finally, describe a positive result you got.

Whether you’re answering interview questions about problem solving or writing a cover letter, you should only choose examples where you got a positive result and successfully solved the issue.

Example answer:

Situation : We had an irate client who was a social media influencer and had impossible delivery time demands we could not meet. She spoke negatively about us in her vlog and asked her followers to boycott our products. (Task : To develop an official statement to explain our company’s side, clarify the issue, and prevent it from getting out of hand). Action : I drafted a statement that balanced empathy, understanding, and utmost customer service with facts, logic, and fairness. It was direct, simple, succinct, and phrased to highlight our brand values while addressing the issue in a logical yet sensitive way. We also tapped our influencer partners to subtly and indirectly share their positive experiences with our brand so we could counter the negative content being shared online. Result : We got the results we worked for through proper communication and a positive and strategic campaign. The irate client agreed to have a dialogue with us. She apologized to us, and we reaffirmed our commitment to delivering quality service to all. We assured her that she can reach out to us anytime regarding her purchases and that we’d gladly accommodate her requests whenever possible. She also retracted her negative statements in her vlog and urged her followers to keep supporting our brand.

What Are Good Outcomes of Problem Solving?

Whenever you answer interview questions about problem solving or share examples of problem solving in a cover letter, you want to be sure you’re sharing a positive outcome.

Below are good outcomes of problem solving:

Saving the company time or money
Making the company money
Pleasing/keeping a customer
Obtaining new customers
Solving a safety issue
Solving a staffing/scheduling issue
Solving a logistical issue
Solving a company hiring issue
Solving a technical/software issue
Making a process more efficient and faster for the company
Creating a new business process to make the company more profitable
Improving the company’s brand/image/reputation
Getting the company positive reviews from customers/clients

Every employer wants to make more money, save money, and save time. If you can assess your problem solving experience and think about how you’ve helped past employers in those three areas, then that’s a great start. That’s where I recommend you begin looking for stories of times you had to solve problems.

Tips to Improve Your Problem Solving Skills

Throughout your career, you’re going to get hired for better jobs and earn more money if you can show employers that you’re a problem solver. So to improve your problem solving skills, I recommend always analyzing a problem and situation before acting. When discussing problem solving with employers, you never want to sound like you rush or make impulsive decisions. They want to see fact-based or data-based decisions when you solve problems.

Next, to get better at solving problems, analyze the outcomes of past solutions you came up with. You can recognize what works and what doesn’t. Think about how you can get better at researching and analyzing a situation, but also how you can get better at communicating, deciding the right people in the organization to talk to and “pull in” to help you if needed, etc.

Finally, practice staying calm even in stressful situations. Take a few minutes to walk outside if needed. Step away from your phone and computer to clear your head. A work problem is rarely so urgent that you cannot take five minutes to think (with the possible exception of safety problems), and you’ll get better outcomes if you solve problems by acting logically instead of rushing to react in a panic.

You can use all of the ideas above to describe your problem solving skills when asked interview questions about the topic. If you say that you do the things above, employers will be impressed when they assess your problem solving ability.

If you practice the tips above, you’ll be ready to share detailed, impressive stories and problem solving examples that will make hiring managers want to offer you the job. Every employer appreciates a problem solver, whether solving problems is a requirement listed on the job description or not. And you never know which hiring manager or interviewer will ask you about a time you solved a problem, so you should always be ready to discuss this when applying for a job.

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Technical Interview Questions (15 Questions + Answers)

A technical interview is a type of job interview that is primarily focused on assessing your technical skills and knowledge. These interviews are common in industries like information technology, engineering, and science, where specific technical expertise is crucial for job performance.

In this article, I’m going to share common technical interview questions, especially in tech-heavy jobs. You’ll also see some sample answers so you can get a sense of how to answer each question effectively.

1) What programming languages do you know?

Focus on languages that are relevant to the job or the company.

This might include Java (for Android development), Swift (for iOS development), Python (for data analysis and backend systems), and JavaScript (for web development).

Briefly indicate your level of proficiency in each language, then give examples of projects where you've used these languages. This adds credibility and shows a practical application of your skills.

Sample answer:

"I have experience with several programming languages. In Java, which I consider myself an expert, I’ve developed multiple Android applications, including a location-based service app similar to Waze. I'm also proficient in Python, which I've used for data analysis and backend development in my current role. For iOS projects, I have intermediate skills in Swift. I've used it in a couple of personal projects, including an app for real-time traffic updates. Also, I have basic knowledge of JavaScript for front-end development. Currently, I'm enhancing my JavaScript skills through an online course, as I believe in continuously updating my technical knowledge to stay relevant in the field."

This response is effective because it provides specific examples of projects and applications developed using these languages, giving credibility to the claims of proficiency.

2) What are some limitations of your favorite programming language?

First, acknowledge the real limitations of the language without being overly critical. Explain how these limitations might impact certain types of projects or applications.

While discussing limitations, however, it's often beneficial to also mention the strengths of the language to show a well-rounded understanding.

"My favorite programming language is Python. While it's excellent for rapid development and has a rich set of libraries, it does have some limitations. One significant limitation is its execution speed. Python is an interpreted language, which can make it slower than compiled languages like C++ or Java. This can be a bottleneck in high-performance computing or when processing large data sets in real time, as in traffic data processing. Another limitation is its memory consumption. Python's simplicity and flexibility come with a cost of higher memory usage compared to more efficient languages like C. That said, these issues can often be mitigated by integrating Python with other languages or using optimizations like just-in-time compilers."

The answer demonstrates a thoughtful analysis of Python. Mentioning ways to mitigate these limitations shows a problem-solving mindset, which is valuable in a technical role.

3) What design software do you know? Which do you prefer?

Mention the design software you are familiar with. Depending on the role, this might include UI/UX design tools (like Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma), graphic design software (like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator), or even specialized software for mapping or data visualization.

State which software you prefer and why. For this example, let’s say you’re applying for a job at Waze.

"In my design work, I've gained experience with a variety of software. I frequently use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for graphic design tasks, such as creating icons and visual elements. For UI/UX design, I am proficient in Figma and Sketch. That said, my preferred tool is Figma due to its collaborative features and excellent UI prototyping capabilities. For instance, I recently used Figma to design and prototype a mobile app interface that required real-time collaboration with team members in different locations. This experience highlighted Figma's efficiency in a team-based environment, which I believe would be highly beneficial in Waze's collaborative and fast-paced setting. I also have some experience with GIS software, which could be relevant for working with map-based interfaces at Waze."

By providing a specific example of using Figma in a team project, the answer demonstrates practical experience and how it applies to a work setting.

4) What product management system do you like using? What’s the best one for scalability?

Start by naming a few product management systems you have experience with. This might include tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com.

Clearly state your preferred system and explain why.

"In my experience, I've used several product management systems like Jira, Asana, and Trello. My personal preference is Jira, primarily for its powerful features that cater to agile project management, such as scrum and kanban boards, and its robust reporting capabilities. When considering scalability, however, I believe Asana stands out. It's incredibly user-friendly and scales well for larger teams and complex projects. For instance, in my previous role, we used Asana to manage a cross-functional project involving over 50 team members. Its flexibility in task management and the ability to integrate with various other tools made it an ideal choice for maintaining organization and clarity as the project and team grew. This scalability aspect, combined with its ease of use, makes Asana an excellent choice for dynamic environments like this company, where teams and projects are continually evolving."

The answer gives a clear preference for Jira and explains why, which demonstrates your ability to evaluate tools based on features and suitability.

5) How do you go about deploying a product?

The goal here is to reflect an understanding of both the technical and collaborative elements involved in deploying a product. To do this, describe the steps you take in deploying a product, which might include planning, testing, staging, and production.

"In deploying a product, I follow a structured process that emphasizes collaboration and thorough testing. Initially, I focus on planning with cross-functional teams to align on the deployment objectives and timelines. For instance, in my current role, I led the deployment of a major app update, coordinating with developers, QA, and operations teams. We implemented continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) practices, which allowed us to automate much of the deployment process and ensure that each update was rigorously tested in a staging environment before going live. This approach significantly reduced deployment errors and downtime. Post-deployment, we monitored the app’s performance closely to quickly address any issues. This particular deployment was successful in enhancing user experience without any major disruptions, underlining the importance of a well-coordinated and tested deployment strategy, something I believe is critical in a dynamic environment."

The answer outlines a clear, step-by-step process, showing a methodical approach to deployment. Discussing collaboration with various teams also reflects an understanding of the importance of cross-functional teamwork in deployments.

6) What statistical methods do you prefer using?

Start by listing a few statistical methods you are familiar with and have used. This might include regression analysis, hypothesis testing , time series analysis, machine learning algorithms, etc.

Clearly state which methods you prefer and why.

"In my experience as a data analyst, I've employed a variety of statistical methods depending on the nature of the data and the problem at hand. My go-to method is often regression analysis, especially for understanding relationships between variables, like how different factors influence traffic patterns. For instance, at my current job, I used multiple regression to analyze how weather conditions and time of day impact road congestion. This analysis helped in optimizing traffic flow recommendations. Another method I frequently use is time series analysis, particularly useful for forecasting. I applied this in predicting traffic trends during holiday seasons, which proved highly accurate and beneficial for planning purposes. These methods, I believe, would be particularly relevantfor analyzing and predicting traffic conditions, thereby enhancing user experience."

The answer covers different statistical methods, showing a broad skill set. It explains why certain methods are preferred, demonstrating thoughtful consideration based on experience.

7) What are the steps involved in a decision tree?

The goal here is to show your understanding of the methodology and its practical applications. Outline the key steps in creating a decision tree , which typically include data collection and preparation, choosing a splitting criterion, growing the tree by splitting nodes, pruning the tree, and validating the model.

"In my previous role as a data analyst, I often used decision trees for classification and prediction tasks. The process starts with data collection and preparation, ensuring data quality and relevance. For example, when analyzing traffic congestion patterns, I gathered data on time, weather conditions, and event schedules. Next, I selected an appropriate splitting criterion, such as Gini impurity or information gain, to determine how to split the data at each node. In this traffic analysis, I used information gain to identify the factors most contributing to congestion. After growing the tree to a suitable depth, I pruned it to avoid overfitting, ensuring the model's generalizability. Finally, I validated the model with a separate dataset. This decision tree helped in predicting congestion levels with significant accuracy, which informed better traffic management strategies."

The answer methodically outlines the steps involved in creating a decision tree, showing a clear understanding of the process. Using terms like 'Gini impurity,' 'information gain,' and 'overfitting' demonstrates your technical proficiency.

8) How much time do you spend on unit testing?

Describe how you balance unit testing with other development tasks. It’s important to convey that while you dedicate sufficient time to testing, you also manage time effectively to meet project deadlines.

"In my development work, I consider unit testing an integral part of the process. Generally, I allocate around 30-40% of my development time to unit testing. This ensures that each component of the codebase is thoroughly tested, leading to fewer bugs and more reliable code. For instance, in a recent project where we developed a real-time traffic alert system, I spent significant time writing and refining unit tests. This was crucial for ensuring the accuracy and performance of the system, especially under varying traffic conditions. The tests not only helped catch and fix several critical bugs early but also made the codebase more maintainable and scalable. I believe this approach aligns well your company’s emphasis on reliability and performance in their app development."

The answer highlights the significance of unit testing in software development. It presents a realistic and balanced view of time management, showing that you value both quality and efficiency.

9) What type of UX framework do you prefer?

Briefly list a few UX frameworks you are familiar with. This might include Design Thinking, Lean UX, or the Google Design Sprint. Clearly state which UX framework you prefer and why.

"In my UX design experience, I've worked with various frameworks, but my preferred choice is the Lean UX framework. I appreciate its focus on rapid iteration, user feedback, and a collaborative approach to design. For example, in a recent project, I applied Lean UX to redesign a mobile navigation app's interface. We started with minimal viable products, conducted quick user testing sessions, and iteratively improved the design based on real user feedback. This approach not only accelerated the design process but also ensured that the final product closely aligned with user needs and preferences. I find that Lean UX, with its emphasis on flexibility and user-centricity, is particularly effective in fast-paced and user-driven environments, where understanding and responding to user behavior is key."

The answer shows familiarity with various UX frameworks, indicating a broad understanding of the field. It explains the preference for Lean UX, focusing on aspects like rapid iteration and user feedback, which are crucial in UX design.

10) How do you determine what an end-user needs?

For this question, mention various methods you use to understand user needs, such as surveys, interviews, user testing, or analysis of usage data. Then, explain how you use data from user interactions and feedback to make informed decisions.

"In my approach to understanding end-user needs, I combine direct user research with data analysis. For instance, in a previous project where we developed a ride-sharing app, I conducted user interviews to gather qualitative insights into what users valued most in such an app. We complemented this with a survey that reached a broader user base to validate our findings. Also, we analyzed user interaction data with the app's prototype to identify patterns and pain points. This multi-faceted approach helped us uncover that users were particularly concerned about safety features and ease of finding rides. As a result, we focused on enhancing these aspects in the final product. I believe this method of combining direct user feedback with data-driven insights would be particularly effective, where understanding diverse user needs is crucial for improving navigation and traffic solutions."

The answer covers various methods of understanding user needs. Mentioning the use of data analysis indicates your ability to combine qualitative insights with quantitative evidence.

11) What’s the largest data set you’ve ever worked with?

Start by specifying the size of the largest data set you've worked with. Briefly explain the project or task where you worked with this data set. This gives context to your experience.

"The largest data set I've worked with was during my time at [Previous Company], where I handled a data set of approximately 500 million GPS records, amounting to about 2 terabytes of data. My role involved analyzing this data to identify patterns in urban mobility and traffic trends. To manage and process this extensive data set, I used a combination of SQL for data querying and Python for more complex analyses, including machine learning models for predictive analysis. The project required not only efficient data handling but also careful consideration of data privacy and security. This experience, I believe, aligns well with the scale and nature of data that your company works with, particularly in analyzing traffic patterns and user behavior to enhance navigation solutions."

Quantifying the data set size provides a clear understanding of the scale of data you've handled, while highlighting your specific role shows direct involvement and expertise.

12) How would you handle a data set with variables missing 25 percent of its values?

Start by recognizing the challenge that missing data poses and its potential impact on analysis.

Then, describe the steps you would take to handle such a dataset, including data imputation, removal of missing data, or using algorithms that can handle missing values.

"In dealing with datasets having a significant portion of missing values, my approach is both cautious and context-dependent. For instance, in a project where 25% of GPS location data was missing, I first assessed the pattern of missingness. Since the data was missing at random, I used multiple imputation techniques to estimate the missing values, leveraging other variables in the dataset. This approach allowed us to retain the integrity of the dataset without compromising on the size. In cases where missing data is systematic or related to critical variables, I might consider removing those records if imputation could lead to biased results. Using Python's Pandas and Scikit-Learn libraries, I've successfully managed such scenarios, ensuring that the subsequent analysis remains valid and reliable. This method of careful assessment and appropriate handling of missing data is crucial in a data-driven environment, where accurate analysis of traffic patterns is key."

This is such a great response because the example provides a real-world scenario where you’ve successfully managed missing data, adding to your credibility.

13) How do you treat outlier values?

Describe the steps you take to assess and treat outliers, such as identifying outliers using statistical methods, analyzing their causes, and deciding whether to keep, adjust, or remove them.

"In my data analysis work, treating outliers is a critical step. For instance, when analyzing traffic speed data, I first used statistical methods like the IQR (Interquartile Range) to identify outliers. In one project, we noticed unusually high speeds at certain times. Instead of immediately discarding these as anomalies, I investigated further and found they coincided with emergency vehicle movements. This insight led us to adjust our analysis approach rather than removing these data points, which enriched our understanding of traffic patterns under different scenarios. This example underscores my approach to outliers: carefully assess their cause and context before deciding on their treatment. Such a method is especially relevant at this company, where nuanced understanding of traffic data is crucial for accurate navigation and traffic predictions."

The answer shows a clear understanding of the importance of outliers in data analysis. It outlines a specific and thoughtful approach to identifying and assessing outliers.

14) Tell me how you’d debug an update

When answering this question, show your systematic approach to problem-solving and your ability to handle complex software issues. Highlight how you balance being thorough with being efficient in your debugging process.

"In debugging an update, my approach is methodical and data-driven. For example, in a recent project, after a major update, users reported a critical navigation error. My first step was to replicate the issue in a controlled environment. I then systematically reviewed recent code changes and utilized debugging tools to isolate the problem. I focused on the areas most affected by the update, particularly new features and modified algorithms. By analyzing the application logs, I identified a flaw in the route calculation logic introduced in the update. This issue was swiftly corrected, tested, and rolled out in a patch. My experience emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to quickly identify and resolve issues, which is essential in a dynamic, user-centric environment, where the reliability of real-time updates is crucial."

The answer outlines a structured and logical debugging process, demonstrating problem-solving skills. It also shows your ability to be both thorough and efficient, which is crucial in a fast-paced tech environment.

15) What would you change about one of your favorite products?

First, pick a product that is somewhat relevant to the company’s domain or the role you're interviewing for. This could be a tech product, a software application, or even a mobile app.

Focus on a particular feature or aspect of the product that you think could be improved, then clearly explain why you believe this change is necessary.

"One of my favorite products is the Slack communication platform. While it excels in many areas, one aspect I’d change is its notification system. Currently, notifications can be overwhelming, especially in large teams or multiple channel subscriptions. To improve this, I would suggest a more intelligent, context-aware notification system. This system could learn from user behavior to prioritize notifications based on urgency and the user’s interaction patterns with different channels and team members. For example, if a user frequently interacts with certain channels or individuals, the system would prioritize these notifications. This change would enhance the user experience by reducing notification clutter, making it easier for users to focus on high-priority communications. This kind of smart, user-centric feature is also critical in apps, where delivering timely and relevant information is key to the user experience."

The answer pinpoints a specific feature - the notification system - which is a common pain point for many users. It explains why this change is needed, emphasizing user experience and productivity.

What to expect from a technical interview

The format and content of a technical interview can vary depending on the role and company, but they generally include some key elements:

Problem-Solving Questions: You may be asked to solve technical problems or puzzles to demonstrate their analytical skills and problem-solving abilities. This often involves writing code or working through technical scenarios in real time.

Technical Knowledge Assessment: Interviewers ask questions related to specific technologies, programming languages, tools, or methodologies relevant to the job. This tests your depth of knowledge in your field.

Coding Challenges: For software development roles, you might be asked to write or review code. This can be done on a whiteboard, on a computer, or as part of a take-home assignment.

System Design Questions: These questions assess your ability to design complex systems. You might be asked to design a software system, database schema, or algorithm.

Behavioral Questions: While the focus is on technical skills, some interviews also include behavioral questions to understand how you might fit into the team and company culture.

Technical Task or Project Review: Sometimes, you’re asked to discuss a past project or task they have worked on, focusing on the technical aspects and challenges they faced.

Technical interviews require preparation and practice, especially in areas like problem-solving and coding. To ace your next technical interview, prepare yourself by reviewing fundamental concepts, practicing coding problems, and doing mock interviews.

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Technical Interview Questions – A Complete 2023 List

Technical Interview Questions – In this Interview Preparation Guide , we have tried to cover all the important technical i nterview questions and provide you with resources that you can use to prepare for your interview and ace it with confidence.

However, Technical interviews can be challenging and stressful, especially if unprepared. There are many different types of technical questions that you may encounter, depending on the position and the technology that you are applying for.

Table of Content

What is a Technical Interview?

Top paying companies interview guide, programming languages technical interview questions, web development technical interview questions, web frameworks technical interview questions, ai & ml technical interview questions, data science technical interview questions, computer science technical interview questions, software testing technical interview questions, how to prepare for a technical interview.

Technical interviews are a crucial part of the hiring process for many tech companies like Amazon , Microsoft , Cisco , Google , Facebook , etc. as they test your technical skills, knowledge, and problem-solving abilities.

The purpose of a technical interview is to test how you solve real-world problems, not to trick you with riddles or impossible questions. While technical interviews can be intimidating, preparation can make the process easier. They also help employers to assess your fit for the role and the company culture.

Preparing for technical interviews can be difficult due to each company’s unique hiring process. However, there are common trends among tech companies. To assist job seekers, we’ve gathered information on popular service and product-based companies, including technical interview rounds, coding questions, tips, and FAQs. So, keep reading the article and explore the technical interview questions.

Programming (Language, Tools & Technologies) Interview Questions

Here in this section, you have listed all the important programming languages, tools, and technologies for interview questions. You can easily navigate to the required section and explore the interview questions related to that topic.

Preparation Tips for Technical Interview:

One important step in studying for a job is to review the job description to identify the necessary skills. This might include learning data structures, coding in a specific language, or using business intelligence tools.
Explain how you approach problem-solving and logical reasoning to demonstrate your critical thinking abilities to a hiring person.
Do not hesitate to ask for more information if you do not understand the question. In case you do not know the answer to a question, tell the interviewer or ask probing questions to learn more. This may aid you in finding the right answer.
To enhance your programming abilities, it’s recommended to try out coding assignments and brain teasers.

In Summary, Technical interviews can be challenging due to the extensive and rigorous nature of the interview process, as well as the variation in hiring processes and required skills. To help ease pressure and bridge the gap, we have created a set of easy-to-follow technical interview questions and answers guides covering all aspects of software engineering interview preparation, including technical rounds, interview questions, coding problems, and tips. Once you have completed these interview guides, you will be well-prepared for your upcoming technical interview.

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Technical support interview questions, download pdf.

The nature of work is evolving. New technological advances are opening up new avenues for automation and artificial intelligence. While it is unknown how this will affect overall job statistics, one thing is certain: technological abilities will be in great demand.

What is Technical Support?

As businesses expand and require additional support services when upgrading or purchasing new hardware and software systems, the demand for technical support experts will rise.

Technical support engineers work with a wide range of internal and external clients in a variety of industries, including telecommunications, healthcare, and financial services. Customers with technical, software, and/or hardware issues are assisted by technical support specialists. Answering customers' technical questions by phone and email, as well as diagnosing and troubleshooting various technological issues, are standard technical support jobs and responsibilities.

Even if a technical support engineer goes by another name, their roles and responsibilities would be the same: to provide technical help when it's needed to improve the customer experience. These engineers should have strong verbal and written communication skills in addition to great analytical and problem-solving abilities. When working under pressure, a technical support engineer should be able to remain calm. They must be able to convey technical issues to a variety of colleagues and clients, which means they must be able to describe issues and fixes in a way that both the computer guru and the tech-challenged user can understand. They must also be good listeners, paying close attention to the user's concerns and resolving his or her issue.

The following sections consist of basic to advanced questions that will assist you in preparing for the technical support interview:

Technical Support Interview Questions for Freshers

Technical support interview questions for experienced.

Technical Support FAQ

1. In device management, what does a '?' symbol mean?

This '?' symbol indicates that the device is not correctly installed. In the instance of brand new plug-in cards, this is a problem.

2. List the advantages of updating the BIOS.

The following are some of the advantages to upgrading your BIOS:

Hardware updates: New BIOS upgrades will help the motherboard to properly recognize new hardware such as processors, RAM, and other components. If your processor has been updated, but the BIOS does not detect it, a BIOS flash may be the solution.
Updated BIOS security: The new BIOS updates include security enhancements that assist your BIOS to withstand manipulation and raise awareness of malware in the boot region (if your motherboard supports boot sector scanning).
Increased stability: As flaws and other issues with motherboards are found, the manufacturer will offer BIOS updates to fix them. This might have an immediate impact on data transfer and processing performance.

3. What is a stack, and can ROM be used as one?

The content of the program counter and general-purpose registers are saved in the stack, which is a piece of RAM. Because ROM cannot be written on, it cannot be used as a stack.

4. What is cache memory? What is the benefit of having additional cache memory in a processor?

The memory space between the processor and the RAM is known as cache memory. The system's speed will grow as the cache memory is increased.

5. What is overclocking? What are the benefits of overclocking?

Overclocking: It is a method of forcing a computer component to operate at a faster clock rate.

Improves the performance of the CPU.
It is cost-effective.
Allows PC games and applications to run more quickly.

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6. what exactly is a chipset what's the difference between a processor and a motherboard.

A chipset is one of the computer's processing units. It's a collection of integrated circuits that regulate the flow of data between all the other components and the processor. It is a collection of microchips that work together to accomplish one or more functions. All other components, including the CPU, memory, and sockets for external connectors and drives, are connected to the motherboard. A motherboard's chipset is a built-in feature. A processor, on the other hand, is a major integrated circuit block that performs functions in response to instructions from a software program. It is based on the system's logic, arithmetic, and input/output.

7. What is a heat sink, and how does it help the system?

A heat sink component is used to reduce the temperature of a gadget. It's on the microprocessor, and if it's not working properly, the system will shut down on its own.

8. What is a jumper, and why do you require one?

An electric circuit is closed by a jumper, which is a metal bridge. A jumper is a plastic plug that is inserted between two projecting pins. It's used to alter the board's settings.

9. What exactly is the Windows Recovery Environment (WRE)? How do you gain access to it?

Windows RE (Windows Recovery Environment) is a recovery environment. It's used to fix the most common causes of operating system failure. The Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) is centred on the Windows Pre-installation Environment (Windows PE) (Windows PE). Additional drivers, languages, Windows PE Optional Components, as well as other Troubleshooting and diagnostic tools, can all be simply added. Windows RE comes preinstalled in Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012 R2 installs by default.

Using either of the following steps, we may simply access the Windows RE features from the Boot Options menu:

Select Start, Power, Shift, and Restart, then press down the Shift key.
Choose Start, Settings, Update and Security, Recovery from the Start menu. Now, select Restart from the "Advanced startup" menu.
To accomplish this, open a command prompt and type shutdown /r /o .

10. If your computer's audio isn't working or there's no sound coming from it, how would you solve this problem?

To resolve the issue of "audio not working or no audio from your computer," we must follow the instructions outlined below:

Examine the connections between the cables.
Make sure the speakers have power.
Make sure the volume is turned up.
Search for device drivers.

11. What does SATA stand for in full? What is the purpose of it?

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment is the full name for SATA. This is a high-speed computer bus interface that transfers data between the central circuit board of a computer and storage devices such as hard disc drives and optical discs. SATA was created to replace the PATA (Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment) interface, which had been in use for a long time.

12. Assume you need to view a file on a shared disc but are unable to do so for some reason. What would you do if you were in this situation?

I'll start by seeing if the machine that's sharing the drive is turned on. If that's the case, I'll examine the other files which I have authority to access to determine if the problem is widespread. I'll also double-check that I have the proper permissions to view that file. If everything is in order, but I still can't access that file, I'll double-check that the programs are up to the task of copying that file to our local drive. I'll also double-check that the file isn't already in use by someone else.

13. What issues could arise if you are unable to see the display?

When you can not see the display, you may encounter the following issues:

Concerns about power.
Problems with the heat sink.
Problems with the CPU fan.
Incorrect Jumper settings.

14. In the context of the network, what is a Gateway?

A gateway is indeed a hardware device that functions as a gate across networks, such as a firewall, server, or router. It enables data or traffic to travel between networks. A gateway is a node that sits at the network's edge and protects the rest of the network's nodes. Before entering or leaving the network, all data must pass through the gateway node. A gateway can also convert data from the outside network into something like a protocol or format that all internal network devices can comprehend.

15. What are the benefits and drawbacks of employing imaging software?

The following are some of the benefits and drawbacks of utilizing imaging software:

The Benefits of Imaging Software:

Using Imaging Software, we can exactly replicate data from one hard disc to another.
It is used to transmit complex drive pictures to one or more computers across the network at the same time.
If the utility recognizes particular file system partitions, it can resize them for a variety of file systems.

The Drawbacks of Imaging Software:

It has a poor understanding of file systems, culminating in block-by-block copying of the source hard disc into the image. This is why it takes so long.
For large discs, it is slow and requires a long time to finish the operation.
It allows for some mistake recovery or detection during the image development and distribution process.
It is pricey. The most advanced imaging software is both commercial and costly.

16. What is Ghost Imaging? What is it used for?

Ghost imaging is a software-driven backup technique that copies complex disc contents to another server in the form of a compressed file or a series of files known as an image. It can also restore a ghost image to its original state if necessary. It's frequently used while reinstalling an operating system. Cloning is another term for ghost imaging.

The following are some of the applications of ghost imaging:

It's utilised to make it possible to clone a system onto another or to swiftly recover a system.
It's frequently used to quickly set up groups of Tablets, Notebooks, or Servers. It's also utilised to move files from one computer or disc to another.

17. What is the ‘Blue Screen of Death’ and how would you fix it?

The BSoD (Blue Screen of Death, Black screen in Windows 11) is usually caused by incorrectly installed software, hardware, or settings; thus, it can easily be fixed. However, in certain circumstances, the BSoD arises due to a corrupt operating system or hardware inside the computer, requiring you to reinstall your operating system or bring your computer to a tech department for repair.

Here are some troubleshooting tips for BSoD:

Uninstall incompatible software.
Run a virus scan.
Run a memory checker.
Check for hard drive errors.
Remove non-essential peripherals.
Replace defective or incompatible expansion cards.
Run SetupDiag after a failed Windows update.
Try running the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) service (fixing the ‘critical process died’ error).
Cleaning setup files.

18. How well do you understand disc partitioning? What is the maximum number of partitions a hard drive can have?

A disc partition is a storage partition that separates the hard drive into tiny storage areas. It is used to efficiently and effectively arrange the data. Users should keep their apps and operating system data on one partition while their data is on another. It's vital because if you have a problem with Windows, you can quickly format the partition and reinstall the OS without affecting the data partition. We can partition the hard disc into up to four primary partitions, with three primary partitions and one extended partition. We can build a larger number of logical partitions in the expanded partition.

19. What do the various lights on the modem mean?

The power lights on the modem indicate whether the power is on or off. The next light is the link light, which indicates whether the modem is receiving broadband from the ISP. Data light is used to check if the internet is operating. The connectivity indicator indicates whether the modem is connected to the computer.

20. What exactly do you mean by BOOT.INI? What are the many sections inside it?

The boot choices for Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, and XP are included in the BOOT.INI file, which is a Microsoft initialization file. It is always found in the root directory of the primary hard disc, i.e, the C drive.

BOOT.INI is divided into two sections:

The boot loader section, including option settings, pertains to all system boot entries, such as default, timeout, and so on.
The section about operating systems is as follows: It has one or more boot entries for each bootable program or operating system installed on the computer.

1. Is it possible to change the BOOT.INI file manually?

Yes, it is possible. However, before manually altering the BOOT.INI, make a backup in case something goes wrong. Go over to the control panel and from there to the System option to edit the file. In the properties window, select the advanced tab.

There is a startup and recovery option there; go to its Settings. To edit BOOT.INI, select the edit option. Remove the 3GB switch and replace it with a PAE switch on servers with more than 4GB of installed physical memory for launching the file. The file should be saved and then closed. Quit the Control Panel by clicking OK twice.

2. If you get a message that says "invalid drive configuration" when you boot up your computer, what do you believe is the source of this problem?

This issue could be caused by either of the following circumstances:

The System Unit's hard-disk cable is not connected to the Controller.
The hard disc drive has stopped working.
There is no partitioning on the hard disc drive.

3. My printer outputs faded text, low-quality photos, and smudges. So, what should I do now?

First, double-check that the print driver's media and paper selections are correct. Then, double-check that the paper you're printing on matches the kind you choose in the print driver. If everything appears to be in order, try manually adjusting and setting the fuser. Adjusting the fuse should be done with caution because it gets hot.

Print a few blank sheets of paper to remove Smudge marks. If this does not cure the problem, maybe the issue is caused by the hardware or supplies.

4. I'm using Windows 10 and I'm getting a blank screen with the cursor visible. This occurs every time I log in and every time I update. So, what can I do now?

If the issue persists before logging in, try the instructions below:

To access the project menu, hold down the Windows key and press P. It's natural, however, that you won't be able to see anything.
Press Enter after pressing the up and down arrows several times.
You should be able to see your screen if it works; if not, retry this step a few more times.
If you're logging in with a password-protected account, press CTRL or space to input the password and push enter. You may need to go through a couple of trials before you finish.

If the above method does not work, follow the steps below to uninstall the graphic card driver.

Press alt+ctrl+del to open the Task Manager.
Go to the file folder and then start a new task.
Enter the command devmgmt.msc.
Go to safe mode if you can't open the task manager.
Hold down the Windows key and also the X key, then select Device Manager.
Locate the graphic card, right-click it, and select Delete/Disable Driver Software from the menu.

The dark screen should disappear after restarting your computer.

There are a few more steps you can take. In the device manager, you can turn off the onboard graphics. You can deactivate the dual monitor plus CPU Graphics Multi-Monitor in the BIOS. You could also try updating your BIOS or uninstalling the programs that are causing the issue. You could instead use HDMI rather than DVI to connect your display. Numerous different procedures can assist you in resolving the blank screen problem.

5. Your customer complains about his desktop PC running too slow. How would you attempt to fix it?

Apart from the obvious solutions such as adding more RAM, expanding hard disc space, and installing an SSD, the following are some other options for fixing a slow computer.

Open task manager and look at which apps are consuming the most CPU resources. If you can, turn off those programs or uninstall them if they're no longer useful.
Uninstall any programs that you don't use or just use sometimes.
Any app can store temporary files in the Temp folder. Apps should normally clean up after themselves by deleting any temporary files they produce. They may, however, fail to do so if they run into unforeseen setup issues or if your computer dies for some other reason while they are executing. Click on the "Windows" folder under My Computer. Delete all files in the "Temp" folder by opening it.
Right-click on your hard drive in My Computer. Select the Tools to tab from the Properties menu. Select Defragment Now or Optimise from the menu.

6. If you turn on a computer and see the error message "C:system32config File Missing Or Corrupt," it means the boot process has stopped. What is the cause of this? How would you fix this?

This error is known to happen in the event of the following factors:

The Windows registry has been corrupted: The Windows registry can be corrupted for a variety of causes, including virus attacks, power outages, disc write problems, and human errors while manually changing the registry.

Fixing “\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM is missing or corrupt” on Windows:

Method 1: Restore corrupted registry with Easy Recovery Essentials

The built-in Automated Repair feature in Easy Recovery Essentials can naturally fix a variety of issues like these. EasyRE is currently compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8, and can be downloaded and obtained on any computer system.

Burn the bootable ISO image with extreme caution, as creating a bootable CD might be challenging! You can also generate a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick or disc.
Boot up your device with the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB previously made.
When EasyRE is up and running, select "Automated Repair" and click Continue.
After EasyRE has completed scanning your computer's discs, go to the list and choose the drive letter for your existing Windows installation, then click the Automated Repair option to begin the repair procedure.
Easy Recovery Essentials will start scanning the selected drive for errors. EasyRE will automatically search the disc, partitions, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry for errors and try to fix them. Because
EasyRE's repair is automated, no human intervention is required.
After the process is finished, EasyRE will report its findings. Select the Restart option to reboot your computer and test the modifications.
As your computer begins to load, the error "WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIGSYSTEM is missing or corrupt" must be rectified.

Method 2: Reboot your device into “Last Known Good Configuration”

When a machine is restarted into the "Last Known Good Configuration" state, it uses a version of the Windows registry that was saved from the last time it booted correctly. All registry-related boot issues should be resolved if the last registry backup is accessible and in good form.

The following are the processes for returning a PC to its previous state:

Start the computer again.
Before proceeding, wait for the BIOS to complete POST (the screen with the manufacturer's logo and/or system details).
Continue pressing F8 until you see a range of boot options.
From the drop-down box, choose "Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced)."
After pressing Enter, wait for the machine to boot up.

Method 3: Check the disk file system with the CHKDSK utility

Because a malfunctioning registry is typically the origin of the problem, checking and repairing the Windows file system with CHKDSK could be a viable alternative.

Follow these instructions to run CHKDSK from the Windows XP Recovery Console:

In the drive, insert the Windows XP installation CD.
Restart the computer and choose the CD drive as the first boot option.
Press any key to boot from the CD.
To open Repair Console, click R once the Windows Options menu displays.
Fill in the Administrator password.
When the Command Prompt displays, type the following command: chkdsk C: /r
Press the Enter key.
Unplug the CD and press the exit key.
Restart your computer.

Method 4: Manually restore the registry

The defective registry can also be fixed by replacing it with a fresh copy created while Windows was being installed on the hard drive. This step will restore the system to a state that may differ significantly from its present state; nevertheless, user data will still be accessible. This technique should be avoided if the system has an OEM-installed operating system because the system registry hive upon OEM installations generates passwords and user accounts that did not even exist previously.

To begin, create a backup of all existing registry files, which can be restored if anything goes wrong. The current registry is then deleted and replaced with a fresh one from the C:WindowsRepair folder. After the boot procedure is complete, you have the option of backing up all user data and reinstalling Windows from scratch or specifically restoring the system registry to a more current version supported by System Restore.

7. A customer complains about his missing DVD drive on Windows from the list of devices on My Computer. What solution would you suggest?

The following are the list of methods to fix this issue:

Drivers must be installed again: By heading to Start, Control Panel, System and Security, System, and then Device Manager, you can replace the drivers for the CD/DVD drive. Expand CD/DVD-ROM Drives, now right-click the device and select Uninstall from the drop-down menu. When you restart your computer, Windows should recognise the disc and reinstall the drivers automatically. If your hardware does not appear in Device Manager, you may have a hardware issue, such as a defective connection or a dead hard drive. If your computer is old, this is a good alternative to consider.
Examine the BIOS settings: If you were recently in the BIOS, double-check that the drive wasn't accidentally disabled. This is extremely uncommon, although it can happen in rare circumstances. This is particularly true if you entrusted your computer to others for repairs or other services. Make sure the CD/DVD ROM drive is at least listed as an option on the Boot options page.
Upper/ Lower Filters Problem: If your Windows XP or Windows Vista system is unable to identify the CD/DVD drive, you may be experiencing a common issue that will not appear on any computer that has received the most recent Windows updates. To fix the problem with Windows XP and Vista, you must update two registry entries. You have the option of downloading the repair from Microsoft or doing it manually. You have to delete the upper filters and the lower filters and restart your device.

Run the Troubleshooter for Hardware and Devices: If you're having trouble with Windows 7, try running the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter. This will instantly diagnose the issue and attempt to fix it. This will most likely only work if the CD/DVD drive is visible in the BIOS and Device Manager, but not elsewhere in Windows. You have a hardware or connection issue if you don't see it in those two areas. By heading to Start, Control Panel, and then typing troubleshooter into the search box, you can start the troubleshooter. Select Troubleshooting from the drop-down menu. Finally, click Configure a device under Hardware and Sound. When you click Next, Windows will automatically detect and attempt to resolve any issues.
Registry edit: If none of the above methods works, you might attempt editing a registry key that has been removed or corrupted.
Drive letter: You should also double-check that the drive does have a drive letter assigned to this and that the letter hasn't already been occupied by another device. To see whether the drive letter is leading the drive to show up now, read my earlier post on how to alter drive letters in Windows.
System Restore: If you're still having problems and your drive was showing up before but is now missing, you can try doing a system restore to a time since it was working properly. A new software package can sometimes corrupt your system, causing it to stop recognising your CD/DVD drive.

8. Your customer complains about the USB not recognized issue. How would you fix it?

Here are some of the most effective alternatives for you to consider:

Restart: A simple reboot will sometimes fix an unrecognised USB device. Restart your computer after plugging out your USB device and waiting a few minutes. Connect your USB device once more.
Attempt to use a different computer: Attempt to connect your USB device to a different device. If it doesn't function on the second PC, maybe your gadget is to blame. Perhaps you'll need to have it repaired or purchase a new one.
Remove any other USB devices: Too many USB devices within the same machine may cause a conflict, causing certain devices to cease working. You should disconnect all other USB devices and test the device you wish to use.
Press the Windows symbol key and R simultaneously on your keyboard. Press Enter after typing devmgmt.msc.
Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers by clicking the down arrow. Right-click the USB Root Hub and choose Properties from the drop-down menu.
Uncheck the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save the power box on the Power Management tab. Click the OK button.

If you have multiple USB Root Hubs, you will need to repeat this procedure. After each performance, keep in mind to click OK. After you've made your changes, plug your USB device back in to test if your computer recognises it. If your USB device still doesn’t switch on after that, click the Allow the computer to turn off this device to preserve the power box.

Manual driver update – One can manually update your USB port driver by visiting your PC's manufacturer's website and searching for the most up-to-date correct driver. Make sure you select the only driver that works with your Windows version.
Get Driver Easy and install it.
Launch Driver Easy and select Scan Now. After that, Driver Easy will check your computer for any problematic drivers.
To automatically download and install the proper version of any flagged drivers, click the Update button next to that driver, or click Update All to instantly download and install the proper version of all missing or out-of-date drivers on your system.
Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options is the approach to take.
Click on Choose what the power button does.
Change any settings that are presently unavailable by clicking Change.
Uncheck the box for Turn on fast startup and then click Save changes.
Restart your device and connect to the USB device to test whether it works.

If your USB device still doesn't work after this adjustment, return to the previous configuration and proceed to the next step.

Select Power Options from the Control Panel.
Change the plan's settings by clicking Change plan settings.
Click Advanced power parameters can be changed.
USB settings and USB selective suspend settings should be expanded.
Both the On battery and Plugged settings should be disabled.]
Apply and then OK.

9. What would you do if your machine was constantly booting into Safe Mode? There are no warnings or errors.

After you've figured out your previous issues and rectified them, your computer should start up normally. It is possible, though, that your computer will become locked in Safe Mode. If your computer keeps rebooting in this manner and you want to exit Safe Mode, you'll need to make adjustments to get it back to normal.

To begin, double-check the System Configuration tool. You can also perform the following actions:

Open the Command Prompt by pressing Windows + R.
To open the menu, type "msconfig" and press Enter.
Select the "Boot" tab from the drop-down menu.

If the "Safe boot" box is checked, uncheck it.
Turn on your PC.

If the box isn't checked, you'll have to go back to the original menu. Though you're using Windows 7 or earlier, hit the F8 key as if you're attempting to enter Safe Mode. Once the Advanced Boot Options menu appears, select the "Start Windows Normally" option with your arrow keys.

In Windows 8 and 10, go to the Shutdown option and do the aforementioned:

While clicking "Restart," hold down the Shift key and select the Troubleshoot page.
Select Advanced Options and afterwards Startup Settings from the drop-down menu.
Start your computer again.

Although Windows will not start normally, it will display the Startup Settings page, where you can select the "back to your operating system" option. From there, your operating system will load normally.

10. After you install Norton device security for Windows, you are not able to connect to the Internet again. How will you fix it?

An issue with internet access can occur for a variety of reasons. It could be due to a temporary issue with your service provider or a firewall-related issue with your machine. We need to figure out what's causing this issue before we can repair it.

TURN OFF YOUR FIREWALL TEMPORARILY AND INSPECT THE CONNECTION.

Open the Norton Device Security app on your computer.
If you get the My Norton window, click Open next to Device Security.
Select Settings options.
Click Firewall in the Settings window.
Click the slider next to Smart Firewall on the General Settings page to turn it off.
Click Apply, then Permanently from the drop-down selection in the Protection Alert dialogue box.
Click the OK button.
Access the internet to see if you can connect to the Internet.
Turn on Smart Firewall after repeating steps 1–4.
Before proceeding, make certain that Smart Firewall is turned on.

Select one of the following options based on whether you can access the websites after turning off the firewall:

Activate Norton.
Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
Click Reset next to Firewall Reset on the General Settings tab.
Click Yes in the confirmation window.
After that, click Apply and then Close.
Even after disabling the firewall, I am unable to visit the Norton website. Uninstall and reinstall your Norton software if you still can't access the Internet after disabling the firewall.

11. In Windows 10, network computers are not visible in Explorer. How would you go about resolving this?

Because the problem of not seeing all network machines in Windows 10 can occur for several reasons, I'll go over all of the possible solutions in this context.

Method 1: Configure the most recent version of Windows 10.

In Windows 10 versions 1709, 1803 & 1809, the issue "Network does not show machines" occurs. The issue has been resolved in the most recent Windows 10 versions. So, before trying the procedures below, upgrade your system to the most recent version of Windows 10 (1909).

Method 2: Using the IP Address to directly access the shares.

The next step is to type "\\" and the static IP address of the computer hosting the shared folder in the explorer's address bar to resolve the issue(s). After you've accessed the shares, right-click on the shared folder and select Map a Network Drive to make it easier to access the folders at any time.

Method 3: Make the necessary changes to the Network Discovery settings.

Modifying the network discovery settings and the "Function Discovery" services as below is the next step in viewing the other machines in your network:

STEP 1: ENABLE NETWORK DISCOVERY.
STEP 2: AUTOMATICALLY RUN THE REQUIRED SERVICES.
Set the 'Startup type' of the following four services in the Windows Services panel as follows:

Function Discovery Provider Host (fdPHost) -> Automatic Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub) -> Automatic Delayed Start SSDP Discovery > Manual -> Manual UPnP Device Host > Manual -> Manual

Method 4: Restart the Service of Function Discovery Resource Publication (FDResPub).

Restarting the FDResPub service is another way to fix the "Windows 10 not seeing network computers" problem. To do so, right-click on the Function Discovery Resource Publication service and select Restart from the menu that appears.

Method 5: Remove the Function Discovery Resource Publication service's trigger.

Type the following command in Command Prompt as Administrator: sc triggerinfo FDResPub delete
Check to see whether you can see the network computers after restarting your computer.

Note: Type the following command to restore the removed trigger: sc triggerinfo FDResPub start/strcustom/fbcfac3f-8460-419f-8e48-1f0b49cdb85e/PROFILE_CHANGED_TO_PRIVATE

Method 6: Enable support for SMB 1.0/CIFS file sharing.

If you still can't find the other computers on your network after using the aforementioned techniques, go ahead and enable the 'SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support' function.

Note: Because SMB v1 isn't secure, Microsoft suggests mapping network drives rather than enabling it.

Method 7: In Windows 10 Pro, enable Remote Desktop.

This method is only applicable to Windows 10 Professional Editions.

In Windows Explorer, right-click on the This PC icon and choose Properties.
On the left, select Remote Settings.

Note : In the most recent Windows 10 versions, select Remote Desktop from the left pane and then turn on the Remote Desktop switch on the right. Finally, press the Confirm button.

Choose Allow remote connections to this computer on the Remote tab, then Apply & OK.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what skills are needed for technical support.

Technical support engineers are often required to have at least an associate's degree in computer science or a related subject. There are various abilities required to be a good technical support engineer. One crucial feature is solid communication skills, which allow the tech support engineer to engage with clients in normal, layman language while remaining coherent and comprehensible, as well as being kind and patient. They should be efficient, problem-solving experts, and naturally creative. Because the job has no set hours, the tech support engineer must be flexible with their work schedules because a problem with a client's device might occur at any moment. They must have managerial and organisational abilities to accomplish projects properly. They must have not only good technical skills, but also be conversant with a variety of hardware, software applications, and operating systems.

2. How to prepare for a technical support interview?

A technical support job combines computer knowledge, know-how, and customer service skills into one position. Its goal is to assist consumers with computer-related concerns.

Some employers prefer candidates with a formal degree, such as a bachelor's or equivalent, while others seek candidates with a basic understanding of computers and the capacity to learn on the job. If you're interviewing for a technical support position, you may expect to be asked a variety of troubleshooting questions. There will be hardware and software-related questions. You'll be asked how you'll figure out what's wrong and how you'll fix it. The interviewers will be searching for good interpersonal and communication skills in addition to a thorough understanding of computers. The questions and best possible answers to the most often requested technical support interview questions are listed above.

3. What made you get into technical support?

This question can assist the interviewer in gaining a better grasp of the applicant's motivations. What the interviewer is looking for in a response:

The candidate is enthusiastic about providing technical support.
The candidate comes out as authentic and honest.
The candidate is aware of the larger goal of technical support.

An example of a response:

"I chose to work in technical support because I've always been fascinated by technology and enjoy interacting with people. I want to put my technical expertise to work directly in solving problems for clients. I want to be the person who makes people's lives easier and more fun when they have a problem."

Additional Interview Resources

Networking Interview Questions
Web Services Interview Questions
Technical Interview Questions
DXC Interview Questions

Technical Support MCQ Questions

Where do the updates to the bios get saved?

You get the following problem notice when you attempt to boot the computer: Non-system disc or disc error. Which of the following is the most likely reason for this error message?

Steve turns on his computer, which generates two short beeps after a brief delay. The boots, on the other hand, work perfectly. What's the matter with his system?

Sean claims that his system was good yesterday, but that he is unable to boot today. You assume a corrupt master boot record is causing the system to fail to boot. Which utility is the most effective in resolving this issue?

What is the shortcut command for getting to the device manager?

The command-line tool used to move data from an old computer to a new computer is ____.

The name of an encrypted folder is displayed in ____ colour lettering, indicating that it is encrypted.

Which of the following causes a POST beep code message to appear?

In Windows XP, which command will use the recovery console to create a fresh boot sector?

Which term describes the router that your computer uses to access the Internet?

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15 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions
Technical Problem-Solving Interview Question Examples. Evaluating a candidates' problem-solving skills while using coding challenges might seem intimidating. The secret is that coding challenges test many things at the same time — like the candidate's knowledge of data structures and algorithms, clean code practices, and proficiency in ...
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MIKE'S TIP: When you're answering this question, quantify the details. This gives your answer critical context and scale, showcasing the degree of challenge and strength of the accomplishment. That way, your answer is powerful, compelling, and, above all, thorough. 2. Describe a time where you made a mistake.
8 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions and Answers
Problem-solving interview questions are questions that employers ask related to the candidate's ability to gather data, analyze a problem, weigh the pros and cons and reach a logical decision. Also known as analytical skills interview questions, these questions will often focus on specific instances when the candidate analyzed a situation or ...
10 Proven Problem-solving Interview Questions [+Answers]
Problem-solving interview questions show how candidates: Approach complex issues. Analyze data to understand the root of the problem. Perform under stressful and unexpected situations. React when their beliefs are challenged. Identify candidates who are results-oriented with interview questions that assess problem-solving skills. Look for ...
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Technical interviews typically include behavioral questions, situational questions and technical problem-solving questions. Whether you are just starting out in the technical field or are a seasoned professional, knowing the types of questions to expect during a technical interview can help you prepare your answers carefully to showcase your ...
How to Prepare for Technical Interviews
So here are my main tips for nailing your technical interviews. 1. Prepare for the Interview. This is important for all kind of interviews, but for technical interviews I think it's crucial. Your chances of passing these evaluations are way lower if you don't prepare correctly for them. Here are some ideas that allowed me to better prepare ...
30 Technical Interview Questions to Help You Prepare
A technical interview often happens as part of the interview process at a technology company and applies to specific tech-heavy roles, such as those in engineering, product, or design. ... and hypothetical situations that aim to understand your problem-solving skills better. Technical questions for tech-heavy jobs. The questions below vary by ...
30 Technical Interview Questions and Tips for Answering
Answering technical interview questions should go beyond simply discussing what you know. There are ways you can frame your responses that better showcase the depth of your knowledge as well as your other abilities. Use the tips below to get started. 1. Talk about your thought process.
Acing the Technical Interview: A Complete Guide
Explaining the design and architecture of a technical problem; While you'll likely be asked to solve a problem, don't worry too much about getting it right. Interviewers are typically more interested in your thought process than your solution. How to prepare for a technical interview. Preparation is the key to a successful technical interview.
Top 20 Technical Interview Questions with Example Answers
Depending on the particular function and industry, technical interview questions might be asked on a wide range of subjects. These inquiries are intended to evaluate applicants' technical expertise, capacity for problem-solving and breadth of subject knowledge. Following are a few examples of typical technical interview categories: 1.
Problem-Solving Interview Questions: How-to + Examples
To put these skills to the test, recruiters use "problem-solving" job interview questions, also known as analytical questions. Here are some common ones: Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem. Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgment and logic in solving a problem.
16 Common Technical Interview Questions & How to Answer Them
4. "Tell me about the most difficult technical challenge you've encountered and how you resolved it.". Bryan Petro, COO of GetMyBoat, asks this technical interview question to make sure prospective employees can do more than check off a box when a problem is fixed.
The Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Technical Interview in 2022
However, the full interview process, from the phone screen to the final interview, could take much longer. Here's a breakdown of some common time ranges: Technical phone/video screen: 15-30 minutes. Remote coding interview/assignment: 1-2 hours. Onsite interview: Often 1 full day of multiple interviews.
Technical interviews: A guide for interviewers & candidates
A technical interview is a method employed by recruiters to evaluate candidates for software engineering and other technical roles. Technical interviews often focus on assessing a candidate's job-relevant technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and communication style. The insights gathered from these interviews should help employers ...
Top 15 Problem Solving Interview Questions and Answers
To handle technical problem-solving questions: Clarify the Issue: Ask for any additional information to fully understand the problem. Create a Plan: Outline the steps you would take to diagnose and address the issue. Demonstrate Your Expertise: Showcase your technical knowledge and problem-solving ability.
Breaking Down Technical Interviews: 5 Commonly Asked Questions and How
To ace your technical interview, preparation is key! In this guide, we'll help you understand the interview process, explore the most common questions, and provide comprehensive tips and strategies to help you prepare effectively. ... These websites offer a variety of coding challenges that will test your problem-solving skills and help you ...
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How to do a technical interview: Essential strategies and tips
Step 5: Live coding and observation. Once you've given an applicant a problem statement to solve during a live coding interview, let them take off and start coding. Quietly observe their approach, code structure, and problem-solving skills as they work through the assessment platform's coding environment.
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Examples of Problem Solving Scenarios in the Workplace. Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else. Overcoming a delay at work through problem solving and communication. Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer. Overcoming issues related to a limited budget, and still delivering good work through the ...
Technical Interview Questions (15 Questions + Answers)
What to expect from a technical interview. The format and content of a technical interview can vary depending on the role and company, but they generally include some key elements: Problem-Solving Questions: You may be asked to solve technical problems or puzzles to demonstrate their analytical skills and problem-solving abilities. This often ...
Technical Interview Questions
What is a Technical Interview? Technical interviews are a crucial part of the hiring process for many tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco, Google, Facebook, etc. as they test your technical skills, knowledge, and problem-solving abilities.. The purpose of a technical interview is to test how you solve real-world problems, not to trick you with riddles or impossible questions.
13 common technical interview questions (With tips and example ...
A technical interview typically includes behavioural questions, technical problem-solving questions and situational questions. Awareness of the typical questions you might face in a technical interview can help you prepare for the interview to highlight your relevant skills and abilities.
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A software engineering interview covers a range of topics, from technical to problem-solving and behavioral. Find the most common questions with answers. ... some key interview skills and techniques that you can use to impress hiring managers through different rounds of the interview process. Technical Software Engineering Interview Questions.
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Before you leave, take this Technical Support Interview Questions interview guide with you. Download PDF exit . Get a Free Personalized Career Roadmap Answer 4 simple questions about you and get a path to a lucrative career ... They should be efficient, problem-solving experts, and naturally creative. Because the job has no set hours, the tech ...
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Coding interviews are aimed at gauging how well-prepared a candidate is in terms of language proficiency, foundational knowledge, problem-solving skills, and soft skills. For a position that explicitly mentions a language, such as a job listing for a Java developer, it makes even more sense to spend some time and energy polishing Java skills by exploring the common interview questions asked in ...
Top 21 UX Interview Questions (& How to Answer Them)
Problem-solving skills: UX design isn't just about design; it's also about helping users solve their biggest challenges. Your answer should demonstrate that you have excellent problem-solving skills. Time management skills: Potential employers want to hire people who meet deadlines consistently. Make sure your answer convinces the ...

15 Common Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Key Takeaways for Effective Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Technical Problem-Solving Interview Question Examples

1. Mini-Max Sum

2. Organizing Containers of Balls

3. Build a Palindrome

4. Subarray Division

5. The Grid Search

Common Non-Technical Problem-Solving Interview Questions

1. Given the problem of selecting a new tool to invest in, where and how would you begin this task?

2. Have you ever recognized a potential problem and addressed it before it occurred?

3. A teammate on a time-sensitive project confesses that he’s made a mistake, and it’s putting your team at risk of missing key deadlines. How would you respond?

4. Tell me about a time you used a unique problem-solving approach.

5. Have you ever broken rules for the “greater good?” If yes, can you walk me through the situation?

6. Tell me about a weakness you overcame at work, and the approach you took.

7. Have you ever owned up to a mistake at work? Can you tell me about it?

8. How would you approach working with an upset customer?

9. Have you ever had to solve a problem on your own, but needed to ask for additional help? How did you go about it?

10. Let’s say you disagree with your colleague on how to move forward with a project. How would you go about resolving the disagreement?

Strategies for Answering Problem-Solving Questions

1. Shine in Interviews With the STAR Method

2. Rise above difficult questions using the SOAR method

3. Do It the PREP Way

How to Customize Problem-Solving Interview Questions

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Top 20 Problem Solving Interview Questions (Example Answers Included)

By Mike Simpson

What Is Problem-Solving?

How to Answer Problem-Solving Interview Questions

Get Our Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet!

Top 3 Problem-Solving-Based Interview Questions

1. Can you tell me about a time when you had to solve a challenging problem?

2. Describe a time where you made a mistake. What did you do to fix it?

3. If you identify a potential risk in a project, what steps do you take to prevent it?

17 More Problem-Solving-Based Interview Questions

Putting It All Together

FREE : Job Interview Questions & Answers PDF Cheat Sheet!

Click Here To Get The Job Interview Questions & Answers Cheat Sheet

About The Author

How to Prepare for Technical Interviews – Problem-Solving Tips + Mindset Tricks to Get You Ready

My Background

What are Technical Interviews Like?

1. Prepare for the Interview

Do Your Research

Practice Solving Problems

Build a Theoretical Foundation

Imitate Others

Understand What Kind of Interview You'll Have

2. Breathe and Think Things Through

Understand the Problem

Make Sure You Understood It

Explore Your Toolbox

Break Down the Problem

Simplify the Problem

Visualize the Problem

Start to Write Your Code

Test Your Code

Analyze the Solution

Improve Your Solution

Talk to Your Interviewer

Listen to Your Interviewer

3. Control Your Emotions

Prepare Your Body and Mind

Be Confident

Don’t Take it Personally – or Do...

Learn from Your Mistakes

Top 20 Technical Interview Questions with Example Answers

What Is a Technical Interview?

7 Types of Technical Interview Questions

1. Coding and Programming

2. System Design

3. Data Structures and Algorithms

4. Database and SQL

5. System Architecture

6. Testing and Debugging

7. Web Development

20 Technical Interview Questions to Know

Common Technical Interview Questions