What a technical interview involves
Technical interviews for software engineering roles typically include one or more of: algorithm and data structure coding questions (LeetCode style), a system design round (for mid-to-senior roles), a take-home assignment or pair-programming session, and a behavioral round. The exact format depends on the company and role level. Big tech (FAANG/MAANG) runs structured loops with defined components. Startups often substitute a take-home project for LeetCode-style rounds. Always ask your recruiter what the exact format is before starting preparation.
Preparing for coding rounds
LeetCode is the standard platform for algorithm preparation. Target 75 to 150 problems over six to eight weeks. Prioritise by: arrays and strings (most common), trees and graphs (frequently asked), dynamic programming (hard but common at senior levels), and hash maps. Do not solve randomly: work by pattern (two pointers, sliding window, BFS/DFS, backtracking) and understand each pattern deeply before moving to the next. Solving 150 problems randomly is less effective than solving 75 problems with pattern awareness.
Practice out loud. In the actual interview, you will be expected to explain your reasoning as you go. Solving problems silently in preparation is poor practice. Use a timer: most coding rounds allow 30 to 45 minutes per question. Know when to stop optimising and submit a working solution.
Preparing for system design rounds
System design is required for most senior engineering roles. Start with the fundamentals: databases (SQL vs NoSQL, indexing, sharding), caching (Redis, CDN), message queues (Kafka), and API design. Practice 10 to 15 common system design prompts out loud on a whiteboard or screen-sharing tool. The System Design Primer on GitHub is a free and comprehensive resource. ByteByteGo by Alex Xu is excellent for visual explanations of distributed systems concepts.
The behavioral component of technical interviews
Do not neglect behavioral preparation for technical roles. Big tech behavioral rounds are high-stakes: at Amazon they assess Leadership Principles directly; at Google they assess Googleyness; at Meta they assess Meta values. Prepare five to seven STAR stories from your work history that collectively cover: leadership, dealing with failure, cross-functional collaboration, technical decision-making, and impact at scale. Know which story maps to which theme so you can access it quickly when asked.
What to do in the week before your interview
Day 7-4: do two to three timed mock coding sessions and review your weaker problem types. Day 3-2: do a full mock interview with a partner or via Pramp/Interviewing.io. Day 1: light review only — do not try to learn new material the day before. Prepare your environment: stable internet, quiet room, second monitor if possible for system design. Sleep well. Day of: warm up with one easy LeetCode problem to activate the problem-solving mindset. Arrive (or join) a few minutes early.