Technical interviews
Watch this video on Types of Interview Questions.
Tips for Success
Discuss & Talk Aloud Your Process When Solving a Problem
When faced with a tough question, or one that you might not know the complete answer to, attempt to talk through your thought process aloud with the hiring committee present. The employer wants to know about your ability to solve a problem, so even if you don’t have a solution right away, it is helpful to attempt to come to a solution. Practice talking aloud as a way to narrate your thought process.
Never End an Answer with “I Don’t Know”
You may be faced with a problem you don’t completely know how to solve (that’s to be expected as you can’t know everything). Instead of reply to the interviewer with “I don’t know” try and attempt a solution. You could say: “I don’t have the precise solution to this problem, but if were to work through it, here’s my thought process…”
Don’t be Afraid to Communicate How You Would Work through a Problem in a Team
While technical interviews can feel like you’re in a vacuum, it’s not just you alone. Considering that many teams function in a collaborative space, consider adding dialogue in your problem solving that involve others (including the hiring manager, if they are part of the team). “If working with my team on this problem, I would invite them to review my work and consider their expertise in the area.” You can be more specific depending on how much you may know about the team you’re interviewing with.
Tips on interviewing adapted from The Muse.
Additional Resources
To best prepare for technical interviewing, the following resources below give further guidance on how to learn about and practice the structure.
LinkedIn Learning Videos:
Technical Interview Resources*
*To utilize the following courses above, you will need to activate LinkedIn Learning in your LinkedIn account using your UW NetID.
Practicing Technical Interviewing
Take advantage of resources that offer free tools to practice your technical interviewing skills. Examples are Interviewing.io, LeetCode, and HackerRank.