Technical interviews can feel like a cross between a job interview and a pop quiz you did not study for. 📝 The good news: they are very coachable.
Before the interview
- Ask what format to expect: take-home, live coding, pair programming or system design
- Review the job ad and match your examples to its key skills
- Practise out loud. Explaining while you code is a separate skill.
- Prepare your setup for online interviews: IDE, camera, quiet room
Coding tests
- Clarify the problem before writing a single line
- Talk through your approach, then code
- Start simple, then optimise
- Test with edge cases
- If you get stuck, say what you are thinking. Silence is the real enemy.
System design questions
- Start with requirements and scale: users, data volume, latency
- Sketch the high-level components first
- Discuss trade-offs openly: cost, reliability, security
- Mention monitoring and failure handling. Interviewers love that.
Live tasks and pair programming
These test how you work with others. Ask questions, accept hints gracefully and stay calm if the internet decides to have a moment.
After the interview
Send a short thank-you note and tell your recruiter how it went, especially anything you would like to clarify. Our guide to interview follow-up etiquette has more tips.
👉 Find your next role, and ask your Zone recruiter for a prep call before your interview.
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