Tech interview readiness checklist
What to do in the week before a software engineering interview. Work through it once, then reuse it for every interview.
A week before
- Read the job description twice and list the three skills it mentions most.
- Look up what the team builds and how the product makes money.
- Ask the recruiter for the interview format: rounds, length, languages, and whether AI tools are allowed.
- Pick the language you are fastest in and use it for every practice problem.
Your stories
- Prepare four or five real stories: a hard bug, a disagreement, a failure, a project you led, something you learned fast.
- For each, know the situation, what you did, and the result — with a number if you have one.
- Practice a 60-second answer to "tell me about yourself" that ends with why this role.
Technical warm-up
- Review the fundamentals of your main stack — the interview-question posts on this site are a good start.
- Solve a few problems out loud, explaining your approach before you write code.
- Sketch one system you have built: its components, its data flow, and what you would change.
The day of
- Test your camera, microphone and screen sharing, or plan your route with time to spare.
- Have water, paper, and the job description within reach.
- Write down two or three questions to ask each interviewer.
After
- Send a short thank-you note that mentions something specific from the conversation.
- Write down every question you were asked while you still remember them.
More prep: all interview posts.