How to Prepare for a Technical Interview as a Fresher

Know what the interviewer is looking for

For entry-level roles, interviewers usually assess four things: how well you know the fundamentals of your field, how you break down a problem, how well you can explain your projects and how you behave as a future teammate. Nobody expects you to know everything. A candidate who says I am not sure, but here is how I would find out, often does better than one who guesses confidently and is wrong.

Revise the fundamentals

Go back to the basics of the role you are applying for. For a developer this means the main concepts of your language, data structures such as arrays, lists, stacks, queues and hash maps, basic database ideas, how the web works and what happens when you type an address into a browser. Write short answers in your own words, because being able to explain a concept simply is proof that you understand it.

• Object-oriented ideas: classes, inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism.
• Databases: primary keys, joins, normalisation and simple SQL queries.
• Web basics: HTTP methods, status codes, cookies and sessions.
• Version control: commit, branch, merge and pull request.

Practise problem solving out loud

Solve a few coding problems each day, starting with easy ones, and always explain your thinking aloud. A good routine is to restate the problem, ask about edge cases, describe a simple approach, write the code and then test it with an example. Interviewers care about how you think as much as about the final answer. If you get stuck, say what you have tried and what you plan next instead of going silent.

Do not memorise solutions. Learn the patterns, such as using two pointers, counting with a hash map or breaking a problem into smaller steps, so you can apply them to new questions.

Prepare to talk about your projects in depth

Expect questions such as why you chose a particular technology, what the hardest bug was and what you would improve. Prepare a two-minute summary of each project covering the problem, your role, the tools you used and the result. If you worked in a team, be clear about what you personally did. Anything on your resume can be asked about, so remove skills you cannot discuss.

Handle the common non-technical questions

You will almost certainly be asked to introduce yourself, explain why you want the role and describe a challenge you overcame. Prepare short, honest answers with specific examples. Research the company so that you can say something real about why you want to work there. Prepare two or three questions of your own, such as how new team members are mentored or what a typical first project looks like.

On the day

Test your internet connection and tools for an online interview, keep a notebook and water nearby, and join a few minutes early. Listen to the whole question before answering, and ask for clarification when needed. If you make a mistake, correct it calmly and move on. After the interview, send a short thank-you message. Whatever the result, write down the questions you found difficult and study them, because every interview is practice for the next one.