How to Prepare for Tech Interviews: The Complete 2026 Guide

Source: Dev.to

The 4 Pillars of Interview Prep

Pillar 1: Technical Knowledge

Data Structures to Know

• Arrays & Strings – manipulation, two pointers, sliding window
• Hash Maps – O(1) lookups, frequency counting
• Trees & Graphs – BFS, DFS, traversals
• Stacks & Queues – monotonic stack, BFS with queue
• Linked Lists – fast/slow pointers, reversal

Algorithms to Practice

• Sorting – merge sort, quick sort (know time/space complexity)
• Binary Search – on sorted arrays and on answer space
• Dynamic Programming – start with memoization, then tabulation
• Greedy – interval scheduling, activity selection
• Backtracking – permutations, combinations, subsets

System Design (Mid/Senior)

• Load balancers, caching strategies, database sharding
• CAP theorem, eventual consistency
• Message queues (Kafka, RabbitMQ)
• Microservices vs monolith trade‑offs

Pillar 2: Problem‑Solving Framework

Use this 5‑step approach for every coding problem:

1. Understand – Restate the problem. Ask clarifying questions.
2. Examples – Walk through 2‑3 examples, including edge cases.
3. Approach – Describe your strategy before coding. Mention time/space complexity.
4. Code – Write clean code. Use meaningful variable names.
5. Test – Trace through your solution with the examples. Fix bugs.

Practice Strategy

• Week 1‑2: Easy problems (2 per day)
• Week 3‑4: Medium problems (1‑2 per day)
• Week 5+: Hard problems + mock interviews

Pillar 3: Behavioral Questions (STAR Method)

Every behavioral answer should follow STAR:

• Situation — Set the context (1‑2 sentences)
• Task — What was your responsibility?
• Action — What did you specifically do?
• Result — Measurable outcome

Top 5 Questions to Prepare

1. “Tell me about yourself”
   Framework: Present → Past → Future
   “I’m currently a [role] working on [project]. Previously, I [relevant experience]. I’m excited about [this role] because [specific reason].”

2. “Describe a challenging project” – Use STAR, focus on your contribution.

3. “How do you handle disagreements?” – Show empathy + data‑driven resolution. Example answer.

4. “What’s your biggest weakness?” – Pick a real weakness + show improvement.

5. “Why do you want to work here?” – Research the company; be specific.

Pillar 4: Company Research Checklist

Before every interview, research:

• Company mission and values
• Recent news, product launches, funding
• Tech stack (StackShare, GitHub, job posts)
• The interviewer (LinkedIn)
• Glassdoor interview reviews
• Prepare 5 thoughtful questions to ask

Questions to Ask the Interviewer

• “What does a typical day look like for this role?”
• “What’s the biggest challenge the team is facing right now?”
• “How do you measure success for this position?”
• “What’s the tech stack, and are there plans to evolve it?”
• “What do you personally enjoy most about working here?”

Day‑of Checklist

Before

• Review your notes and STAR stories
• Test camera, mic, internet (for video)
• Have water nearby
• Close distracting apps

During

• Smile, make eye contact
• Think for 3‑5 seconds before answering
• Ask clarifying questions
• Think out loud during coding

After

• Send thank‑you email within 24 hours
• Note questions you were asked
• Reflect on what went well and what to improve

Salary Negotiation Tips

• Never give a number first. Say: “I’d love to learn more about the role before discussing compensation.”
• Research market rates on Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, Blind.
• Negotiate the total package — base, bonus, equity, PTO, remote.
• Use competing offers as leverage (be honest).
• Get it in writing before accepting.

Resources

Free

• LeetCode (free tier has 2,000+ problems)
• NeetCode.io (curated problem lists)
• Tech Interview Handbook (open source)

Premium

For a complete, ready‑to‑use interview prep system with 50 questions, STAR templates, salary scripts, and email templates, see the Job Interview Mastery Kit.

Key Takeaways

• Start preparing at least 2 weeks before your interview.
• Practice coding problems daily — consistency beats cramming.
• Prepare 5+ STAR stories that cover different scenarios.
• Research the company thoroughly — it shows genuine interest.
• Negotiate your salary — the first offer is rarely the best one.

Good luck with your interviews!