Technical interviews can feel like a random obstacle course—until you start training the underlying skills interviewers are actually measuring: problem-solving, communication, and correctness under constraints.

What interviewers are really evaluating

Most engineers assume it’s about getting the “right” answer fast. In reality, strong candidates consistently demonstrate:

• Structured thinking (clear approach before coding)
• Tradeoff awareness (time/space complexity, readability, edge cases)
• Communication (how you collaborate under uncertainty)
• Testing habits (you can validate logic without guesswork)

A repeatable 4-step approach (use it every time)

1) Clarify the problem (60–90 seconds)

Before touching code, confirm:

• Inputs/outputs and constraints (sizes, ranges, sortedness)
• Edge cases: empty input, duplicates, negatives, overflow
• What “optimal” means (time vs memory)

Tip: Ask at least one clarifying question even if the prompt seems clear—it signals professionalism.

2) Plan with a “toolbox” mindset

Instead of memorizing problems, memorize patterns. When stuck, scan this mental list:

• Hash map / set for lookups, counts, deduping
• Two pointers / sliding window for contiguous ranges
• Heap for top-k / streaming
• BFS/DFS for graphs/trees, shortest path variants
• Binary search when there’s monotonicity

Write a quick plan in plain English: “I’ll use a map to track counts, then iterate once to build the result.”

3) Code like you’re pairing

Interviewers want to see how you work with others:

• Narrate decisions: “I’m choosing a hash map to get O(1) average lookups.”
• Use meaningful variable names (avoid i/j soup when possible)
• Keep functions small if it helps readability

Tip: If you make a mistake, say what you’re doing to fix it. Recovery is a signal of maturity.

4) Test intentionally (don’t just “run it in your head”)

Use a mini test checklist:

• A normal case
• An edge case
• A stress/limit case (large input or repeated values)

Then state complexity clearly: Time: O(n), Space: O(n).

Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

• Jumping straight into code → Force yourself to summarize the approach first.
• Ignoring constraints → Ask: “Could n be 10^5?” before picking O(n^2).
• Silent problem-solving → Talk through your options and why you chose one.

Try this in your next practice session

Pick any medium problem and spend 2 minutes only on clarifying + planning. You’ll be surprised how much smoother the coding becomes.

What’s the hardest part for you in technical interviews right now—coming up with the approach, writing bug-free code, or explaining your thinking out loud?