The four things you’re being evaluated on
Technical / functional competence. Can you do the work? This is usually the bar most candidates focus on, but it’s only one factor.
Communication. Can you explain your thinking clearly to someone unfamiliar with the problem? Many otherwise-strong candidates lose interviews here because they jump straight to code or solution without explaining the problem.
Coachability. Can you take feedback in real time? Most interviewers will deliberately push back on something to see how you respond.
Culture / motivation fit. Why this company, this role, this team — specifically? Generic enthusiasm is a red flag.
How to practice
Mock interviews with humans, not just LeetCode. Tools like Pramp and interviewing.io give you free peer interviews. Do at least 5 before your first real interview.
Record yourself answering behavioral questions. Watch the recording. Most students are visibly nervous in ways they don’t realize. Practice fixes this fast.
For each company, write down 3 questions you genuinely want to ask. Real questions about how the team works, recent product decisions, or what success looks like. The "do you have any questions for us?" moment is part of the evaluation.
The week before
Sleep. Not "extra" sleep — just normal sleep. Don’t cram the night before.
Read the company’s recent blog posts and any earnings calls if they’re public. The interviewers will be impressed if you can reference recent work.
Test your tech 30 minutes before. Webcam, mic, screen-share, internet. Almost every video interview has at least one tech issue; you want it to be the interviewer’s, not yours.