A two-week plan to prepare for a US technical interview
A day-by-day structure for the two weeks before a technical interview: research, core skills, project stories, mock interviews and the final day.
Two weeks is enough time to prepare well for a technical interview if you spend it on the right things. This plan assumes one to two hours on weekdays and a little more at weekends.
Days 1–2: understand the role
Read the job description line by line and list every skill, tool and responsibility it mentions. Mark each one as strong, okay or weak for you. Research the company: its products, its customers and any recent news. This list decides how you spend the next twelve days.
Days 3–6: refresh the core skills
Focus on the skills the role uses every day, not on everything you have ever learned.
- For developers: data structures, the main language and framework in the job post, and writing clean code under time pressure.
- For QA engineers: test design, the automation framework they use, and API testing.
- For data roles: SQL joins and window functions, plus explaining a past analysis from question to result.
- For engineering and life sciences roles: the standards, processes and tools named in the post.
Practise out loud. Interviewers want to hear how you think, not only the final answer.
Days 7–9: prepare your project stories
Choose three or four projects you can talk about in depth. For each one, prepare a short story using the STAR method: the situation, your task, the actions you took and the result. Be ready to explain the architecture or process, the problems you hit and what you would do differently.
Prepare answers to common behavioural questions too: a conflict with a teammate, a tight deadline, a mistake you made and what you learned.
Days 10–12: mock interviews
Do at least two mock interviews with someone who can give honest feedback, ideally someone working in your field. Record one if you can. Most people discover they speak too fast, skip context or never mention results.
Days 13–14: logistics and rest
- Test your camera, microphone, internet connection and any coding platform the company uses.
- Prepare two or three questions to ask the interviewer about the team and the work.
- Re-read the job description and your résumé, since everything on your résumé is fair game.
- Sleep well the night before. A rested mind solves problems faster.
After the interview
Send a short thank-you email within a day, mentioning something specific you discussed. Then write down the questions you were asked while they are fresh, since they are the best preparation for your next interview.
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