Fastest Way to Succeed in Tech Interviews

When people ask me, “How did you get into Google” ? — they often expect a shortcut or some secret trick. Here’s the truth: there is no shortcut. But there is a strategy. 💪 If you're preparing for big tech interviews (Google, Meta etc.), here’s what I’ve learned first-hand: ✅ 1. Master fundamentals, not just patterns. Instead of memorizing 100+ Leetcode solutions, deeply understand how and why data structures work (e.g., why a trie is used for prefix matching, why dynamic programming optimizes overlapping subproblems). ✅ 2. Solve problems consistently. Quality beats quantity. Solving 2 problems deeply every day > solving 10 problems quickly without understanding. ✅ 3. Think out loud. In interviews, your approach matters more than your final answer. Interviewers want to know how you think, debug, and improve. ✅ 4. Mock interviews are game-changers. Simulate the real interview environment with friends or mentors. You’ll build confidence and identify blind spots. ✅ 5. Embrace feedback and failure. I’ve faced rejections too. Instead of feeling defeated, I treated each one as a free lesson to level up. --- Today, as a Software Engineer at Google, I still use these principles daily — solving real-world problems at scale. ✨ To anyone preparing: You don’t have to be a genius. You just have to keep showing up, learning, and believing in yourself. If you'd like, I can share a detailed roadmap or my personal prep strategy in a future post — just comment “Interested” below! ⬇️ For 1:1 conversations please connect here: https://lnkd.in/ga_5bi57 #Google #SoftwareEngineering #InterviewPreparation #DSA #WomenInTech #CareerAdvice

I’ve sat in on over 1,000 tech interviews. There’s one thing the $180K+ candidates always do differently. They don’t all come from Big Tech. They don’t all have shiny resumes. But they do nail three things, seemingly every single time. Here’s the pattern I kept seeing 👇 ✅ Impact They told real stories about how they moved the needle. Not just what they did, but why it mattered to the business. ✅ Metrics They came in knowing their numbers and could tie them back to business outcomes and other success metrics. ✅ Mentorship They showed how they uplifted others. Not just solo stars, but force multipliers. Oh.. and they owned the conversation. They talked ~70% of the time, asked smart questions like: → “How does your team handle disagreements or conflicting priorities?” → “How do you typically give feedback and how do you like to receive it?” → “What’s something exciting or ambitious your team is building that you haven’t talked about publicly yet?” The ones who didn’t get offers? Here’s where they fell short: 🚫 Generic questions 🚫 Talked tasks, not outcomes 🚫 No sign of collaboration or mentoring 🚫 Tried to be perfect (spoiler: boring) 🚫 Totally unprepared, winging it 🚫 Rambling, no clear point and missing the point If I had an interview tomorrow, here’s exactly how I’d prep: → Impact stories that connect to my department goals → Metrics I can stand behind → Research the company on using ChatGPT that leads to real questions → Alignment between what I bring and what they need → Most importantly: I’d show up confident and trust in what I bring to the table 👋 New here? Servus, like they say in Bayern, Germany! I’m Eli Gündüz. Your friendly tech recruiter & career coach. I share straight-talking job search tips to help you land roles you’re excited about.

Interview in 3 days? And don’t know where to begin? Here is what I’d do! Most people cram for interviews like finals. That’s why they bomb.  But the best candidates? They don’t panic the night before. Instead, they follow a staged system: deep work → calm confidence → focused warm-up. Here’s the playbook I recommend: —> 3 Days Before: The Deep Work Phase: Focus on research, story building, and targeted practice. - Highlight top 5 skills in the job description and map each to a STAR story. - Build 6–8 STAR bullets that show leadership, problem-solving, and outcomes. - Research the company: product launches, leadership blogs, team priorities. - Do 3 role-specific coding problems or 2 case studies (not random practice). - Schedule: 2–3 hrs/day split between research, coding, and rehearsing aloud. —> The Night Before: The Calm Confidence Phase: Focus on mental readiness and logistics. - Rehearse “Tell me about yourself” until it’s 60–90 seconds. - Skim your STAR bullets (don’t memorize word-for-word). - Test your setup: camera, mic, lighting, water, notes. - Prepare 2 thoughtful questions for the interviewer. - Eat light, unplug after 1 hour, and sleep 7–8 hrs. —> 2 Hours Before: The Warm-Up Phase: Focus on flow and presence. - Do one easy coding problem or skim a framework. - Read 1–2 recent company updates. - Review your STAR bullets once, then close the notes. - 10 deep breaths, quick walk/stretch, hydrate. Success isn’t about grinding until 3am. It’s about showing up sharp, calm, and ready to connect. Save this checklist for your next interview. Repost to help another job seeker crush theirs. ........ P.S. Follow me if you’re a tech job seeker in the U.S. I share playbooks that help you land high-paying roles at top companies. #tech #hiring #interview

I held 40+ interviews last year and hundreds throughout my career. Here's what I wish more candidates knew: → How you show up matters. I don’t care what you wear or what’s in your background—but I do care if I can see your face. You’d be surprised how many people join Zoom calls in dim to no lighting. Find a window, turn on a lamp, or use Zoom/Mac video settings. Being visible = being present. → Be succinct. This is a superpower. Can you answer a question without rambling? Strike a balance between not being so brief that it’s awkward and not going on a 10-minute monologue. It may take practice! Be self-aware and watch the time. If you catch yourself rambling, call it out if that feels authentic — “oops, that was a tangent! I get really excited talking about [x].” → Don’t “sell” yourself — show us who you are. I know, I know, technically, you are selling yourself. However, the best interviews happen when candidates relax and bring their real selves to the conversation. You’re not a walking resume. We’re hiring a human, not just a skill set. → Don’t be afraid to get a little personal. Within reason, of course. Interviews aren’t a showcase, it’s an opportunity for connection. If something about the company or role resonates with you on a personal level, share it. Or I love it when I ask people to tell me their story, and they start with something like “Oh I live in Omaha with my husband and cat, I got started in tech in ….” We can then bond over our love for cats for a moment and segue into the next topic! → Ditch the script. Reading from a script or reciting memorized lines is pretty obvious. I was guilty of this early in my career, but your interviewer can tell. If you need notes, use them sparingly. The more you practice and interview, the less reliant you’ll become. Aim to converse, not perform. → Ask (good) questions. At least half of candidates don’t ask questions or only ask one or two. This is WILD to me! This is your job search—take the time to make sure this is the right move for you. Prepare at least five thoughtful questions. And not just “what’s the culture like?” Think of things like: - What do the best people in this role have in common? - What’s something people may misunderstand about working here? - Who was someone you loved managing, and what made them great to manage? (if you’re talking to the hiring manager) What would you add? 

Storytime: I almost never became a software engineer. It’s senior year of college. All my classmates are getting offers from their dream companies. Not me though. For some reason I could not get past the interview stage. I failed over 19 technical interviews. Am I just terrible at coding? But that can’t be true – I have a perfect GPA. Kids in my class with a 3.0 are getting jobs at Microsoft. So what was I doing wrong? And that’s when I realized: School doesn’t prepare you for technical interviews. Here are some things I started doing that helped me turn things around and land a 6-figure job: 1. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 School trains you to memorize formulas and definitions. Interviews are about solving problems in real time. I wasted weeks trying to memorize every algorithm. Guess what? None of that helped when I was staring at a blank whiteboard. Instead, I started focusing on practice. Solving problems daily, talking through my thought process out loud and simulating real interview settings. Interview prep isn’t about knowing everything. It’s about applying what you know under pressure. 2. 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 It very easy to get caught up in competitive games with others discussing who got what job. The truth is that comparing yourself to others kills your confidence. There’s even research to back this up—studies show that when you focus too much on others’ performance, your own confidence drops, and so does your ability to perform under pressure. It wasn’t until I blocked out the noise and focused on my progress that I started improving. 3. 𝗠𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 One resource that was a completely changed the game was Pramp.com (not sponsored). - It pairs you with big tech engineers to practice mock interviews for FREE. - You get feedback in real time. - And the best part? It feels like an actual interview, not just another practice problem. Is there anything else I’m missing? ♻️ Repost to share the advice!

"Great interview!" → No offer. Sound familiar? You're not alone. 83% of candidates who get rejected were actually qualified for the role. The problem isn't your experience. It's your interview strategy. Here's how my clients and I fix theirs: 1️⃣ Stop listing responsibilities. Start proving ROI. Hiring managers aren't impressed by job descriptions. They want to see what changed because of you. → Instead of: "Owned monthly reporting." → Try: "Revamped monthly reporting process, cut delivery time by 40% and improved cross-team decisions." 2️⃣ Tie your stories to their pain points. Your goal isn't just to share what you did, it's to show why it matters to them. Study the JD. Mirror their language. Show up like the solution they wrote that role for. 3️⃣ Use strategic endings. Don't let your answers trail off. End with a forward-facing bridge: → "That experience taught me how to lead through ambiguity, something I know this team values." 4️⃣ Speak like a partner, not a performer. You're not auditioning. You're collaborating. The best interviews feel like a problem-solving conversation, because confidence isn't just what you say, it's how you show up. 5️⃣ Master your intro. Your "Tell me about yourself" sets the tone. Make it a highlight reel of your story, strengths, and alignment to the specific role. No rambling. No resume readout. You're closer than you think. Small shifts = big results. Want to see real before/after answers that helped tech leaders land $150k+ roles? Comment INTERVIEW and I'll help you craft your story.

No offer, endless applications, and burnout setting in? I know the feeling. But here’s what finally helped me break through. You don’t need a 9-5 to get ahead. What changed my game wasn’t having a previous internship or anything, it was the way I prepped on my own time, in my own way. Here’s how I went from hundreds of rejections to interviews at Amazon, Roblox, Meta, and Microsoft: 1. Apply when jobs are HOT. I swear by the Michael Yan method: Search on LinkedIn, sort by “date posted,” and swap “86400” with “7200” in the URL to see roles posted in the last two hours. My interviews shot up once I started doing this. 2. Make practice fun (and short!). Instead of hours-long grind sessions, I started challenging myself with quick daily minigames: solving one tricky coding prompt, speed-running a STAR answer, or even competing with friends for who could do a leetcode problem faster. It kept me sharp and made prep way less miserable. 3. Focus on your weak spots, immediately. Every time I bombed a practice question, I made a quick note of why. The next day, I’d build a tiny challenge around that weakness. Improvement gets a lot faster (and way less discouraging) when you attack your gaps head-on. 4. Mix up your prep. Most people separate technical and behavioral prep, but real interviews throw both at you. I’d do a coding challenge, then immediately answer a behavioral question. It keeps both sides of your brain sharp and ready. 5. Review yourself, even if it’s awkward. Record a 60-second answer to a behavioral question and watch it back. It’s painful, but you’ll spot bad habits and improve your confidence fast. P.S. That’s why we built Interview Prepper. To help you prep easier and to prep right. And thanks to our new daily minigames, to also give you a fresh challenge every day and help you prep smarter, not just harder. Try it out: www.interviewprepper.co. Your summer is what you make of it. One daily win at a time, you’ve got this. Go land your dream job.