How do Software Engineering Candidates Prepare for Technical Interviews?

2025-07-02

AI Summary

This study addresses the prevalent challenge of inadequate technical interview preparation among software engineering job seekers. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we conducted a survey with 131 candidates and integrated qualitative and quantitative analyses to examine their preparation behaviors, gaps in educational support, and underlying mechanisms. We empirically identify a critical “education–interview competence gap”: university curricula largely omit authentic interview-oriented training in coding articulation, technical communication, and stress resilience—leading candidates to rely on inefficient self-study, thereby exacerbating anxiety and performance–expectation mismatches. Our key contributions are: (1) the first systematic empirical documentation of this pedagogical–industrial misalignment; and (2) a tripartite collaborative framework—engaging academia, industry, and candidates—to embed interview literacy into computing education and reform assessment toward authenticity. Findings provide data-driven guidance for enhancing computer science pedagogy and recruitment practices.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Software Engineering
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Neural Spike Coding
• Search and Optimization: Metareasoning and Metaheuristics

Application Category

• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web evaluation methodologies and metrics
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data quality in the era of algorithmically-generated content

Abstract

To obtain employment, aspiring software engineers must complete technical interviews -- a hiring process which involves candidates writing code while communicating to an audience. However, the complexities of tech interviews are difficult to prepare for and seldom faced in computing curricula. To this end, we seek to understand how candidates prepare for technical interviews, investigating the effects of preparation methods and the role of education. We distributed a survey to candidates (n = 131) actively preparing for technical interviews. Our results suggest candidates rarely train in authentic settings and courses fail to support preparation efforts -- leading to stress and unpreparedness. Based on our findings, we provide implications for stakeholders to enhance tech interview preparation for candidates pursuing software engineering roles.

Problem

• How candidates prepare for technical interviews
• Effects of preparation methods and education role
• Courses fail to support interview preparation adequately

Innovation

• Surveyed candidates preparing for technical interviews
• Analyzed preparation methods and education impact
• Provided implications to improve interview readiness