Technical Interview Cheat Sheet: Key Concepts and Terms

Technical interviews are like the final boss battle in the job hunt. They let the company see if you've got the skills to slay code and solve problems like a pro gamer.

These ain't your average interviews - they're specially designed to test how ready you are for real-world coding challenges. It's not just about what's on your resume; it's about proving you've got the brains to think on your feet and tackle complex tasks like a coding ninja.

The "interview loop" is like a gauntlet of tests and evaluations that put your coding skills, knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and system design to the ultimate test.

According to the folks at Quora and some fancy psychology journal, up to 45% of the questions in these interviews are all about testing your analytical reasoning with mind-bending algorithms.

It's not just about memorizing stuff; it's about showing off your logic and creativity when faced with new and crazy problems - the kind of skills that make you a rockstar developer who can bring fresh ideas and adapt to anything.

These interviews are make-or-break for landing that dream job.

TechRepublic says a whopping 83% of hiring managers consider technical assessments to be super important when deciding who to hire. So, if you want to level up your chances, you've gotta prepare like a pro gamer for a tournament.

Check out our blog's other sections for the inside scoop on mastering the lingo, themes, and strategies for slaying technical interviews. And don't forget to refer back to our Nucamp articles for a complete tutorial on how to become an interview boss.

Let me break it down for you. Tech interviews can be a real grind, with a ton of stuff you gotta know inside out. You better have your data structures and algorithms on lock, 'cause that's like the bread and butter of coding interviews.

Mastering binary trees and being able to whip up sorting algorithms like QuickSort or MergeSort is a must, according to Toptal's list of essential software dev questions.

But that's not all, the core topics in these interviews often cover:

1. System Design – Crucial for building scalable, efficient systems, like the Springboard blog talks about with MVC architecture and serverless systems.
2. Object-Oriented Programming – You gotta know your encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism inside out. That's the foundation for solid code.
3. Databases – Show off your SQL skills and prove you know your way around different database management systems.
4. Web Technologies – HTTP protocols, REST, and web security ain't no joke in our interconnected world.

But here's the kicker, different roles might focus on different areas.

Front-end devs might get grilled on CSS, JavaScript, and responsive design, according to CareerFoundry's rundown of common questions.

Back-end roles? Expect to dive deep into server-side scripting and advanced database management. This dude Matthew Jackson really drives home the importance of nailing those 'fizz-buzz' tests and 'NP-complete problems'.

The coding and algorithms guide says you gotta practice time complexity analysis like it's your job if you wanna ace those interviews.

With the tech industry being so competitive, you gotta put in the work.

Hit up those coding challenge sites and do some mock interviews. Here's a quick data table to show you how common these topics are in interviews:

Topic	Percentage
Data Structures & Algorithms	70%
System Design	55%
Object-Oriented Programming	65%
Databases	50%
Web Technologies	40%

According to Patricia Taylor, you gotta have a solid game plan and prep for all kinds of topics if you wanna crush those tech interviews.

Technical interviews are a real grind, where you gotta flex those computer science muscles, like data structures and algorithms.

HackerRank's study shows that interviewers love to grill you on arrays, linked lists, trees, and graphs. And don't even get me started on big O notation – you better be able to spit some bars about computational efficiency in over 60% of these interviews.

They'll also test your programming language skills, especially in JavaScript, Python, or Java.

You gotta know your syntax, type systems, and core concepts like object-oriented and functional programming, not to mention memory management.

The fun doesn't stop there, though.

Brace yourself for some serious problem-solving scenarios, like sorting algorithms like Quick sort, Merge sort, and Bubble sort, and search algorithms like Binary search, Depth-first search, and Breadth-first search.

And if that's not enough, they might even throw some design patterns and concurrency topics at you, like Singleton, Observer, Factory, Deadlocks, Thread pools, and Locks.

The real kicker is not just solving the problems, but optimizing those solutions.

Dynamic programming is where it's at, breaking down problems into smaller chunks and using stored data to boost that algorithmic performance. Think memoized approach for calculating Fibonacci numbers or finding a pair in an array to meet a target sum – that's how you show 'em you're a real optimizer.

According to Indeed's hiring guide, your skills in these areas will show 'em you're a problem-solving beast with some serious code efficiency game.

And let's not forget, you gotta be able to explain your projects like a pro, as the folks at Quora suggest.

It's not just about solving the problem, but doing it efficiently and explaining it clearly – that's what Google's engineering leads want to see, too.

Gearing up for a technical interview can be a real grind, but if you want to snag that sweet software engineering gig, you gotta put in the work. The key is to plan that shit out.

Just follow the tips from places like Columbia CCE and the Google Tech Dev Guide.

Start prepping at least three to six months before the interview date.

Get your head around the core computer science concepts and start coding like a boss.

Check out resources like the "The Algorithm Design Manual" book. It'll help you get familiar with the kinds of technical questions they'll be throwing at you.

The GitHub tech interview handbook is a goldmine. It's got all the coding problems you'll likely face at the big tech companies.

Here's the gameplan for nailing that interview prep:

1. Size Up Your Skills: Take a real look at where you're at with algorithms and data structures.
2. Study and Grind: Set aside time every day to practice coding problems from LeetCode and HackerRank. Focus on algorithms, data structures, and system design.
3. Mock Interviews: Get some practice runs with platforms like Pramp to get used to talking through your solutions.

According to LeetCode's 2021 survey, consistent practice helps you think out loud and explain your thought process, which is a major plus for tech companies.

But it's not just about the technical skills. You gotta have a plan for dealing with interview anxiety too. Follow the stress-busting tips from the Harvard Business Review to boost your confidence.

If you put in the work and stay focused, you'll be landing that dream tech job in no time.

As we're wrapping up this "Technical Interview Cheat Sheet" thing, let me tell you how crucial it is to actually prepare for those technical interviews. Combining the fundamentals with some real coding practice and getting familiar with the interview format—that's what Columbia CCE says you gotta do.

58% of employers think your interview prep is a dealbreaker when it comes to hiring you. So, check out these tips from our series and other resources:

• Keep reviewing stuff like data structures and algorithms, cause that helps you remember 80% better. And practicing with mock interviews can actually reduce your anxiety, which is a struggle for like 93% of job seekers according to Harris Interactive.
• Getting feedback after your interviews is key. The International Journal of Business and Social Science says it can improve your performance by 25%, so you can learn from your experience and do better next time.

These methods are the real deal when it comes to nailing those technical interviews. As Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." Proper prep helps you handle those curveball questions they throw at you. And reflecting on your performance after the interview, as suggested by the National Training Laboratories, can actually double how much you learn from the experience—turning you into an interview pro. With the insights and tools from Nucamp articles, you can walk into those interviews feeling confident and get one step closer to landing that tech job.