How to prepare for interviews in 2022

As the pandemic continues to stretch on, we've seen some reverberations from it in the tech hiring landscape. Software engineers, previously already in high demand, are witnessing unprecedented numbers of companies and recruiters reaching out. They come offering some transformational roles, often with life-changing pay.

Be aware of some trends that are occurring. Staying on top of the industry's practices can help you prepare accordingly, and land the job that could make or break your career. Imagine landing a job at Amazon in 2000, or Google in 2005-- where could you be now?

Some Recent Trends

• More and more large companies are dropping Leetcode questions, and are focusing their efforts on role-specific and design problems.
• More than 75% of developer jobs mention or offer remote work.
• 82% of interviews are now done virtually, with 93% of the workforce intending to continue with this practice after the pandemic.
• Compensation for new hires continues to grow, with levels.fyi averages regularly incrementing up each month.
• Ghosting and rescinding of both interviews and offers also sadly seems to be on the rise.

What to Make of This?

The consensus is clear: there's no better time to find a new job. In the month of December, activity usually drops since people are on vacation. After the New Year, expect a rebound in recruitment and interviews.

However, also expect a more dynamic environment. There will be fiercer competition, rejections out of your control, and companies changing their open roles and policies at a greater frequency.

At AlgoDaily, we have a plan in the works to help students streamline their interviewing even more in January-- this is to be announced soon! But in the meantime, here are things you can do to bolster your chances:

• Apply early, especially if the company is larger than 1000 employees. The process can take longer than expected. An average full interview cycle, from recruiter phone screen to offer, will take around 3 months.
• Apply to many places. There are thousands of great software companies looking to hire top talent. More than one will be able to offer what you're looking for.
• Have a plan. Either use one of our outlined plans, work through the courses step by step, or at least practice daily with our coding challenges.
• Get a good webcam! It'll make all the difference for the interviewer.
• Use LinkedIn-- both to get inbound recruitment, as well as to build your network for referrals into companies you want to work at.
• Apply the 80/20 rule when preparing-- if you're a junior engineer, spend 80% of your time on data structures and algorithms, and 20% on role-specific prep. (If you're a senior candidate, coding and systems design should be the 80%).
• Use available compensation data to your advantage, and be sure to negotiate accordingly.

You can accomplish all of the above with the help of AlgoDaily Premium, our membership offering that includes all material and tools acrosss algodaily.com-- currently on sale.

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