A carpenter does not show up to a job site without their tools, and neither should you show up to interview season without yours. The difference between a disorganised job search and a strategic campaign is the systems behind it. This lesson walks you through every tool, template, and platform you need to run your interview preparation like a well-managed project.
If you are applying to more than three companies (and you should be), you need a system to track where you stand with each one. A spreadsheet is the simplest and most effective option.
| Column | Purpose | |--------|---------| | Company | Company name | | Role | Specific job title and link to posting | | Date Applied | When you submitted | | Status | Applied / Phone Screen / Technical / On-site / Offer / Rejected | | Next Step | What happens next and when | | Recruiter Contact | Name and email for follow-ups | | Notes | Key details, interview tips from Glassdoor, insider contacts | | Follow-up Date | When to check in if you have not heard back |
Not all practice platforms are created equal. Choose based on your goals and preparation stage.
Best for: Algorithm and data structure practice, FAANG-style interviews.
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Best for: Pattern-based learning, visual explanations.
Best for: Preparing for company-specific online assessments.
What is the most effective strategy for using coding practice platforms?
Practising alone is useful, but it does not replicate the social pressure of a real interview. Mock interview platforms bridge that gap.
Best for: Free peer-to-peer mock interviews.
Best for: Anonymous practice with engineers from top companies.
Organised notes compound over time. Here are templates for the most important categories.
(Covered in detail in the Company Research Strategies lesson)
Keep one document per target company with sections for: tech stack, culture, values, interview format, and your tailored stories.
Prepare 6-8 stories that cover common behavioural themes. Use this format:
## Story Title: [Short descriptive name]
### Situation
[2-3 sentences setting the context]
### Task
[What was your specific responsibility?]
### Action
[What did YOU do? Be specific about your individual contribution]
### Result
[Quantified outcome — metrics, impact, timeline]
### Tags
[leadership, conflict, failure, technical-challenge, teamwork, etc.]
### Company Fit
[Which company values does this story map to?]
After every interview, record:
## [Company] - [Round] - [Date]
### Questions Asked
1. [Question 1] — My answer: [summary] — How it went: [well/okay/poorly]
2. [Question 2] — ...
### What Went Well
-
### What I Would Change
-
### Follow-up Study Topics
-
### Overall Feeling
[1-5 rating]
Remote interviews are now the norm. A poor technical setup creates friction that distracts from your performance.
What is the single most important technical setup element for a remote interview?
When you are actively interviewing at multiple companies, scheduling becomes a project in itself.
If you are fortunate enough to receive multiple offers:
The ideal strategy is to start all applications within the same 1-2 week window. This maximises the chance that your offers arrive around the same time, giving you leverage and avoiding the pressure of an expiring offer before other processes complete.
Use this as a final audit before you begin your interview campaign: