5 Tips for Navigating the Interviewing Landscape in Tech

Industry Changes for Tech Whiteboarding Interviews and How to Get Through It

For better or worse, I’ve gotten better at doing tech interviews. I’ve been doing them off and on over 10 years nows. My last round was not that long ago, so I want to share how interview standards in 2025 have changed.

The bar has gone up, and you’re now competing with laid-off FAANG workers. In such an environment, it’s more important than ever to hold on to your sense of self.

1. The Audacity is High, and You’re Interviewing Them Too. Remember, you’re deciding if you want to work there too. Place boundaries that you have for all companies. i.e. “I will not enter a technical interview unless I know what kind of technical interview it is so I can be in the appropriate state of mind for the problem.”
2. Use FAANG interviews as a way to “pressure” yourself to study. You don’t have to pass. If they’re going to “keep up warm” we might as well get some value out of it. The goal is to not embarrass yourself in the interview. That is good enough to be passing for other companies. You might even find yourself accidentally passing the interviews.
3. Interview with 3–5 companies at time. Don’t ever wait on one to answer back. Pay attention to both words and actions. It’s like dating. Seriously.
4. Companies have gotten more brutal with interviews. They expect you to be faster now. This is a muscle memory game now. Really understand all of the blind 75. Train for speed. Use chatgpt or good ol’ fashioned flash cards and give yourself 5–10 minutes with a timer to code easy problems, 15min for medium problems.
5. Ask them why they need the position filled. You’d be surprised how much is revealed about job expectations right there.

If you’re going through an interview, I want to say I feel for you deeply. I just went through it myself, and it’s rough out there. But you can do it, with community support and a well detailed plan.

Looking for more?

Whether you’re studying for your first technical interview or preparing for your next big role, having a community and a plan makes all the difference. Check out the resources at Coding Kinetics, because we’ll be adding more over time:

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• Or explore all our resources at codingkinetics.com