Technical Interview Preparation: Modules
The preparation aims to give you a systematic approach to technical interviews at your level: checking Java, Spring and SQL knowledge, explaining a coding problem out loud, structuring a system design interview and answering behavioural questions with concrete stories. It is preparation; it does not guarantee a job.
01
Target level and gap analysis
Understand interview expectations by level and see your actual knowledge state.
- Junior, middle and senior interview expectations
- A diagnostic question set
- Prioritising gaps
- An individual preparation plan
- A preparation journal and tracking progress
Lab: Answer diagnostic questions and produce a gap map and a four-week preparation plan.
02
Java, Spring and SQL fundamentals
Explain frequently asked topics by mechanism rather than by memorisation.
- Collections, equals/hashCode and immutability
- Concurrency: threads, locks, executors
- Spring: bean lifecycle, transactions, proxies
- SQL: joins, indexes, transaction isolation
- JPA: N+1, lazy loading, flush
Lab: Record a two-minute spoken explanation for each topic and self-assess it.
03
Coding interviews
Solve a problem while thinking out loud, with test cases.
- Clarifying questions for the problem
- From brute force to an optimal solution
- Explaining time and space complexity
- Edge cases and test examples
- Handling yourself when you get stuck
Lab: Solve six given problems while explaining aloud and receive written feedback.
04
System design interviews
Turn an open question into a structured design discussion in limited time.
- Clarifying requirements
- Back-of-the-envelope capacity estimation
- API and data model
- Components, scaling and bottlenecks
- Stating trade-offs openly
Lab: A 40-minute mock and written feedback on two design questions, such as a URL shortener and a notification system.
05
Behavioural questions and STAR stories
Prepare concrete, verifiable stories from real experience.
- STAR structure: situation, task, action, result
- A story bank: conflict, failure, leadership
- Making your own role clear
- Drawing lessons from failure
- Answering vague questions
Lab: Write six STAR stories from real experience and rehearse them aloud.
06
Presenting your own projects
Explain a project in terms of architecture, decisions and lessons.
- A short project pitch (two minutes)
- Justifying architectural decisions
- Responding well to a question you cannot answer
- Improvement opportunities in the project
- Anticipating demo and code questions
Lab: A presentation plan for one project and a list of ten likely questions with answers.
07
Mock interviews and written feedback
Practice under realistic conditions with structured feedback.
- Interview formats: phone, technical, panel
- Simulating a mock interview
- Written feedback: strengths, gaps, next steps
- Repeat mocks and progress
- A habit of post-interview review
Lab: Two full mock interviews and a correction plan from the written feedback for each.
08
CV and GitHub review
Bring profiles to a state that shows real experience honestly and clearly.
- CV structure and concrete outcomes
- Presenting achievements without exaggeration
- GitHub profile: READMEs and repository hygiene
- Choosing and presenting projects
- Consistency across LinkedIn and other profiles
Lab: A written review of your CV and two repositories, and a revised version.