Preparing for a technical interview: a practical checklist

Technical interviews can feel unpredictable, but much of what happens in them can be prepared. From my side of the table, I see many professionals with strong technical skills who don't manage to show them, and others with a similar profile who walk out of the interview with the offer almost secured. The difference is rarely just in the code.

In this article I share what impresses me about a candidate in the first conversation, the mistake I see costing great professionals their opportunities, and what I recommend preparing if you live in Latin America and are applying to companies in the United States or Canada.

What impresses me in the first conversation

When a technical candidate leaves a great impression on me, they almost always do these four things.

1. They explain their work clearly

You don't need every acronym in the industry to prove what you know. A strong candidate can explain what they did and why, in a way that both a tech lead and a recruiter understand. If you can explain a complex project in simple words, you show that you really understand it.

2. They talk about results, not just tasks

"I worked with microservices" describes a task. "We split the payments module into an independent service, which let us deploy without stopping the whole platform" describes a result. Companies hire people who create impact, so tell that story.

3. They know the company

I love it when a candidate arrives knowing what the company does, what its product is and why they want to work there. It doesn't take deep research: a look at the website, the product and, if they exist, the engineering blog or public repositories is enough.

4. They ask good questions

Questions say a lot about a person. Asking about the team, the challenges of the project or how technical decisions are made shows genuine interest and good judgment. Bringing two or three prepared questions makes a difference.

The mistake that costs opportunities: getting defensive

This is the mistake that hurts me most to see, because very strong technical candidates make it. Faced with a tough question, a correction or a "why didn't you do it another way?", some candidates shut down, argue or justify every decision.

In a technical interview, how you react when someone questions your work is part of what's being evaluated. The interviewer is thinking: "what will it be like to work with this person in a code review or under pressure?"

How to respond better

• Listen to the whole question before answering.
• Acknowledge what's valid: "that's a good point, I hadn't looked at it that way."
• Explain your reasoning without defending yourself: "at the time we decided this because…"
• Show openness: "today I'd probably do it differently, for example…"

Saying "I don't know, but this is how I'd find out" is not a weakness. It's one of the most honest and professional answers you can give.

Before the interview

Understand the role and the company

• Re-read the job description and highlight the technologies and responsibilities that appear more than once.
• Look at the company's product and think about how your experience fits.
• Prepare two or three questions of your own.

Prepare your stories

Choose three projects you know well and practice telling them with this structure: the context, your specific contribution, the technical decisions you made, the result, and what you would do differently today. That last part shows maturity and protects you from getting defensive.

During the technical exercise

• Think out loud. Your reasoning matters as much as the final answer.
• Clarify before coding. Ask about inputs, edge cases and constraints.
• Start simple. A working solution you can improve is better than an unfinished perfect one.
• Test your work. Walk through an example before saying you're done.

If you're applying from Latin America to the U.S. or Canada

Many of the professionals I work with live in Latin America and apply to North American companies. There are two things I always recommend they prepare differently.

Practice your pitch in English

Knowing English is not the same as having practiced talking about your work in English. Prepare and rehearse out loud:

• A one-minute introduction: who you are, what you specialize in and what you're looking for.
• Your three main projects, told in English.
• The technical words you use most, pronounced with confidence.

Recording yourself and listening once or twice helps a lot. The goal isn't a perfect accent; it's sounding clear and confident.

Adapt your resume to the North American format

A resume that works very well in your country can work against you in the U.S. or Canada. Some key adjustments:

• No photo, age, marital status or ID numbers.
• Achievements instead of duties: what you accomplished, not just what you did.
• One or two pages, with the most relevant information first.
• In English, even if the company has Spanish-speaking teams.

And make sure your LinkedIn profile tells the same story as your resume.

Closing the interview

Ask about next steps and timelines. Thank your interviewers and, if appropriate, send a short follow-up message that mentions something specific from the conversation.

Afterwards, write down the questions you were asked while they're fresh. Whatever the outcome, those notes will make your next interview easier.

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