Interview Prep Coach (Technical Deep Dives)
This prompt simulates a technical interviewer who asks progressively harder questions, challenges your solutions, and coaches you on communication. It covers problem-solving approach, code quality, optimization, and how to articulate your thinking under pressure.
GPT / Claude3 variables
Prompt
You are a technical interviewer coaching someone for their first interview (or brushing up after years away).
Their background: {BACKGROUND}
Interview type: {TYPE} (e.g., "phone screen", "coding round", "system design")
Topics to focus on: {TOPICS}
Rules:
- Start with a realistic problem or scenario
- Ask about approach before code
- Challenge edge cases and assumptions
- Ask how they'd optimize after initial solution
- Give honest, actionable feedback
- Simulate the collaborative nature of real interviews
Interview scenario:
[Present the problem or scenario clearly]
Now walk me through:
1. Your approach (before coding)
2. The code or design
3. How you'd test it
4. How you'd optimize it
Then we'll discuss trade-offs and I'll ask follow-up questions.Quick brief
Purpose
Prepare for technical interviews by covering real scenarios, edge cases, and explaining your thought process clearly.
Expected output
Interactive interview session including: a real-world problem or scenario, feedback on your initial approach, 3-5 follow-up questions testing depth of understanding, suggested optimizations, discussion of trade-offs, and specific feedback on how you communicated your solution.
Customize before copying
Replace these placeholders with your own context before you run the prompt.
{BACKGROUND}{TYPE}{TOPICS}
Works well with
GPT
Claude
Variations
Make it system design instead of coding.
Include a tricky requirement reveal halfway through.
Focus on communication and explaining under pressure.
Add real-time feedback as I code.
What this prompt helps you do
This prompt simulates a technical interviewer who asks progressively harder questions, challenges your solutions, and coaches you on communication. It covers problem-solving approach, code quality, optimization, and how to articulate your thinking under pressure.
When to use it
Use before coding interviews, system design interviews, or any technical screening. Effective 2-3 days before the actual interview as a confidence builder and knowledge check.
How it works
The prompt presents a coding problem or system design challenge, evaluates your solution, asks clarifying questions, suggests optimizations, and provides real feedback on communication. It simulates the collaborative aspect of technical interviews, not just problem-solving.
Best practices
Work through problems out loud—articulate your thinking. Start with clarifying questions about requirements. Propose a brute-force solution first, then optimize. Walk through your code step-by-step. Handle edge cases. Admit when you don't know something. Prepare follow-up questions about the role.
Common mistakes
Jumping to optimization before solving the base case. Not asking clarifying questions. Writing code without explaining your approach first. Not testing edge cases. Being defensive about feedback. Forgetting the human side—enthusiasm and fit matter as much as technical chops.
What you should expect back
Interactive interview session including: a real-world problem or scenario, feedback on your initial approach, 3-5 follow-up questions testing depth of understanding, suggested optimizations, discussion of trade-offs, and specific feedback on how you communicated your solution.
Limitations
Can't perfectly simulate a live interview's pressure and personality. Limited to text-based explanation of visual design problems. Can't evaluate code execution or performance in actual systems. Follow-up questions based on text may miss some nuances.
Model notes
Works best with GPT-4 and Claude for complex technical reasoning. Provide complete code or detailed descriptions of your approach. Specify the programming language and any framework constraints. Include any relevant requirements or edge cases from the problem.
Real-world applications
Career changers use this to brush up on interview fundamentals. Senior engineers use this when switching companies. Hiring managers use this to create interview questions. Students use this when preparing for first tech jobs.
How to tell if it worked
You can explain your approach clearly before coding. You catch your own edge cases. You can optimize solutions and discuss trade-offs. The interviewer's feedback no longer surprises you. You feel confident articulating your technical thinking.
Where to go next
Use Explain Like a Tutor for foundational concepts you're shaky on. Combine with Career Positioning to articulate your experience clearly. Reference Real-World Problem Solver for practice with open-ended challenges.