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Ask HN: How are you preparing for interviews nowadays?

12 points by holden_nelson ↗ HN
Hey all, just wondering how you're preparing for interviews in 2026? I'm assuming system design plays a larger role and the bar is probably higher across all levels. Do I still need to grind leetcode?

14 comments

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rolph
be ready for zingers, like " what benefit do i get if i hire you for thousands of dollars a month, instead of paying a couple hundred for a few AI sessions?"
ungreased0675
That’s interesting. What was the process that resulted in this open position being created, and why are you hiring for tasks you believe can be automated?
markus_zhang
I’m not preparing much because I have quite a few years of experience under my belt.

Basically I read the JD, find some stories from my work that I can tell, brush up the CV for a bit and then that’s it. I don’t prepare for LC interviews and if I get one I just decline.

isaisabella
Maybe AI-assisted coding? I just interviewed with Amazon and they are quite looking on how you use AI to finish a task with a wide scope. Leetcode is not the main part now though.
recursivecaveat
My employer's process is basically exactly the same: leetcode, system design, behavioural; we just tell candidates not to use AI. Hiring is one of the scarier decisions a manager can make so I think they will stay pretty conservative. Personally my philosophy is that the interview is an information-gathering session, not a workday simulation. So it makes sense to test your fundamentals even if in practice you may be delegating them most of the time.
markboo
As a tech lead, from last year, all my new hire interview is fundamentally changed, no concept, no algo, no design. Just a real world problem, even not clearly defined yet, allow candidate use any AI tool they like, ask me questions or do research for problem clarification, and work it out. I'm watching all this process in 1-1.5 hours to see if he is a problem solver. 99% will be solved by AI with your proactivaly and smart prompt or questions in current work, so the thinking and prompting process is key.
muzani
Typical interview types we see:

Make this thing that would be impossible without AI. The test is to see if you actually architect it properly and understand principles of how things connect together.

Make this thing that would be impossible without AI. Now make these modifications without any AI.

Make this thing. You may use low quality AI like Composer 3 or none at all, but if you use none, we'll probably think of you as some kind of boomer.

Here's a bunch of technical problems that we don't know the answer to. If you give answers or insights we haven't considered, then you're bringing value to the team (e.g. git/PR policy, microservices, feature flagging, localization, security)

kentich
Leetcode is implicit IQ testing. That is why they will likely keep it despite AI.
jabeer 

   Would love feedback on my HTML-to-PDF API — pdfkitt.dev
mts_building
Most interviews ask for a motivational letter. You can use give an AI the job description with a list of experiences you have, tools you know, manage, etc. As AI gives you this nice summary, you can expand on each elements whether alone or again with an AI and without learning it, making sure you know it more or less so you can go to the interview ready to talk and answer questions.
vishnukool
System design definitely carries more weight now but Leetcode has not totally vanished. It's just evolved.
sminchev
I am working as contractor for the last 15-16 years. And each new project starts with interview. I have been on around 20+ . Most of the time, I just read again the most basic staff like, what is class, interface, overriding, overloading. Just to remind myself what's the proper/modern terminology that the person in front of me would like to hear. To use it, does not mean that you can explain it, and this is what they are searching for.

All else is confidence, experience, nice professional stories, curiosity, good soft skills. People need to like you as a person, to feel unconsciously that working with you will be safe, cool, fun, productive process.