Career and interviews is the practical side of software engineering: getting hired, getting promoted, deciding when to leave, and negotiating compensation. The technical interview format has stabilized over the last decade — a recruiter screen, one or two coding rounds, a system design round at senior+ levels, behavioral / culture interviews, then negotiation — but the bar at each step keeps rising as candidates prepare more thoroughly.
Effective interview prep separates into three things: data structures and algorithms (still LeetCode-pattern questions at most companies), system design (how you'd build Twitter / Uber / a rate limiter), and behavioral storytelling (the STAR-format answers about conflict, leadership, ambiguity). Compensation negotiation is its own short game that most candidates undervalue by 10-30%.
What you'll work with in these 29 courses
- Data structures and algorithms patterns: two pointers, sliding window, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming
- System design interviews: capacity estimation, primitive selection, trade-off framing
- Behavioral interviews: STAR storytelling, manager conflict, scope-of-impact narratives
- Resume and LinkedIn optimization for ATS and recruiter triage
- Compensation negotiation: levels.fyi data, competing offers, equity vesting
- Career strategy: when to stay, when to switch, IC vs management track
