Blog

Notes on interviews, hiring and learning.

Grounded writing from the team building Rehurz.

1 Jul 2026

Why Solving 500 LeetCode Problems Isn't Enough (And The 4-Step Framework to Actually Get Hired)

Coding interview preparation, how to ace coding round, mock technical interview, software engineer interview guide.

28 Jun 2026

Top 10 Data Structures to Master for Coding Interviews in 2026

A practical guide to data structures interview questions: 10 core structures, the patterns they enable, and the time/space complexity you need cold.

27 Jun 2026

Why Your O(n) Solution Isn't Passing the Interview

Your code runs but still fails the interview. Learn how time complexity interview expectations work, how to read Big-O, and explain it out loud.

26 Jun 2026

Dynamic Programming Demystified: A Step-by-Step Approach

Master the dynamic programming interview with this step-by-step guide covering state design, recurrence, memoization, tabulation, and common DP patterns.

25 Jun 2026

The Art of the Technical Phone Screen

Learn what a technical phone screen tests, how it differs from onsite, and how to communicate clearly without a whiteboard or body language.

24 Jun 2026

How to Communicate Your Thought Process While Coding

Learn how to think out loud in a coding interview: what to say at each stage, common silence traps, and how to structure verbal reasoning under pressure.

23 Jun 2026

Live Coding vs Take-Home Assignments: Pros and Cons

Weighing live coding vs take home assignments? Learn what each format measures, who it favours, and how to perform your best in both.

22 Jun 2026

Mastering Graph Traversal Algorithms for Interviews

Learn BFS vs DFS, cycle detection, topological sort, and how to tackle graph traversal interview questions with confidence.

21 Jun 2026

Why post-training MCQs stopped working

Completion is not understanding, and with AI assistants, a written quiz proves almost nothing. Here is the case for a live interview instead.

20 Jun 2026

How Rehurz grades an interview

Inside the scorecard: role-specific dimensions, a hire signal, per-question feedback, ideal answers, and a path to close the gaps.

19 Jun 2026

Dealing with Interview Anxiety During Live Coding

Coding interview anxiety hits even experienced engineers. Here is why live coding triggers it and practical techniques for before, during, and when you blank.

18 Jun 2026

Why LeetCode Alone Isn't Enough to Pass Interviews

LeetCode builds pattern recognition, but it is not enough to pass interviews. Learn the communication, system design, and live performance gaps it leaves.

17 Jun 2026

The Ultimate Guide to Pair Programming Interviews

Ace your pair programming interview by understanding what it tests, the driver/navigator model, and how to think aloud well. A practical prep guide.

16 Jun 2026

Microservices vs Monoliths for System Design Interviews

Learn the microservices vs monolith tradeoff for system design interviews. Understand architecture, deployment, scaling, data consistency, and when to choose each.

15 Jun 2026

A Beginner's Guide to Database Sharding and Replication

Learn database sharding and replication: how they scale reads and writes, why they differ, and how to reason about them in system design interviews.

14 Jun 2026

How to Design a Highly Available Rate Limiter

Master rate limiter design for your system. Learn algorithms, distributed patterns, and tradeoffs to control traffic and prevent abuse.

13 Jun 2026

Understanding Message Queues: Kafka vs RabbitMQ

Learn when to use Kafka vs RabbitMQ. Compare message queue architectures, throughput, ordering, routing, and delivery guarantees for system design interviews.

12 Jun 2026

How to Design a Real-Time Chat Application (Case Study)

How to design a chat application end-to-end: requirements, WebSockets, data model, fan-out, presence, and scaling tradeoffs for system design rounds.

11 Jun 2026

Load Balancer in System Architecture: L4 vs L7 Design

Master load balancer system design. Understand L4 vs L7, routing algorithms, health checks, sticky sessions, SSL termination, and HA strategies for engineering interviews.

10 Jun 2026

Trade-offs in Distributed Systems: CAP Theorem Explained

Understand the CAP theorem: why consistency, availability, and partition tolerance are impossible together, and how to choose the right tradeoff for your system.

9 Jun 2026

Designing for Eventual Consistency in Distributed Systems

Learn eventual consistency, strong consistency models, and when to use each. A guide to consistency tradeoffs, replication lag, and conflict resolution.

8 Jun 2026

Scaling to 10 Million Users: An Architectural Roadmap

Learn how to scale a web application from thousands to tens of millions. A staged architectural evolution through bottleneck-driven decisions and proven patterns.

7 Jun 2026

Caching Strategies: Memcached, Redis, and CDNs

Master caching strategies including cache-aside, write-through, Redis, Memcached, and CDNs. Learn patterns, tradeoffs, and how to solve cache invalidation and stale data.

6 Jun 2026

The STAR Method: Structuring Your Interview Answers

Learn the STAR method for interviews: how to structure situation, task, action, and result into compelling behavioural answers that land.

5 Jun 2026

"Tell Me About Yourself": The Perfect 2-Minute Pitch

Master the 'tell me about yourself' answer with the present-past-future framework. Learn what interviewers listen for and how to structure a compelling 90-second pitch.

4 Jun 2026

How to Discuss Your Weaknesses Without Hurting Your Chances

Learn how to answer 'what is your greatest weakness' with honesty and strategy. Master the weakness plus remediation framework to impress interviewers, avoid clichés, and turn self-awareness into a hiring signal.

3 Jun 2026

Answering Behavioral Questions on Conflict Resolution

Learn how to answer conflict resolution interview questions with the STAR method, choose compelling examples, and demonstrate maturity and ownership to impress interviewers.

2 Jun 2026

Questions You Must Ask Your Interviewer at the End

Learn what questions to ask at the end of your interview to assess the role, team culture, and growth. Smart questions signal genuine interest and help you evaluate if the job is right for you.

1 Jun 2026

Decoding Company Culture During the HR Screen

Learn to assess company culture and read real signals during the HR screen. Green flags, red flags, and the right questions to ask before you say yes.

30 May 2026

Handling Career Gaps and Transitions in Interviews

Learn how to explain career gaps confidently in interviews. Master honest framing, address employment gaps proactively, and handle career transitions like a professional.

29 May 2026

Discussing Salary Expectations Professionally in Interviews

Learn when salary expectations come up, how to research market rates, and proven tactics to defer the number early and anchor confidently later.

28 May 2026

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Tech Interviews

Learn how emotional intelligence shapes tech interview success. Explore EQ components, why teams care, how to demonstrate it authentically, and how to develop it.

27 May 2026

How to Recover Gracefully After a Bad Answer

Everyone stumbles in interviews. Learn in-the-moment recovery tactics, what to say when you blank, and how to follow up after to salvage your candidacy.

26 May 2026

The Hidden Costs of Poor Post-Training Performance

Organizations spend billions on training programs, but rarely measure whether employees actually apply what they learn on the job. The gap between training completion and post training performance costs more than most realize.

25 May 2026

Why Traditional Employee Evaluations Are Failing

Traditional employee evaluations are failing to predict behavior change. Here is what a defensible post-training assessment should measure instead.

24 May 2026

How AI Assistance Is Masking True Employee Competence

AI tools let employees produce polished output that masks genuine skill gaps. Explore how to detect what AI hides and redesign L&D assessment for accuracy.

23 May 2026

The Degrading Quality of Tech Talent: A Corporate Dilemma

Many tech leaders report declining technical depth in recent graduates and new hires. Explore the root causes of declining tech talent quality and what L&D teams can do.

22 May 2026

Rebuilding Trust in Talent Assessment

How L&D leaders can restore credibility to talent assessment by moving beyond biased ratings, inflated credentials, and self-reported data toward objective, verifiable evaluation methods.

21 May 2026

Why L&D Needs Objective, AI-Driven Benchmarks

Move beyond subjective assessments. Learn why ai-driven benchmarks l&d transforms how organizations measure skill development, retention, and job readiness.

20 May 2026

Overcoming Bias in Technical Candidate Evaluations

Reduce bias in technical interviews with structured rubrics, calibration, and adaptive evaluation. Learn how L&D leaders can build fairer hiring workflows.

19 May 2026

Standardizing the Interview Process Across Your Organization

Why standardizing your interview process matters for fairness, hiring quality, and scaling. A framework for L&D leaders and hiring managers.

18 May 2026

The Impact of Bad Hires on Engineering Velocity

Explore how poor engineering hiring decisions erode team velocity, code quality, and morale. Learn what triggers bad hires and how better assessment reduces risk.

17 May 2026

Tracking True Competency Progression in Engineering Teams

Learn how to measure real competency progression in engineering teams beyond output metrics. Expert frameworks for L&D leaders and hiring managers.

16 May 2026

Do You Really Need a Computer Science Degree in 2026?

Is a CS degree worth it in 2026? Explore what degrees offer, how bootcamps and self-taught paths compare, and what actually matters to hiring managers.

15 May 2026

Remote vs In-Office: How the Interview Process Differs

Understand the key differences between remote vs onsite interview processes. Learn how each format tests you differently and how to prepare for both.

14 May 2026

Crafting a Resume That Actually Passes the ATS

Learn what an applicant tracking system really does, and format your resume to pass the ATS and reach a human recruiter with these practical tips.

13 May 2026

The Career Value of Open Source Contributions

Open source contributions show hiring managers you can ship code, collaborate effectively, and take ownership. Learn how to build your career through open source.

12 May 2026

Junior to Mid-Level: What Hiring Managers Look For

Discover what separates junior from mid-level engineers in interviews. Learn the key signals hiring managers evaluate when assessing your career progression.

11 May 2026

Interviewing for Staff and Principal Engineer Roles

Staff engineer interviews differ fundamentally from senior level. Learn what companies evaluate at this level and how to prepare.

10 May 2026

Avoiding Burnout While Job Hunting

Job hunting burnout is real. Learn how to sustain your search, manage rejection fatigue, and stay motivated over months of applications and interviews.

9 May 2026

AI-Assisted Development: Threat or Opportunity?

AI-assisted development tools like Copilot are reshaping engineering. Here's the honest truth about what changes, what matters, and how to stay competitive.

8 May 2026

Negotiating Your Tech Offer Like a Pro

Master the art of negotiating your tech offer. Learn how to evaluate compensation, timing, tactics, and avoid costly mistakes during your negotiation.

7 May 2026

First 90 Days: Succeeding After You Ace the Interview

You aced the interview. Now master the first 90 days, the critical window that makes or breaks your career trajectory in a new role.