Live Q&A
Technical Interviews in 2025: How to Stand Out in the Age of AI
Written By Liz Eggleston
Last updated July 9, 2025
Written By Liz Eggleston
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
In 2025, the tech job interview process is shifting under our feet. The rise of generative AI tools has raised new questions about remote assessments, candidate authenticity, and the skills companies are really testing for. So what do today’s technical interviews actually look like? And how are career changers supposed to prepare?
To find out, Course Report hosted a live Q&A webinar with four experienced career coaches who work closely with job-seeking graduates at top coding bootcamps:
The discussion covered everything from AI-driven assessments to portfolio strategy and ageism in hiring. We’ve preserved the Q&A format so you can follow along with the full conversation.
Is it still a (1) screening call, (2) culture interview, (3) technical interview, and (4) an assessment?
Vinny (Tech Elevator): Those four steps – screening, culture interview, technical interview, and assessment/project – are very common. Sometimes the screening and culture fit are combined, or the code project comes before the technical interview. It really depends on the company.
The purpose of the technical interview is to assess how you think and problem-solve, and to make sure that what you’ve submitted – or how you’ve represented yourself – matches who you are in real time. It’s typically conducted by another engineer or the hiring manager for that technical role.
They might start with questions like, “Tell me about object-oriented programming,” or dive into the specific technologies listed on your resume. Depending on the company, it can get more intensive, with a whiteboarding exercise or live coding session with a member of the technical team.
Overall, expect the interview to be 80% technical. But don’t overlook the soft skills portion – you’ll still likely get a “Tell me about yourself” prompt or a STAR-style behavioral question. Be prepared to demonstrate both your technical knowledge and your ability to communicate it clearly.
📝 Expect a 4-part process where the technical interview tests both your code knowledge and your communication skills.
Are there any fears or hype around AI in interviews that haven't panned out?
Trey (General Assembly): One that hasn’t really taken off is self-recorded asynchronous interviews. These are the ones where you record yourself responding to a prompt and the system processes your answer. I expected to see more of those by now, but I haven’t. And I think that’s a good thing – I’d rather students talk to a real person than perform for a camera.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): I’ve heard about AI interviewers more from folks applying to startups than larger scale corporations. Big companies tend to be "wait and see" about new tech. They let smaller companies test the risk first.
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): AI-powered platforms are also new for the companies. AI platforms can understand your words, but they don’t yet fully evaluate your confidence, your problem-solving skills, your reasoning, or how you think. Until they improve, they won’t replace human interviews.
🧠 Self-recorded AI interviews haven’t taken off – real-time human interaction still reigns in technical hiring.
Mariam (Springboard): From my background in recruitment, I saw how companies were starting to integrate AI into the process. That human element is disappearing, and it’s a disservice to companies. We’re seeing less pair programming and more automated code assessments. But companies miss out on seeing how someone approaches problems, not just whether they get the right answer.
My advice to students: double down on your fundamentals. It’s like studying for the SATs – not always relevant to the job, but still necessary.
Trey (General Assembly): Definitely more take-home assessments, and they’re becoming increasingly project-based. Companies want to see how you follow specific directions. And if there is pair programming, treat it as a preview of what working with you would be like. Show your collaboration and your communication.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): The biggest change I’ve seen is hiring managers trying to make sure the code you wrote is your code. Don’t copy and paste from ChatGPT. Interviewers will dig into your projects and ask why you made certain decisions. If you can’t explain your code, it’s obvious it wasn’t really yours.
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): And at the same time, companies expect you to use AI to improve, not to replace your thinking. It’s not necessarily bad to use AI during a technical interview. What matters is that you can explain how and why you used it. At 4Geeks Academy, we train students to ethically use AI and be able to explain how they used it. If you used ChatGPT or Copilot during an assessment, be honest and show how it made you better.
⚙️ AI hasn’t replaced technical interviews, but it’s made assessments more project-based, and grads now need to explain how and why they use AI tools.
Are live coding interviews being replaced by AI assessments?
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): Live coding isn’t disappearing, but it is evolving. Many companies now combine take-homes with AI-supported tools, or let candidates use AI in live interviews to simulate real work conditions. The key is to prepare our students for this, so we’re coaching students to get used to that hybrid model.
Which AI tools should students expect to see in the interview process?
Mariam (Springboard): There aren’t dominant AI assessment platforms yet, but companies are incorporating AI into existing tools like CodeSignal or HackerRank. Those platforms have changed a lot in the last 10 years.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): I’ve seen HireVue used at the screening stage. It’s a pre-screen phone screen that generates a top 10 list of candidates based on async responses. But that’s not usually for technical interviews – just the earlier screening rounds.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): Yes, I’m seeing more in-person components, but usually toward the end of the process. For example, you might do a remote technical interview and then come in to meet the team over coffee or lunch. It’s about verifying that the person who did the project is the one who will show up on day one. Especially for in-office roles, you should expect at least one in-person interview.
Patricia asked, “how do you distinguish between live video and AI generated messaging or video during an interview?” How can job seekers protect themselves from AI-driven hiring scams?
Mariam (Springboard): This is a new phenomenon and it’s becoming a serious issue. I’ve seen LinkedIn posts from people who were scammed, got fake offers, even had their bank accounts compromised. To protect yourself, you need to do as much research as possible. First, work with your career coach to verify that the company is real: check their website (if their website isn’t working, that’s a red flag), pay attention to grammar, check their hiring history on LinkedIn, and message someone who works there.
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): And be sure the person contacting you is real, too. I’ve seen fake emails from domains that look close to the real thing. Scammers can even clone your face now with AI. Legit companies should outline their hiring process on their Career website.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): Quick hygiene tips for anyone who doesn’t have a Career Coach: No recruiter should ask for your bank info or address before a job offer. If you haven’t spoken to a real person yet, it’s probably a scam. And if the whole process is rushed or vague, that’s another red flag.
Mariam (Springboard): Also, if the first step is a video interview or assessment before you talk to a human – skip it. Companies should talk to you before they ask for work.
🔒 If you haven’t spoken to a real person, don’t send personal information – always verify companies, recruiters, and processes.
Trey (General Assembly): Yeah, I’m of the belief that bootcamp grads have an advantage. If for no other reason than the fact that the information and that kind of experience is fresh in your memory. If you fully immerse yourself in the bootcamp process and work closely with your peers, you're simulating what a real work environment is like – whether that’s in software engineering, UX, data, or anything else.
Start building comfort with collaboration and communication early. If you're in a bootcamp now, start talking to people. If you're considering one, know that the ability to work with others and learn publicly is a huge benefit. That’s going to serve you well in interviews.
I’ll also say technical interviews are becoming more project-based. A great example: my wife, who’s an engineer, recently did a take-home where she had to include an Easter egg in her app, follow certain code requirements, and write a README explaining her decisions. That company passed her through based on her code, but now they want a follow-up conversation to understand her working style. That’s what interviews are becoming – less about whether you got the right answer, more about how you think and how you’d work with the team.
Rule number one of the job search: expect the unexpected. Anything can happen in this process. If you can approach it with flexibility, you’ll reduce a lot of the stress that typically comes with the job search.
Denise, who joined us live, asked a great question – is the technical interview process the same for if you're applying for a contract role as if you're applying for a W-2 full-time role?
Trey (General Assembly): Not really. More often than not, I find that the interview process for contract roles is the same – or strikingly similar – to the process for full-time positions. That’s especially true when there’s a possibility that the contract could turn into a full-time offer. Companies are still evaluating your technical skills, your communication, and your potential fit on the team, just like they would for a W-2 employee.
Mariam (Springboard): That’s definitely a shift we’ve seen since 2022. Contracting interviews used to be shorter, but now that companies have more leverage in the job market, they’re making contractors go through the same multi-step process as full-time hires. One thing to caution for, especially with take-home projects: make sure the assessment is general and skill-based. If it’s highly specific to the company’s product or feels like real unpaid work, that’s a red flag. It’s okay to pause and ask the recruiter what the goal of the project is and how it fits into the interview process.
How do your bootcamps prep students for the technical interview?
Vinny Sanfillippo (Tech Elevator & Hack Reactor): We take a two-pronged approach to preparing students for technical interviews, because like Trey said earlier, you have to “expect the unexpected.” Anything can happen during a job search.
First, every student gets at least one mock technical interview with an instructor. We save this until near the end of the program because we want it to be tough – we want students to feel what a challenging interview is really like. If students want to do more, they absolutely can. We try to make space for as many extra mock interviews as possible depending on availability.
The second piece is our AI-powered practice tool. We’ve developed a bank of technical and behavioral questions that students can use to simulate asynchronous interviews. They record themselves answering, and the platform gives them real-time feedback – not just on what they said, but how they said it. Did you make eye contact? Was your posture confident? Was your technical answer accurate? It’s like having a mirror for your interview performance. We want students to be fluent in explaining their thinking, not just writing code.
Valentina Ancieta (4Geeks Academy): At 4Geeks, our prep process is built around three things: mock interviews, project presentations, and now – AI fluency.
We start with the basics: whiteboarding, code reviews, and mock technical interviews. But we also put a lot of emphasis on project presentation – helping students talk through their logic clearly, anticipate follow-up questions, and recover gracefully when something goes wrong (because it does!).
Then we layer in AI tools. Our students learn how to use ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot ethically – not just to generate answers, but to deepen their understanding. We teach them how to explain when and why they used AI in a project. That’s a crucial skill now.
And this year, we’ve partnered with an AI-powered mock interview platform that customizes interview questions based on company, job role, and seniority level. It even simulates AI-driven interviews and generates feedback. We’re still committed to the 1:1 human coaching – but we’re pairing it with smart technology to meet students where the industry is going.
Mariam Sallam (Springboard): Springboard’s approach is very personalized – it’s all about the one-on-one interaction. Every student is paired with both a career coach and an industry mentor, and both are there to help with technical interview prep.
If you have an interview coming up, you can schedule mock behavioral interviews, mock technicals, or company-specific prep sessions with your coach. At the same time, your mentor – who’s a working engineer, data scientist, or cyber pro – can help you practice whiteboarding, talk through real-world technical questions, and share insight from their own interview experiences.
We want students to feel supported from both sides: someone who knows how to navigate the hiring process and someone who’s currently doing the job you want. That dual perspective is incredibly powerful.
Trey Simpson (General Assembly): At GA, we share a lot of the same core strategies – project-based learning, individualized coaching, instructor-led mock interviews. We make sure students get a realistic preview of what technical interviews look and feel like.
But something I focus on heavily – because it’s the kind of coach I am – is making sure students can present themselves well before they even get to the technical round. So many learners get hung up on the coding challenge, when really, you’ve got a few steps to take before you’re even invited to do that.
We coach students to tell their story clearly – who you are, how you work, what kind of teammate you are. Can you walk someone through your logic? Can you explain your decision-making? Can you communicate in a way that builds confidence? Once we’ve got that foundation, then we sharpen the technical skills to match.
The goal is for every student to walk into a technical interview thinking: “I know what I’ve built, I know why I built it this way, and I’m ready to talk about it.”
Vinny (Tech Elevator): Companies aren’t just hiring you to write code anymore. They’re hiring you to be productive in a modern tech stack, and that means using tools like generative AI to work smarter. If they’re going to invest in you, they want to know you’re up to speed with the tools that are shaping how software is built today.
That doesn’t mean you need to be an expert in AI or machine learning. But you do need to have some level of AI literacy. You should be able to talk about the tools you’ve tried, how you’ve used them, and how they’ve helped you – even if that was just experimenting on a side project. I always tell students: go out and play. There are tons of free micro-courses and tutorials out there. You don’t need a certification – you just need enough experience to talk about what you’ve done.
In fact, one of the most common interview questions I’ve been seeing lately is:
If you can answer that honestly, that’s going to check the box for most hiring managers.
As for which tools are table stakes – the big three I keep seeing pop up in interviews and on job postings are:
Any one of those is enough to demonstrate that you’re exploring and learning. If you can say, “I used Copilot to scaffold this feature,” or “ChatGPT helped me debug this edge case,” or “I used Gemini to outline a component and then customized it myself,” that shows initiative, curiosity, and fluency.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): Yes. Common questions you may hear in a technical interview now are: "What’s your favorite AI prompt?" or "What have you built with AI recently?" You don’t have to be an expert, but you should have some experience. The big three tools we see are GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Get familiar with them. There are a lot of free, 30-minute microlessons out there that can help.
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): We launched a short course at 4Geeks called Vibe Coding that teaches Copilot, ChatGPT, and Cursor. It’s already opening more opportunities for students.
Trey (General Assembly): We’re gradually teaching how to get the most out of AI in our courses at General Assembly. But I’m also a firm believer that, especially in tech, you’ve got to stay current. Understanding what’s hot right now and leaning into that can really work to your advantage.
I always encourage students to use AI tools to sharpen their skills, whether you’re in school or just graduated. That might mean using ChatGPT to break down a bug, or Copilot to scaffold your next personal project – the important thing is learning how to integrate these tools into your actual workflow. Make it a key part of your self-learning journey.
Mariam (Springboard): Springboard is launching a generative AI course soon. And I think you’ll see more bootcamps add these short, stackable courses in the next few years.
What’s the best way to study LLMs, machine learning, and prompt engineering for QA Testing?
Trey (General Assembly): I think of QA testing AI roles as two paths:
Whichever one you’re more excited about, let that guide the skills you focus on and the kinds of job titles you target. And as far as resources go: if it’s free, try it. Coursera, Udemy – they’re full of great content. But don’t just watch the videos. Build something. Apply what you learn.
To put it in sports terms (because I’m a sports guy): you can read all you want about how to shoot the perfect basketball jump shot – keep your elbow tucked, release at the right angle – but you won’t actually improve until you get out there and start taking shots. Same thing with AI. You won’t get good just by studying – you’ve got to use it.
Norbert asked when he RSVP'd – should full-stack developers learn data skills too?
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): Yes, definitely, and I see it both ways. For example, we have some graduates from our full stack development bootcamp that had a background in data science and do really well when they start their job search process because a full stack developer with data fluency brings a lot to the table.
That person is able to understand product metrics, integrate dashboards, optimize databases, so of course that will open a lot of opportunities.
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): It’s about how you approach the challenge. Can you explain your logic? Do you handle mistakes well? Show that you’re motivated, resilient, adaptable, and a fast learner. That makes a big difference.
I also see a lack of confidence sometimes from students who worry that someone else may have more experience. But it's important to remember: you're applying for a junior role. They’re not expecting you to be a senior developer.
It’s really about how you face the challenge – coming in with confidence, showing your adaptability, your motivation, your flexibility, and your ability to learn quickly. Those are all strengths of being new to the field, and that’s what we coach our students to highlight during the technical interview.
Trey (General Assembly): Yeah, this one’s definitely a favorite of mine. I’m a big believer in the idea that the best story wins. I read this book last year called Same As Ever by Morgan Housel — it’s a financial literacy book, but one of the best chapters talks about how, across everything from elections to celebrity culture, the person who can tell the most compelling story is the one who succeeds. And I think that applies directly to the job search.
In technical interviews – especially for junior roles – emotional intelligence and storytelling matter just as much as technical skill. Your ability to connect the dots between where you’ve been and where you’re going is what makes you memorable. That’s the story employers buy into.
So always control your story. Talk about what you do know, what you have done, and what you're excited to learn. Speak with energy and confidence. And here’s a rule I like to give my students: never volunteer potentially disqualifying information unless you're directly asked. For example, don’t say, “Well, I’ve never worked with TypeScript, but I have used Java…” – just lead with your strengths.
That said, if you do feel like you have skill gaps, go fill them! Be proactive. Go get that certification, take that course, build that project. But don’t let what you don’t know define how you present yourself.
The job search can be daunting, and it will test your confidence. But emotional intelligence – the ability to stay curious, stay positive, and show you’re someone people want to work with – can carry you a long way. Confidence wins. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.
Can career changers over 40 still get hired?
Mariam (Springboard): Yes. ATS systems don’t scan for age – they scan for skills. Just make sure your resume and story reflect the match. Tell a compelling story, and AI won’t disqualify you. Also, don’t include your age or address.
Which job search platforms are actually working in 2025? Is LinkedIn still king?
Mariam (Springboard): LinkedIn is noisy. I tell students to use it to research companies and connect with hiring managers, but don’t mass apply there. Use sites like BuiltIn to find companies, then reach out to people. The goal is a warm intro, not cold applications. These job board sites are not where you should be applying; they should just give you a sense of which companies are hiring so that you can do research and get in touch with the right person.
When I was a recruiter before I worked at Springboard and the job market wasn't great, we would get like a thousand resumes. And to be honest, I was not going through a thousand resumes; I was waiting for the hiring manager to tell me, “this person messaged me on LinkedIn and I really liked them. Can you interview them?”
If an interviewer doesn’t ask to see your portfolio, how do you bring it up?
Vinny (Tech Elevator): Look for an opening – like "What are you working on?" Then show your project. Or include it in your follow-up email with a note: "Here’s something I’ve been building."
Don’t say, "I’m working on something but not ready to show it yet." Show your work, even if it’s unfinished. That sets you apart.
Mariam (Springboard): I think people are really afraid of the changes that are happening, especially from what the market looked like in 2022 to 2025. I think I would just encourage people to really lean into that change and know that change is not an end-all be-all. I'm really excited to see where the tech industry is going and how people adapt to that. And I think a world where, you know, even though things are different, I think there is still a world where people get jobs in the tech space — and they're just different jobs, just a different environment, and that's okay. Sometimes change is good. So I'm really excited to see what 2026 to 2030 looks like in the world of AI.
Valentina (4Geeks Academy): I'm excited about how AI is leveling the playing field because now students with non-traditional backgrounds have access to more powerful tools, and that will help them close that gap faster. So yeah, I'm excited about the new opportunities, the new jobs that are going to be popping out this next couple of years.
Trey (General Assembly): This might be a selfish answer, but I'm just looking forward to working with more people, supportive folks, you know, watching people win. That is the whole reason I do this job. Nobody asked, but my full-time job in software companies is customer success and account management. There's no role that I've ever loved like career coaching. And so, yeah, I just want to see people win and achieve what it is that they're putting in so much time and effort to achieve.
Vinny (Tech Elevator): I personally am really excited of the concept of what is old is new again. This is not the first time we've seen a seismic shift around in technology where suddenly everybody's dropping everything and doing something. We saw this in machine learning. We saw this in cloud computing. We've seen this in a variety of different technologies that come out. Everyone talks about it for a hot minute. The market adjusts and we take a deep breath and see what we actually need. Some key trends that are emerging are things I'm super excited about — like, you know, we have some guardrails about how AI is used and how people are using it and we know where we — sort of the next steps we want to take, which is great. And we know that we want to talk to people and communicate with each other and soft skills are still front and center, which is great news for everybody on this call who teaches soft skills for a living. But I'm personally excited for more great conversations and meeting more people and helping them get to where they need to be. So that's it. That's me. That's what I'm excited for in 2026.
Liz Eggleston, CEO and Editor of Course Report
Liz Eggleston is co-founder of Course Report, the most complete resource for students choosing a coding bootcamp. Liz has dedicated her career to empowering passionate career changers to break into tech, providing valuable insights and guidance in the rapidly evolving field of tech education. At Course Report, Liz has built a trusted platform that helps thousands of students navigate the complex landscape of coding bootcamps.
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