# Interview Prep

> Behavioral frameworks, technical interview patterns, system design, coding, and negotiation prep

- Skill: `cosmicstack-labs/interview-prep` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add cosmicstack-labs/interview-prep`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/cosmicstack-labs/interview-prep/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: cosmicstack-labs (https://skillmd.com/u/cosmicstack-labs)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/cosmicstack-labs/interview-prep

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# Interview Prep

Systematic preparation for technical and behavioral interviews.

## Behavioral Frameworks

### STAR for Behavioral Questions
Tell me about a time when...

| Element | What to Cover |
|---------|--------------|
| **S**ituation | Context — project, team, timeline |
| **T**ask | Your specific responsibility |
| **A**ction | What YOU did (not the team) |
| **R**esult | Quantified outcome, what you learned |

### Common Questions to Prepare
1. "Tell me about yourself" → 60-second career narrative
2. "Biggest challenge/project" → STAR with technical depth
3. "Conflict with a teammate" → Show emotional intelligence
4. "Failure/mistake" → Honest story + what you learned
5. "Why this company?" → Research-driven, specific

## Technical Interview Prep

### Coding
- Practice 2-3 problems daily (LeetCode medium)
- Focus on: Arrays, Hashmaps, Trees, Graphs, DP
- Always: Clarify → Brute force → Optimize → Code → Test
- Think out loud — interviewer wants to hear your process

### System Design
Practice these scenarios:
- Design URL shortener (read-heavy, hashing, scaling)
- Design chat system (WebSockets, persistence, presence)
- Design news feed (fan-out, caching, ranking)
- Design rate limiter (token bucket, sliding window, distributed)

## Pre-Interview Checklist
- [ ] Research company and interviewers on LinkedIn
- [ ] Prepare 3 questions to ask at end
- [ ] Test your camera, mic, internet
- [ ] Have water, notebook, pen ready
- [ ] Review your resume and projects