Interview prep · by role

Interview prep with your private AI coach, by role, by level

28 role-by-role briefings, written for the candidate walking in tomorrow. Each one tells you what the interviewers are actually listening for, the questions you'll see, and where strong candidates still lose the offer. Free, no signup.

Each guide is the briefing I'd hand a candidate prepping for this loop. When you're ready to drill the questions out loud on a specific role, paste the JD into the free scan and your AI coach picks up from there.

Start here

The fastest ways in

Reports & trends

Guides & playbooks

How to handle each part of the search

Before you apply

Mock interviews & AI rounds

Answer the common questions

Prepare, and avoid the traps

After the offer, and special cases

Tech interviews by country

Pay, job security and visas across 27 markets

North America

Europe

Asia–Pacific

Oceania

Middle East

Interview guides by role

28 role-specific briefings across 7 tracks

01Software Engineering

Software Engineer roles · IC2 → IC6

02Engineering Management

Manager and leadership roles · M1 → VP

03Data & MLNEW

Data Science, ML, and Data Engineering · IC3 → IC4

04MobileNEW

iOS and Android engineering · IC3 → IC4

05InfrastructureNEW

SRE and Platform Engineering · IC3 → IC4

06Product

Product manager roles · IC2 → VP

07SolutionsNEW

Sales Engineering and Cloud Solutions Architecture · IC3 → IC4

Frequently asked questions

Which guide should I read first?

Start with the guide that matches your CURRENT level rather than the role you're applying to. Companies calibrate against the bar one step above where you are now: a Senior applying for Staff is judged on Senior signals plus the scope gap to Staff. Read your current-level guide first to anchor your baseline; then read the target-level guide to see what they'll probe for the step-up.

How long should I prep before an onsite?

Depends on your role and how active you've been. Rough guide: SWE / PM 4–6 weeks if rusty, 2 weeks if you're already practising. Senior+ engineers need 6–8 weeks because system design + STAR-story drilling both take time. Staff and Director roles need 8–12 weeks, the highest-leverage prep there is a written 90-day plan plus a strategic POV on the company, both of which take weeks to think through and rehearse.

What if my interview process is different from what's listed?

Most variation is at the edges. Major tech companies (FAANG, scale-ups, mid-size SaaS) follow processes within 1–2 rounds of what each guide describes. Smaller startups often run fewer rounds (3–4) but the bar at each round is similar; less-tech-mature companies sometimes skip system design or behavioural rounds entirely. Ask the recruiter at the screen, they'll tell you what's coming.

What is the STAR method?

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result, a structure for behavioural interview answers that keeps your story concrete and outcome-driven. Lead with the situation in 1–2 sentences, name the specific task you owned, walk through your action, close with a measurable result. Each role guide tags behavioural questions explicitly and shows how STAR applies to that level's questions.

How does the free scan differ from these guides?

These guides cover the general bar at each level. The free scan reads your specific job description and returns a personalised report, predicted questions for that exact role + company, a calibrated compensation benchmark, experience-gap analysis (with your CV), an ATS resume check, and a PDF emailed to keep. Use the guides for context; use the free scan to prep for a real role you've applied to.

Now do it for your JD

These guides give you the bar. Your AI coach gives you the prep.

Paste a real job description or URL, add your CV if you want gap analysis. You'll get the questions that company actually asks, your specific experience gaps, and a comp benchmark for the role and location. PDF emailed. Voice practice with feedback on every answer lives in the extension.

Free to start · Free reports + first mock free · Paid plans from $3.99

Private AI Coach for Interview Prep by Role — Calibrd