Handbook Overview
Only 1 in 5 candidates pass the entire technical interview process at tech companies—their most common pitfall is the System Design Interview. When it comes to System Design Interview preparation, it’s not enough to practice System Design Interview questions. This is because, unlike other technical interviews, there are many possible solutions to a given System Design problem. Rather, to excel in these interviews, you must be able to demonstrate the soft skills and thought processes that interviewers are looking for.
In this handbook, you’ll learn to master the behavioral aspects of the System Design Interview from a former FAANG engineer with 15+ years of experience designing distributed systems and conducting System Design Interviews. Whether you’re interviewing for a role as a software engineer, technical project manager, or engineering leader, this essential System Design Interview prep handbook will prepare you with actionable best practices so you can confidently enter your next System Design Interview.
Takeaway Skills
System Design
Prepare for Interview
What You'll Learn
- Simulate the real-world design process in the interview.
- Tackle any System Design problem with an 8-step method.
- Discuss the appropriate talking points for your desired role.
- Demonstrate collaboration skills, adaptability, and a growth mindset.
- Complete your high-level design under a time crunch.
- Evaluate trade-offs between common System Design attributes.
- Recognize commonly used components in any System Design (e.g., cache, load balancer, etc.).
- Understand the importance of mastering System Design Interviews at tech companies.
Handbook Content
Introduction to the System Design Interview Handbook
This chapter teaches system design interview basics, focusing on communication skills, best practices, and strategies for effectively tackling design challenges.
System Design 101
This chapter focuses on understanding what system design is and how to prepare for system design interviews with essential concepts and techniques.
Sending Hireable Signals
This chapter teaches navigating trade-offs, effective communication and time management, and demonstrating your experience-level during system design interview.
Getting to the Finish Line
This chapter teaches common strategies (SLIC FAST) and using the RESHADED framework to tackle unseen design problems efficiently in interviews.
Mastering the System Design Interview
This chapter is about revising your key takeaways from this system design interview handbook and the next steps towards system design mastery.
