Software Engineer Interview Practice for Hindi Speakers (US)
Practise the questions a software engineer interview actually asks, and see where your English is costing you marks before the real thing. Built for people who moved from India and are interviewing in United States.
What a software engineer interview asks
These recur across employers because they are what the decision turns on.
- Walk me through a system or feature you built. What did you decide, and why?
- Tell me about a technical trade-off you made and what it cost you.
- Describe a bug that took you a long time to find. How did you find it?
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with a technical decision on your team.
- How do you explain a technical problem to somebody who is not technical?
What Hindi speakers commonly say in English
These are habits, not mistakes about intelligence — your first language works differently, and it shows through under interview pressure.
Article dropping
Often said: I am engineer.
Instead: I am an engineer.
'Only' / 'itself' for emphasis
Often said: I only worked on backend.
Instead: I worked only on backend.
'Revert back' / 'do the needful'
Often said: I will revert back to you.
Instead: I will get back to you.
'Doubt' for 'question'
Often said: I have a doubt.
Instead: I have a question.
Present continuous for habits
Often said: I am working here since 2020.
Instead: I have worked here since 2020.
How interviews run in United States
Talking about your own work
"Selling yourself" is expected. Confidence and enthusiasm are strengths.
What interviewers here tend to value
- Initiative
- Results-orientation
- Enthusiasm
- Leadership potential
- Cultural fit
What catches people out
- Being too modest
- Not sending thank-you email
- Not negotiating salary
- Underselling achievements
What is expected of your English
Native-like expected for most professional roles
High in diverse cities (NYC, SF, LA), lower in smaller markets
Reading about it only takes you so far
Answer a few of these out loud and you will find out, in about five minutes, which part of your English is costing you marks — and what to fix first. Free, and you do not need a card.