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My hunch is that you have a blind spot that’s getting you flagged at the recruiter stage. I’ve interviewed a ton of devs, I’d be happy to run through a sample interview and give you feedback if you’re up for it.

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I’ve never had a job interview before. What kind of things should be focused on when preparing for one? (I’ve still got a few years yet until I need to start thinking about jobs though.) I personally feel my confidence is a big weakness, but I guess that’s different to technical ability. Should I start with learning different algorithms, data structures, etc? Thanks

You need all of that (structures, algorithms, confidence, etc), especially if you're going for a FAANG. But the biggest thing I see new grads lacking is the ability to communicate and collaborate effectively in the workplace and on teams. At most smaller startups that's maybe even more important than raw ability.

Find any way you can to gain practical experience. Internships, consulting, open-source. Really anything. The bonus is that you'll gain confidence through this path as well. You'll know you're capable of doing the full job (not just the work).

Wow. Great community here on HN. Kudos to you.

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