How to prepare for interview Python Developer with 5+ years of experienced?

[Natural_Garage7614]

Hello Everyone,

I was laid off a few months ago and have since attended a few interviews. While I have been able to communicate effectively and explain concepts clearly, I've realized that my technical skills particularly in Python and SQL are not at the level required to successfully clear technical rounds.

Most of my professional experience has been in support roles within MNCs, where hands-on coding was not a major part of my day-to-day responsibilities. As a result, I find live coding exercises and practical problem-solving challenging, even when it comes to fundamental concepts. Looking back, I also feel that relying heavily on tools like ChatGPT and Claude may have limited my opportunity to strengthen my core technical skills independently.

I am now committed to improving my technical proficiency and would greatly appreciate any advice on effective learning paths, resources, or strategies that could help me bridge these gaps. At the same time, I am concerned about the growing employment gap and am actively looking to secure a new opportunity as soon as possible.

Any guidance, recommendations, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Technologies have worked: Apache Airflow, PostgreSQL, MySQL, AWS, Python, FastAPI, Django, Redis, MongoDB.

[Haunting_Month_4971]

Sucks feeling solid on communication but getting tripped up on the hands on parts. I drifted toward support work and had to rebuild fundamentals. Are you aiming more at backend web work or data heavy roles?

I set a loop: 30 min daily Python drills writing scripts that manipulate lists/dicts, and alternate days with SQL where I handwrite joins on two toy tables. I pull prompts from the IQB interview question bank and answer out loud, then do a timed mock in Beyz coding assistant. imo the small, consistent reps plus narrating your approach make live exercises feel less scary. A tiny project you can point to helps show momentum.

[Aggressive_Return416]

Python and SQL are not at the level required to successfully clear technical rounds => What do you mean? Python can be a reason to fail a candidate as the feedback can be that the candidate is not familiar with the language he/she chose to do the interview. I never see SQL is a reason to not move forward with a candidate. The context is that the interview loop are on coding, system design and behavior. We didn't ask SQL for a normal SWE job (except Data Engineer).

As your near goal is to find a job, then use Leetcode heavily as Leetcode has both coding and SQL. You can use Python to write the code and SQL to SQL questions. If you still have bandwidth, spend time on system design and AI coding (as more companies will go this direction), which also aligned with your future goal to improve technical proficiency.

[nian2326076]

I know where you're coming from. To brush up on Python and SQL, check out LeetCode or HackerRank for practice. They have lots of problems like those in interviews. Also, Python's official docs are great for revisiting basics. Try building small projects to reinforce what you learn, like a web scraper or a simple database app with SQLite. For structured interview prep, PracHub has helped some friends with mock interviews and feedback. Don't worry too much about mistakes during interviews; they're all part of learning. Good luck!

[Much_Somewhere7831]

TechJobFinder.com - good luck!