ICSE 2026
Sun 12 - Sat 18 April 2026 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Thu 16 Apr 2026 17:15 - 17:30 at Oceania VI - Education 6 Chair(s): Ronnie de Souza Santos

Technical job interviews for software engineering positions frequently require live problem-solving under observation. These high-stakes interviews are challenging for students, requiring them to prepare for the interview separately. This study investigates how computer science (CS) students prepare for technical interviews and how they perceive these interviews in relation to the CS curriculum and industry job expectations. To that end, we interviewed n=20 students and recent graduates with recent technical interview experience. We found that most relied heavily on repeated practice with coding problems, often drawn from widely circulated problem sets. They also leveraged their social capital by working with peers during interview preparation. Many participants reported a disconnect between interview content and their formal coursework, leading them to prioritize interview preparation over academic responsibilities. Participants expressed a desire for interview formats that better reflect real-world job tasks. These findings offer insights into how academic programs and employers might better support the equitable and effective assessment of job candidates.

Thu 16 Apr

Displayed time zone: Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil change

16:00 - 17:30
16:00
15m
Talk
Integrating Mental Health, Well-Being, and Sustainability into Software Engineering Education
Software Engineering Education and Training (SEET)
Isabella Graßl Technical University of Darmstadt , Birgit Penzenstadler Chalmers Tekniska Högskola and Gothenburg University and Lappenranta University of Technology
16:15
15m
Talk
Embedding Sustainability in Software Engineering Curriculum: A Case Study
Software Engineering Education and Training (SEET)
Ruzanna Chitchyan University of Bristol, Niki Mahmoudi University of Bristol, UK
16:30
15m
Talk
But Have You Ever Deployed a Model to Production? Experiences with Teaching Machine Learning Operations in a Data Science Curriculum
Software Engineering Education and Training (SEET)
Robert Alan Clements University of San Francisco, Nicolas Thiébaut University of San Francisco
16:45
15m
Talk
From Personas to Programming: Gender-specific Effects of Design Thinking-Based Computing Education at Secondary Schools
Software Engineering Education and Training (SEET)
Isabella Graßl Technical University of Darmstadt , Gordon Fraser University of Passau, Daniela Damian University of Victoria
17:00
15m
Talk
On Fun for Teaching Large Programming Courses
Software Engineering Education and Training (SEET)
Walid Maalej University of Hamburg
17:15
15m
Talk
“I Value LeetCode Over My Coursework”: CS Students’ Preparation Strategies and Perceptions of Technical Interviews
Software Engineering Education and Training (SEET)
Daniel Manesh Virginia Tech, Teresa Thomas Virginia Tech, Chris Brown Virginia Tech, Sang Won Lee Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University