Find out where you actually stand, before the real loop does.
Mock interviews
A 60-minute mock interview for software engineers, run by Elman Huseynov. He interviews for Zalando and has run 100+ technical interviews. You pick the round: data structures and algorithms, system design, leadership or culture fit. You hear the hire or no-hire verdict on the call. The written scorecard follows within 24 hours. Online, any timezone.
60 minutes · Online, any timezone
- 100+ technical interviews run
- 10+ engineers hired
- Zalando, previously Shopify
What problem does a mock interview solve?
You have solved hundreds of problems and still freeze in the room. Or you pass the coding round and get rejected anyway, with feedback too vague to act on.
NC State researchers ran 48 technical interviews, half with an interviewer watching and half in private. Co-author Chris Parnin: "People who took the traditional interview performed half as well as people that were able to interview in private." Source: NC State University, 2020.
What do you get from a mock interview?
A mock interview with Elman Huseynov gives you:
- A filled scorecard, the same one a real panel would use.
- The 2 or 3 specific behaviours costing you offers.
- A recording of your own explanation, so you hear what the interviewer heard.
- A plan for the next 2 weeks, ordered by what moves the needle.
Mock interview rounds you can book
- Data structures and algorithms
- System design
- Leadership and engineering manager loop
- Culture fit and hiring-manager screen
How does a 60-minute mock interview run?
Elman Huseynov runs each mock interview in these steps:
- 0-5 min You tell me the company, the level and the round. I set the format to match.
- 5-50 min The interview runs for real. I do not coach mid-session, because the real one will not either.
- 50-60 min Verdict first: hire, no hire, or borderline, and exactly why.
- Within 24h Written scorecard with evidence against each signal, plus what to drill next.
Who runs the mock interview?
Elman Huseynov runs it himself: a Lead Software Engineer in Berlin with 10 years building software, 100+ technical interviews run and 10+ engineers hired.
- I have run over 100 technical interviews and hired more than 10 engineers.
- I interview for Zalando loops today and interviewed for Shopify before that: coding, system design and behavioural rounds.
- I sit in the debriefs, so I know how borderline candidates actually get decided.
Who should not book a mock interview?
A mock interview with Elman Huseynov is the wrong booking if:
- You want reassurance. I will tell you if you would not pass.
- You have not practised at all yet. Do 20 problems first, then book.
- You want a referral. That has to be earned through work I have seen.
I would rather turn down the booking than take money for the wrong thing.
How much does a mock interview cost?
€100
60 minutes
3 mock interviews
€270
3 x 60 minutes
Saves EUR 30 against booking them one at a time.
EM interview prep
€350
3 sessions
People management, technical depth and a scorecard after each.
Offer negotiation
€200
60 minutes + follow-up
Async support until the offer is signed.
Interview prep programme
€650
one engagement
3 mock interviews, resume, LinkedIn and offer negotiation. Saves EUR 120.
The 15-minute call is free and decides whether the session is worth booking. The session itself is paid upfront, and if I am not the right person for your situation I will say so on the call, before any money moves.
Questions about mock interviews
What is a mock interview?
A mock interview is a real interview round, run for practice and scored the same way. Same format, same time limit, and no coaching while it runs. The output is a written scorecard you can act on.
How is a mock interview conducted?
You name the company, the level and the round. Elman Huseynov sets the format to match and runs it for real. The verdict comes in the last 10 minutes, and the written scorecard within 24 hours.
Is an AI mock interview as good as a real one?
An AI will run the questions and never push back the way a panel does. It cannot tell you where your explanation lost a real interviewer, because it was never one. Use it for volume. Use a person for the verdict.
Do you run system design mock interviews?
Yes. System design is 1 of the 4 rounds you can book. Start with it if you have not interviewed yet. Senior candidates lose offers there most often. Elman Huseynov runs it for real for about 45 minutes, then gives the verdict. Already failed a round? Book that one first.
Can you interview for a specific company?
Elman Huseynov matches the format and the bar of Zalando, Shopify and companies that hire the same way. He will not leak any company's real questions.
Do you run FAANG-style mock interviews?
Yes. A FAANG-style loop has coding, system design and behavioural rounds. A debrief then decides from written notes. Elman Huseynov runs each round in that format and fills in the scorecard a debrief reads. He has been through Big Tech loops himself.
How is this different from interviewing.io or Prepfully?
interviewing.io, Prepfully and IGotAnOffer match you with a coach from a pool, and the price depends on the coach. Here Elman Huseynov runs every session himself, at one fixed price shown in the price section. You get the verdict on the call and the written scorecard within 24 hours.
Are mock interviews worth it?
A mock interview is worth it when it is scored like the real round. NC State researchers tested this in 2020. Candidates watched by an interviewer did half as well as those working in private. A mock puts you in that room first. A bad one shows the gaps before the real loop does, and the written scorecard says what to fix.
How many mock interviews should I do?
Most engineers need more than 1 mock interview to change a habit. The first one finds the 2 or 3 behaviours costing you offers. The next ones check that the fix holds under time pressure. That is why there is a pack of 3. The full programme adds resume, LinkedIn and offer negotiation to 3 mocks. Both are in the price section.
Can you help once I have the offer?
Yes. Offer negotiation is an add-on: 60 minutes on the live offer, the counter written together, and async support until you sign.
Free guides on mock interviews
The interview loop
- The FAANG Interview Process: A Complete Guide to Tech Interviews
- How to Prepare for a FAANG Interview in 8 Weeks
- What a Good Technical Interview Actually Measures
- Phone Interview Questions for Software Engineers
- 47 Behavioral Interview Questions and What They Test
- The Behavioral Interview Answer That Survives the Follow-Ups
- The STAR Method for Software Engineers, Fixed
- How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in 90 Seconds
- Questions to Ask the Interviewer, by Round
- What Interviewers Actually Write on the Scorecard
- How a Hiring Committee Decides Your Offer
- AI Coding Interview: Who Allows AI, and How to Prepare
Coding and system design
Engineering manager loop
Mock interviews
DSA, system design, leadership or culture fit.