Interview Kickstart
Interview Kickstart is a part-time, 12-15 week online interview training platform that helps software engineers nail technical interviews at FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) and Tier-1 companies. Interview Kickstart helps students strengthen their programming fundamentals and become better engineers in the process, thereby equipping them with the right set of skills required to crack tough technical interviews at top companies.
Based on a student’s career path, they can choose from 18 different domain-specific courses. The course curriculum covers Data Structures and Algorithms, Distributed Systems, Design, Domain-Specific Concepts, and Behavioral Interviews. Students will receive support with optimizing their LinkedIn profile and leveraging LinkedIn to land FAANG interviews.
Interview Kickstart gives students expert support with salary negotiation to land bigger and more lucrative offers, mock interviews with industry experts and FAANG hiring managers, one-on-one mentor sessions with technical leads and hiring managers from FAANG companies, and 18 domain courses that specialize in the highest-paying domains.
The highlight of Interview Kickstart’s program is the technical interview prep. Interview Kickstart’s team of 500+ instructors are hiring managers, technical leads, and hiring committee members at FAANG and Tier-1 companies. Being closely acquainted with the hiring process at top tech companies, these instructors know precisely what recruiters are looking for while hiring candidates. This gives students an edge and sets them up for success at highly competitive and challenging technical interviews at FAANG+ companies.
After course completion, Interview Kickstart students receive an extended 6-month support period. During the support period, students can retake classes, schedule mock interviews with domain experts, have one-on-one sessions with instructors from FAANG companies, get support with optimizing their LinkedIn profile and resume, and land interviews through Interview Kickstart’s wide network of alums.
Since 2014, Interview Kickstart has trained over 13,500 engineers for the toughest tech interviews. Interview Kickstart alums receive multiple lucrative offers from top companies, including FAANG, Microsoft, Uber, Lyft, LinkedIn, Twitter, VMware, and more. In 2021, Interview Kickstart graduates received an average salary increase of 53%.
265 Interview Kickstart Reviews
VDGraduate • Master Class (Default) Interview Course • San JoseMar 28, 2023Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceBest Interview Preparation Program
The Interview Kickstart program was instrumental in preparing me for interviews. The mock interviews were particularly valuable, while the technical coaching sessions helped me address any technical uncertainties.
Although the classes occasionally ran a bit long, I found them to be engaging and overall quite helpful. The program also equipped me with the necessary skills to excel in behavioral interviews, and I received invaluable guidance from the career coaches.
I strongly recomm...The Interview Kickstart program was instrumental in preparing me for interviews. The mock interviews were particularly valuable, while the technical coaching sessions helped me address any technical uncertainties.
Although the classes occasionally ran a bit long, I found them to be engaging and overall quite helpful. The program also equipped me with the necessary skills to excel in behavioral interviews, and I received invaluable guidance from the career coaches.
I strongly recommend this program to anyone seeking to advance their career and secure a higher-paying technical job.- Swan D.Student • Technical Program Manager Interview course • San JoseMar 15, 2023Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great program if you put in the efforts
IK experts can guide you in the journey, very quick and supportive support team. I would like to point out Megha from the IK Operations team who is helping me to keep on track in completing the coursework. If you put in the needed efforts; IK team is there to help you in every step of your journey. - Vandy AGraduate • Full Stack Engineering Interview Course • San JoseMar 01, 2023Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Be the engineer that you would like work with
I joined Interview Kickstart to become a great engineer who takes pride in her work and is confident in solving problems with integrity. Interview Kickstart does provide excellent resources and support to realize that objective.My learning experience at IK has broadened my perspective on software engineering. I am much better at my current job. I can now understand why tier 1 companies have such comprehensive interview processes. If you are willing to do the work, the IK curri...I joined Interview Kickstart to become a great engineer who takes pride in her work and is confident in solving problems with integrity. Interview Kickstart does provide excellent resources and support to realize that objective.My learning experience at IK has broadened my perspective on software engineering. I am much better at my current job. I can now understand why tier 1 companies have such comprehensive interview processes. If you are willing to do the work, the IK curriculum ensures you will thrive at your new job. I am glad that I chose IK because I would prefer to put in the effort to become a great engineer than try some shortcuts to clear the interviews.In my experience, IK glows in:- Building fundamentals and solving problems systematically
- Excellent mentors who are ethical and eager to help
- Empathetic student success associates
- The student community of engineers who want to excel and are willing to help
- Mock interviews with senior engineers at tier 1 companies
- Set the realistic expectation. Even though IK advertises getting interviews ready in 12 weeks, most students take much longer. Having realistic goals makes it less stressful.
- Foundation videos are very long, a searchable resources index and guides would help to review and retain the information.
- Provide placement assistance.
- Rohit SStudent • Engineering Management Interview Course • San JoseFeb 14, 2023Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Awesome course and more awesome Support Team!
Truly an awesome team, very professional, and I really enjoyed the entire course. More than everything, they have the best support team who are very responsive and are always eager to help. I have been a student for several months now, and no matter what, they care for their students, and I can't thank them enough! Kudos to the support team, without you, no matter how best the content is, IK would not be in the position where it is now. - Vivek Prasanna PrabuStaff Software Engineer • Graduate • Backend Engineering Interview CourseJan 21, 2023Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
excellent value for money
I loved most of the things about this program. It was very informative and cleared most of the difficulties I faced in FAANG companies, especially with system design and api design. Especially loved Nikhil's system design classes and Omkar's graph videos. If I had landed an interview with FAANG after I completed the program I would definitely have landed it, unfortunately, because of the recession all my interviews with FAANG got canceled, except for my second-tier company which I landed...I loved most of the things about this program. It was very informative and cleared most of the difficulties I faced in FAANG companies, especially with system design and api design. Especially loved Nikhil's system design classes and Omkar's graph videos. If I had landed an interview with FAANG after I completed the program I would definitely have landed it, unfortunately, because of the recession all my interviews with FAANG got canceled, except for my second-tier company which I landed.
Cons - I am not sure why, but there were classes for spring and AWS-specific databases, which weren't all that informative or engaging or structured for that matter. I wish we had more in detail system design and graph classes instead of the above mentioned two.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Experience Team
Jan 22, 2023
Hi Vivek, thank you for your words of appreciation! We are glad to know that you found the program useful in your upleveling journey. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - Jemil OyebisiSoftware Engineer • Graduate • Backend Engineering Interview Course • San JoseJan 01, 2023Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
I joned Interview Kickstart to improve my problem solving skills and the program went beyond my expectation
I joined IK to improve my problem solving skills as an engineer and I must say, the program went beyond my expectation. The pre-class contents are well put together, the live instructors are really great. I also love the fact that I have access to lots of mock interviews which really helped me to gauge my level on different topics and I used it to determine whether I am ready for the real interviews or not. Additionally, I love the fact that I could connect with the instructors, intervie...I joined IK to improve my problem solving skills as an engineer and I must say, the program went beyond my expectation. The pre-class contents are well put together, the live instructors are really great. I also love the fact that I have access to lots of mock interviews which really helped me to gauge my level on different topics and I used it to determine whether I am ready for the real interviews or not. Additionally, I love the fact that I could connect with the instructors, interviewers etc on Linkedin. To have a lifetime access to all the contents on uplevel is a great deal for me because I can reference them anytime I need to refresh my knowledge on the topics.
I would recommend IK to anyone who is looking to improve their problem solving skills and/or preparing for interviews.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Experience Team
Jan 24, 2023
Hi Jemil, thank you for your words of appreciation! We are glad to know that you found the program and the curriculum useful in your upleveling journey. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - DEEPAK KUMAR DAStechnical test lead • Applicant • Test Engineering Interview Course • San JoseDec 27, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Great support received from IK
I would like to highlight that I have received very good support during my IK ongoing program.I have been in touch with my cohort for extending classes.
The prep classes are good from omkar.
the support is prompt.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Experience Team
Jan 24, 2023
Hi Deepak, thank you for your words of appreciation! We are glad to know that you found the program useful in your upleveling journey. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - MahmoudSoftware engineer • Graduate • Backend Engineering Interview Course • San JoseDec 21, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Amazing curriculum
Interview Kickstart has the best instructors in the industry and great interviewers. They helped me get an offer from linkedin in less than a year. Amazing curriculum, they teach you the basis first and then they move to advanced topics that will make medium topics a lot easier. The interviewers are experienced and are willing to share their knowledge and teach you to become a better applicant.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Success Experience Team
Dec 22, 2022
Hi Mahmoud, thank you for your words of appreciation! We are glad to know that you found the program structure useful in your upleveling journey. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - Sameer PatelStudent • Backend Engineering Interview Course • San JoseDec 20, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Interview kickstart
This is a great program to get up skilled and prepare yourself to meet your career goals. The course program is designed with lot of thought and covers all the facets of interviewing.
Instructors are very knowledgeable and from the top companiesStudent Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Success Experience Team
Dec 22, 2022
Hi Sameer, thank you for your words of appreciation! We are glad to know that you found the course useful in your upleveling journey. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - TomLead Machine Learning Engineer • Graduate • Machine Learning Interview Course • San JoseDec 07, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Life changing
If you are willing to put in the work, Interview Kickstart can be life-changing. At least it was for me. I never studied Computer Science (I studied other STEM field + had some work experience in Analytics), so I always felt I was at a disadvantage as I advanced my career from entry-level Data Science to Machine Learning Engineering. I can confidently say that IK can help you learn the technical background and mindset required to crack tier-1 company interviews. Not only that, but it can...If you are willing to put in the work, Interview Kickstart can be life-changing. At least it was for me. I never studied Computer Science (I studied other STEM field + had some work experience in Analytics), so I always felt I was at a disadvantage as I advanced my career from entry-level Data Science to Machine Learning Engineering. I can confidently say that IK can help you learn the technical background and mindset required to crack tier-1 company interviews. Not only that, but it can also give be a powerful tool to advance your career at your current job (As I've been preparing for a transition, I have been promoted from MLE, to Senior, to Lead MLE and feel more confident at work). All the instructors and mock interviewers I came across were highly experienced professionals in top companies. Not only did they have more than enough background to teach these concepts, but they were empathetic and had excellent teaching skills which is a rare combination to find. On top of all of that, you get the structure and support tools needed to stay on track (Great support staff). I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to invest in their career and their long-term growth.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Experience Team
Dec 26, 2022
Hi Tom, thank you for your encouraging feedback! We are glad to know that you found the program valuable in your journey during the program. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - Raghav GuptaAndroid Engineer • Student • Android Engineering Interview Course • San JoseDec 05, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Great course and value for money
I took this interview kickstart course to get an idea of how the things work at big tech companies especially the ones from FAANG. Most of the instructors are currently working in FAANG companies are have previously worked with. One thing that I have learnt is just solving leet code problems is not enough. At Interview Kickstart, they teach you patterns and techniques to clear the tech interviews and the course is definitely laid out well and they also have mock interviews which comes wi...I took this interview kickstart course to get an idea of how the things work at big tech companies especially the ones from FAANG. Most of the instructors are currently working in FAANG companies are have previously worked with. One thing that I have learnt is just solving leet code problems is not enough. At Interview Kickstart, they teach you patterns and techniques to clear the tech interviews and the course is definitely laid out well and they also have mock interviews which comes with most of their courses. All in all, I would say its great for someone who is looking to make their careers into these big tech companies but at the end of the day, your own practice will take things to a different level. Special mention to their operations team. Those guys are so responsive. You have any issue regarding the course or anything in general, they just reply in minutes.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Experience Team
Dec 05, 2022
Hi Raghav, thank you for your words of appreciation! Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program. - Surendiran RangarajGraduate • Data Science Interview Course • San JoseDec 01, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Data Science Bootcamp experience
I was in finishing my Masters in analytics while working full time as a big data consultant . I hadn’t given any interview for a decade and wanted to get some formal training to get into Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies to start as Data Scientist . I researched and ended up with interview kickstart in Dec2021. From the beginning the experience has been great . Initially the team followed up periodically in the to check on progress, any struggles with preparation. Instructors are from Tier 1 ...I was in finishing my Masters in analytics while working full time as a big data consultant . I hadn’t given any interview for a decade and wanted to get some formal training to get into Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies to start as Data Scientist . I researched and ended up with interview kickstart in Dec2021. From the beginning the experience has been great . Initially the team followed up periodically in the to check on progress, any struggles with preparation. Instructors are from Tier 1 companies and most of them know what they are talking and was extremely helpful in answering question . I found the coding problems and technical problems challenging and great thing is you can clarify on any problem solving issues with the team during weekly TA sessions . Also they have 1:1 support for coding issues .
I didn’t use their mock interviews or 1:1 sessions since I changed my focus to different domain in the middle of my graduate curriculum and ended up as consultant with AWS as Data Architect. But I did use their notion behavioural exercises to prepare and review the behavioral questions with IK team. I found the cost to be little overpriced. If you are someone who is ready to be committed and give maximum for your interview preparation , the program maybe worth it.Student Success Advocate of Interview Kickstart
Student Experience Team
Dec 05, 2022
Hi Surendiran, thank you for your encouraging feedback! We are glad to know that you found the program structure valuable in your journey during the program. Please feel free to reach out to us at operations@interviewkickstart.com if you require our support on anything related to the program.
Interview Kickstart Alumni Outcomes
Recent Interview Kickstart News
Interview Kickstart Alumni Reviews Summary
How much does Interview Kickstart cost?
The average bootcamp costs $14,142, but Interview Kickstart does not share pricing information. You can read a cost-comparison of other popular bootcamps!
What courses does Interview Kickstart teach?
Interview Kickstart offers courses like Android Engineering Interview Course, Backend Engineering Interview Course, Cloud Engineering Interview course, Data Engineering Interview Course and 13 more.
Where does Interview Kickstart have campuses?
Interview Kickstart has an in-person campus in San Jose.
Is Interview Kickstart worth it?
Interview Kickstart hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 265 Interview Kickstart alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Interview Kickstart on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Interview Kickstart legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 265 Interview Kickstart alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Interview Kickstart and rate their overall experience a 4.78 out of 5.
Does Interview Kickstart offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Interview Kickstart offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read Interview Kickstart reviews?
You can read 265 reviews of Interview Kickstart on Course Report! Interview Kickstart alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Interview Kickstart and rate their overall experience a 4.78 out of 5.
Is Interview Kickstart accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Interview Kickstart doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.