Ex-military engineer explains why candidates freeze in technical interviews

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A former Marine Corps and Air Force software engineer describes experiencing mental blocks during coding interviews despite technical knowledge. He attributes this freeze response to the brain's reticular activating system treating evaluation as a threat based on past negative experiences. The article suggests retraining this response through gradual exposure to speaking under pressure, starting with giving compliments to strangers. Practical interview techniques include warming up one's voice beforehand and narrating thought processes aloud during the session. The goal is to build evidence that speaking under evaluative pressure is survivable.

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