1) is a measure of a candidate's ability to handle incomplete or unclear requirements, which are a fact of life for the vast majority of working developers. 2)

1) is a measure of a candidate's ability to handle incomplete or unclear requirements, which are a fact of life for the vast majority of working developers. 2) you're conflating "engaged" and "entertained". If you're engaging the interviewer then they can help guide you when you're going astray. If you're not the chances of them realizing you're headed down the wrong path decreases. 3) how is the candidate's current employment status relevant to their preparedness? The things listed in the article are the kinds of things you can expect to encounter at most technical interviews. You can expect to be asked about a project you've worked on, you can expect to be asked about data structures and algorithms, you can expect to be asked about software development best practices. If you were interviewing to be a barista would you need to be told to expect to answer questions about coffee?