Event Overview

Technical interviews are an important part of the hiring process at most tech companies. Mastering the standard BigTech technical screening interview sets a foundation that prepares you for success at any technology-driven company.  TUJ x alliz CS Career Technical Accelerator Program is designed to build early awareness, consistent coding habits, and technical readiness for students at Temple University Japan (TUJ).

It is a multi-phase program running from September to November, aligned with academic schedules. It features an 8-week self-paced LeetCode coding challenge, weekly online peer mentorship from the TUJ CS Society, and a final Demo Day with industry mentors. The event culminates in live technical interview demos (with and without AI) and exclusive 1-on-1 mock interviews with industry mentors from big tech companies. 

This program is open to TUJ students who have completed or are currently enrolled in a programming language course (such as C or Python). It is ideal for students aiming to secure internships or new graduate roles in tech, with a joint certificate awarded by TUJ and alliz upon completion to support future internship and job referrals. We invite students majoring in Computer Science as well as those from diverse academic backgrounds to participate.

This Demo Day is the closing experience of the accelerator program, inviting students to watch and participate in live technical mock interview sessions with industry mentors. Students enrolled in the program can attend the morning live demonstration sessions. Those who completed the coding challenges are eligible to participate in the exclusive 1-on-1 mock interview sessions in the afternoon. 

Join us for this Demo Day to gain valuable insights through live industrial screening examples.

Timetable

Meet Mentors

Junko Fujiwara, Director of Customer Success, Microsoft Japan

Junko has over 25 years of experience in the tech industry, working across several global software companies as a software engineer, engineering manager, and solution architect. Her experience spans software development, cloud, DevOps, and AI. She currently manages and mentors solution architects and engineers, supporting their technical and career growth. 

Paul Li, Engineering Manager, Google Japan

Paul is a Software Engineering Manager at Google, with over 16 years of experience spanning Google and Indeed. He specializes in search engine technologies and advertising systems. Passionate about talent growth, Paul has extensively mentored engineering teams and conducted numerous technical interviews across all levels, from junior to senior.

Maytee Chinavanichkit, Engineering Manager, Indeed Japan

Maytee Chinavanichkit is a Senior Engineering Manager at Indeed with over 10 years of experience across early-stage startups and large technology companies, including Standard Cognition (YC S17), LINE, and Quantcast. His work spans distributed systems, web and mobile applications, and AI-powered products. He has built international engineering teams, with experience hiring, training, and mentoring engineers.

Matthew Gillingham, Engineering Manager, Mercari, Inc.

Matthew is a Research Manager at Mercari. He has over 17 years of experience working as an software engineer and engineering manager at both large companies and startups. His experience spans frontend, backend, ML, and cloud infrastructure, and he has also been a startup founder.

Berin Babcock-McConnell, Product Owner, LY Corp

Berin is a product owner at LY Corporation and has approximately 25 years of experience in various software development related roles.  He has worked at large corporations and co-founded a startup (FROSK, Inc.).  He particularly enjoys helping teams grow and has conducted numerous interviews in his role as CTO of FROSK, Inc.

What to expect?

Program Enrollment

For more details about the program and enrollment, please refer to CS Career Technical Accelerator Program. For general inquiries, please contact the TUJ Career Office.

Technical Interview Live Demo

Watch industry mentors conduct live, 45-minute LeetCode-style coding screenings for new graduate full-time roles. Experience two distinct formats side by side to see how candidates are evaluated:

1) Regular Track: Focuses purely on problem-solving skills without AI tools.

2) AI-Assisted Track: Evaluates candidate performance when leveraging AI during the interview.

Note: Live Demo Sessions are open to all students enrolled to watch, and two students are invited to participate in the session for demonstration. 

1-on-1 Mock Interview Sessions

Get personalized, 1-on-1 feedback in a 45-minute practice LeetCode-style interview with an experienced mentor. Tailor your session by choosing between Internship or Full-Time roles and selecting either the Regular or AI-Assisted track.

Note: Mock interviews are only for students who have completed Phase 1 requirements. Slots are limited and first-come, first-served. To reserve yours, follow program guidelines and contact the TUJ Career Office.

Mentor Feedback and Assessment

To maintain a professional environment mirroring actual corporate standards, specific evaluation metrics and coding problems will remain confidential until your session commences. At the end of the morning session, evaluation metrics will be shared.

Below are high-level guidelines to help you align with interview expectations:

1) Insights provided are drawn from mentors' collective industry experience rather than any specific corporate rubric. Instead of a binary Pass or Fail, students will receive nuanced qualitative feedback.

2) Mentors evaluate performance using three common assessment pillars alongside one personalized criterion tailored to the mentor. Feedback is personalized based on each mentor’s unique industry experience.

3) While technical accuracy is vital, these sessions also prioritize demonstrating your problem-solving logic and communication effectiveness under pressure.

Important Information

Event Registration: This event is exclusive to Temple University Japan students. Morning session participation does not require registration; however, mock interview slots must be reserved by contacting the TUJ Career Office. 

Photography: Event photos and videos will be taken and may be used for promotional purposes on alliz’s website, social media, and event announcements, with participants’ permission.

Schedule: During the event duration, the schedule may change on the event day.

Contact: For any event-related inquiries, please contact alliz at event@alliz.jp or the TUJ Career Office at career@tuj.temple.edu .

Organizer and Collaborators

alliz

Established in 2024, alliz is a member-led career mentorship community dedicated to helping students and early-career professionals with career design and development in Japan. Through events, mentorship, and shared learning, we foster connections that inspire personal growth, skill development, and long-term success in the tech industry.

Temple University Japan

Founded in 1982 as the oldest and largest foreign university in Japan, Temple University Japan (TUJ) delivers an authentic, globally accredited American education that bridges cultures and prepares global leaders. Through innovative teaching, exceptional care, and rewarding opportunities in a multicultural setting, we equip students to thrive in an interconnected world.

TUJ CS Society

TUJ CS Society is a student organization run by the students, for the students. The members of the TUJ CS Society are responsible for supporting every student academically, professionally, career-wise, and in any capacity we can. The TUJ CS Society hosts various events such as Hackathons, networking events, guest speaker events, and many more to help the CS student body!