I have been a backend engineer for close to 3 years. There was a time when I used to write code in Rust at work but now its just TypeScript + Node.js. There are lots of high paying Rust roles but I have just lost touch. I am getting interviews but I am just scared. I dont remember much anymore. I have watched a few theory tutorials so my conceptual understanding of basics like Ownership, Borrowing, Traits and error handling is decent. I will get into deeper concepts like Smart Pointers, Async Processing, Multi-threading too.
How can I get really good at Rust for development interviews? I know giving interviews is the key to get better but I should know something beforehand. I just want to know what I should be learning and expecting in such interviews. I dont want to be completely blank in an interview and embarrass myself.
One recruiter in an initial round said pub/sub systems. I could build Kafka as a pub/sub system but that is too much for an interview call. What should I be actually doing there?
This might be a dumb question to ask for someone who is experienced but I am fine embarrassing myself out here rather than being a joke in front of a recruiter/engineer in the interview. The industry that I work in is a very small world, the recruiters are interconnected.
The good news is that you're getting interviews! That's better than a lot of engineers in this economy, so you should be proud of that. If Rust doesn't work out, you can still get jobs for TypeScript/Node.js (those are extremely common technologies, so I'm sure the job pool is huge).
How can I get really good at Rust for development interviews?
In terms of which option to pick, it depends on what your interviews look like. If they're asking DSA stuff, then obviously grind LeetCode. If you're getting more practical coding, then side projects are best. Some interviews are more incremental as well (e.g. review this PR in Rust), so open-source would be best there. Mix and match depending on your situation.