The React interview may seem a little too intense — if only a bit of smart practice can go a long way.
In this blog, we will help you waltz in with confidence, charm, and clarity. What to say, what not to say, how to redeem yourself, and how to shine afterward.
Let us jump right in with the good, the fun, and the not-so-fun in the React Interview Do’s and Don’ts.
- What to Say or Do for Sure
- What Turns Off Interviewers
- Recovering from a Bad Answer
- Post-Interview Polish
- Final Thoughts: Nail that React Interview with Confidence
What to Say or Do for Sure in React Interviews
Let’s start with the good stuff: these are the green flags that every interviewer secretly wants to see in you.
1. Show your love for React
Mention why working with React is something you fancy. Perhaps recount a small bit of a real-life experience. Keep the story genuine and relatable.
If React ease-r your life somehow, let them know! Talk about hooks, reusable components, or JSX; it is music in their ears.
I love how React lets me break everything into components. It feels like building Lego but for the web.
2. Talk about state and props openly
Maybe skip the textbook language, though it seems important to show you understand how the data flows in React.
Keep it straightforward. Something like: “Props behave like parcels provided by the parent components. State is rather like an internal memory.”
If you keep the language informal and straightforward, you will sound very confident without sounding too preachy as if you are reading from Stack Overflow.
3. Describe use Effect and side effects
useEffect questions always appear in React interviews.
Explain how you use it: to fetch data or to clean up listeners. They will give you the thumbs-up if you go on calmly and clearly.
Bonus points if you say, “I always include a dependency array to avoid infinite loops.”
4. Be honest: What do you use?
React with Redux? Zustand? React Query? Tailwind?
Say it! Interviewers love when candidates share what they’re comfortable with, even if it’s not what the company uses.
You’re not there to be a React superhero; you’re there to collaborate with other great developers and write clean code.
5. Show your curiosity beyond just being correct
React keeps changing rapidly—new hooks, updates, and patterns come in fast and furious.
Say you’re hooked on learning new things. Mention a few blogs or channels you follow. It’s huge.
Example: “I follow the React docs, and for quick updates and cool tricks, Fireship is my go-to.”
Common Mistakes That Turn Off Interviewers in a React Interview
Okay—now for the don’ts. Little things that will quietly push your chances down.
1. Saying “I don’t know,” then going silent
It’s really OK not to know something in a React interview. But silence afterward? Awkward.
Instead, say: “That’s a good question. I haven’t used that yet, but I would love to look into it.”
That shows curiosity. And curiosity steers interviews in the right direction.
2. Answering questions with comprehension paralysis
No one has the patience to listen while you explain for 10 minutes how useMemo saved milliseconds in a simple todo app.
Keep it simple. Give short answers. And smile. It’s way better than sounding like a tech manual.
3. Making derogatory comments about previous projects and workers
Big no-no. Never take down your previous employer for having bad code, state management, or buggy components.
Even if it is the truth, maintain some decorum: “We had challenges with legacy code, but I learned a ton from that.”
Keep up the classy image. This also makes you look somewhat mature and easygoing.
4. Trying to fake it through the questions
React interviewers can smell Google-knowledge from miles away.
If you’ve only read about Context API but never used it—say that honestly:
“I have studied Context API and built one demo app, but I have never used it in a production project yet.”
You get straight to the point. That is much better than putting on a show and then losing track of what you were saying.
5. Remembering that communication does matter
Your interview is an occasion for discussing your code and also how well you explain it.
So do not use too many jargons. Do not just go on without giving room for pauses. Smile. Make some eye contact. (Yes, even on Zoom.)
Make it like speaking React with a pal who just started learning it. That is your sweet spot.
Recovering from a Bad Answer
It happens. You say something strange, freeze and You forget useCallback even exists. Don’t panic.
1. Laugh; then clarify
Nobody expects you to be perfect in React interviews sessions. If you mess up the terminology, just correct yourself casually.
You could say, “Oops! I meant useRef, not useState. That came out wrong. Let me explain again.” That shows maturity. It is golden.
2. Ask a clarifying question
If the question throws you off, don’t guess an answer. Instead:
“Are you referring to class-based lifecycle methods or the use Effect hook?”
That kind of response shows thought; it’s not like throwing buzzwords around without thinking.
3. Show what you do know
If you don’t have the answer, gently guide it towards a related topic you can speak on.
Example: “I haven’t used Suspense much, but I’ve worked with lazy loading components and fallback UIs.”
Done. You’ve taken control of the conversation; you’re no longer stuck.
4. Stay calm, always
React interviews can throw curveballs. The hustle is as important as the answers.
If you mess up, do not allow it to interfere with the rest of your interview; keep smiling, keep going.
Hiring managers will remember your comeback rather than the tangible performance.
5. End with a positive attitude
You might have had three “meh” answers along the road, but end the interview with good vibes.
Say: “Thanks for asking really thought-provoking questions—this has been a great learning experience for me today.”
It may just flip the script for you.
Post-Interview Polish
Done! You hung up the call. You shut down your tabs. Now what? Don’t just wait and bite your nails.
1. Send the thank-you (yes, really!)
An email is the perfect thank-you note to send to either your interviewer or recruiter.
Example:
Subject: Thanks for the great conversation!
Hi [Name],
Thanks again for today’s interview. I really enjoyed learning more about the role and chatting React with you!
Hope to connect again soon.
Best,
[Your Name]
Seemingly small but very grand in impression.
2. Reflect on what you learned
Write down what they asked you. What responses seemed strong? How could you better respond to questions next time?
This is where the real growth occurs. One interview at a time.
3. Change up your prep
If performance optimization came up, get back into memoization and lazy loading.
If testing came up—React Testing Library or Jest basics should be your target.
The aim? 10% better before the next React interview. That’s all you need.
4. Stay connected
If you like the company but didn’t get the job, don’t disappear.
Follow them on LinkedIn (if you haven’t yet). Send a casual check-in message in a few weeks, mentioning you’d love to be considered again.
Sometimes “no” just means “not yet.”
5. Celebrate the fact that you showed up
Seriously—React interviews are no joke. The unspoken win of a candidate is preparation and attendance because they tried their best.
Even if it didn’t work out, you’re going to be sharper, smarter, and stronger for the next one.
Final Thoughts: Nail that React Interview with Confidence
React interviews are not about perfection. They are about showcasing your knowledge, passion, and the fact that you keep learning.
Just do these and sprinkle some smarts about hooks and components, and you’re all set.
Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth React interview, check out our top guides like How to Crack React JS Interview Easily and React Interview Secrets from Tech Leads.
Freshers? Start with React Interview Questions for Freshers. Experienced dev? Try React Interview Questions for Experienced.
So go ahead and build yourself a towering confidence as though it were a beautiful component, complete with good props, clean state, and so much reuse.
Good luck, React rockstar.