How Fellows learn to think with AI through mentorship with Amitabh Srivastav and Jean Leconte II

The engineers who thrive in today’s hiring landscape have one advantage: They are not preparing alone.

Inside the Formation fellowship, Fellows learn directly from mentors who have already experienced AI-assisted interviews as both candidates and interviewers.

For this post, we draw on the expertise of two Formation mentors. Jean Leconte II, a Business Engineer at Meta, and Amitabh Srivastav, a Senior Software Engineer at booking.com, bring firsthand insight into how these rounds actually work, what interviewers listen for, and where strong candidates separate themselves from the crowd.

Their guidance helps Fellows avoid the trial-and-error guesswork many engineers face, replacing uncertainty with strategies that align with the latest industry expectations. This mentor-driven approach is one of the most powerful parts of the Fellowship and a reason Fellows stay ahead of the curve. This is the kind of top-tier support that defines Formation and helps engineers rise to the challenges of a rapidly evolving market.

How mentors help Fellows build real understanding

While AI-assisted interviews may feel new or intimidating, the path to mastering them is surprisingly human. Formation mentors focus on three core practices that help Fellows demonstrate strong engineering judgment, with or without AI at their side. These practices are simple, but transformative when reinforced consistently through mentorship and repetition.

1. Talk while you work: Making your thinking visible

One of the first skills Fellows develop is narrating their thought process out loud. This is something mentors emphasize constantly because communication becomes even more important in AI-supported interviews. Jean notes that AI can produce a perfect-looking answer even if a candidate does not fully understand it. This puts interviewers in the position of needing to verify whether the candidate is truly reasoning through the problem. Fellows learn to share what they are noticing, why they are prompting the AI a certain way, and how they verify outputs. Mentors often pause mock interviews to say What are you thinking right now or Walk me through that choice. Over time, Fellows become comfortable explaining not just what they are doing but why they are doing it. This clarity often becomes the biggest differentiator in live AI-assisted rounds.

2. Practice with AI and without it: Strengthening technical depth

Both Amitabh and Jean are clear on this: strong candidates do not rely on AI to think for them. They use AI to accelerate their work, not replace their logic. That's why Formation’s fellowship deliberately includes practice sessions with AI and practice sessions where AI is not allowed.

Fellows learn to debug independently, read error messages, build from scratch, and handle unexpected behavior. This dual practice builds real technical confidence. When Fellows reach an AI-assisted round, they are not dependent on the tool. They understand the fundamentals well enough to catch mistakes in AI output and to explain how to improve it. In interviews, this makes them sound like engineers who can lead, not just follow instructions from a model.

3. Use AI for insight, not answers: developing engineering judgment

Amitabh teaches a simple AI-assisted method for collaborating with AI tools.
It has become a cornerstone of how Fellows approach AI-assisted interviews.

Give clear input.
Ask yourself what information the model truly needs. Provide structure and context the same way you would when onboarding a teammate.

Check output with skepticism.
Do not assume the model is right. Look for edge cases, gaps, and inconsistencies. Notice what feels off.

Modify with purpose.
Explain why you are making changes and how the output should evolve. This method trains Fellows to stay in control of the tool rather than letting the tool drive decisions. It also mirrors what interviewers are hoping to see. As Jean described, interviewers may pause a candidate and ask why the AI suggested this or if there is a better way. Fellows who follow Amitabh’s method answer these questions with confidence because they have practiced evaluating AI reasoning rather than accepting it blindly.

The moments where everything clicks

Picture yourself in an AI-assisted mock interview. You type a prompt, the model generates code you did not expect, and your mind goes quiet for a moment. You know something is of,f but you are not sure what to say next.

Before panic settles in, your mentor pauses the session and asks one simple question: “Why do you think the AI suggested this?”That question shifts everything. Instead of scrambling to perfect your prompt, you begin examining the inputs, testing your assumptions, and engaging with the logic behind the output. You stop trying to outperform the AI and start working with it like a real engineering partner.

Now imagine a few sessions later. The AI begins generating a solution, and before it finishes, you catch a subtle mistake. You explain why it is wrong and how you would fix it. This time your mentor smiles and says this is what senior level thinking sounds like. Moments like these are not accidents. They are the purpose of every mentor session at Formation. Mentors help you uncover blind spots you did not know you had and guide you toward insights that reshape how you think during high-pressure technical conversations. These aha moments build confidence that lasts long after the interview ends.

Preparing for an interview landscape that moves fast

AI-assisted interviews are becoming common across the industry. Some companies are experimenting with them, and others have already made them standard. What does not change is the need for engineers who can think clearly, communicate well, and collaborate with AI tools without losing ownership of the solution.

What does not change is the need for engineers who can think clearly, communicate well, and collaborate with AI tools without losing ownership of the solution. Mentors help Fellows develop exactly that skill set. Through high quality practice, targeted feedback and consistent support, Fellows build the confidence and technical maturity needed to stay ahead of the curve.

If you want to build these skills with experienced guidance and a structured path, the Formation fellowship is designed for exactly this kind of growth.