How do I handle a second on-site interview?

How should I handle a second on-site interview for a software engineering role?

• I interviewed on-site at a company and they've asked me to come back for another on-site interview. I've never had multiple on-site  interviews. What does this usually mean, and how should I prepare?

• Answer:

  This would happen every so often at Google. It typically means that there's some unresolved question about your application. For example: All the interviewers thought you were smart. But two interviews (out of 5 total) thought your coding was sloppy. So they send you in for more interviews to understand what's going on. There weren't enough questions covering a particular area. For example, sometimes you got interview loops where only 2 of the 5 interviews had the candidate code. It's really, really hard to understand on your own what areas you might have struggled with (read this link: http://www.technologywoman.com/2011/03/31/why-your-interview-performance-is-impossible-to-judge/). If possible, try to resist the urge to assume that you did poorly on a particular interview. You really don't know. You can try to ask your recruiter if there's a particular reason you're being brought back, or if there's a particular focus. The recruiter might tell you. Otherwise, just prepare like you would a normal onsite interview.