Preparing for C++ job interviews

[larry burns]

I graduated from college a few years with a degree in a STEM field, but I am now looking for entry-level work as a software engineer. Currently, I only know C++ but I am also interested in learning ASP.NET.

A few years ago, I had a few job interviews for programmer positions that tested concepts I already learned before. However, I always failed the interviews because I hadn't used those concepts for a while and I had trouble with basic concepts. I'm sure I could do better on those interviews now.

I've spent the past few weeks trying to re-learn the basic programming concepts and syntax I've forgotten and work on some exercises and small projects. I guess the most difficult concepts I know are learning about pointers, objects, classes, vectors, and arrays. However, I have never learned about common libraries, data structures, algorithms, linked lists, binary trees, etc before. Is it really important to know these concepts for entry-level positions? Or am I better off using my time to improve my existing skills with concepts I already know (eg pointers, objects, classes)?

Or should I get started with learning ASP.NET instead? How long does it typically take to learn it well enough to do well on interviews?