Could someone please help me out here?

I am attending a job interview next week. The job requires some knowledge on embedded programming. I already told them that the only experience I have is from University which was 10 years ago and they are fine with that.

The problem is, all I can remember from Univerisity is that I programmed in C, and used some compiler to translate the code into assembly language which programs the chip. I already lost all my textbooks and searching on the internet doesn't give me much information probably due to my poor research skills.

My main questions are:

Do different chips have different compilers, and what are their names?
What specifically do I need to know about the chip in order to code?

Any extra information much appreciated. Many thanks!