After all of your hard work, you’ve landed an interview for your ideal job. Now, how do you nail the interview? Everyone knows you should research the organization and the position, but what next? Following are some tips and tricks from our team of hiring managers at Providence Digital Innovation Group.
Know the details
Be prepared to talk about the details of a project, a technical problem you solved or a challenge you faced. Details matter as they help communicate your thought process and your problem-solving skills. This helps the interviewer understand your point of view and how decisions were being made. Examples include: “Tell me about a challenging problem you worked on.” Think of your responses as a mini case study, stating the situation, the opportunity, your approach and the results.
Brush up on the technical basics
It’s good idea to remind yourself of CS basics such as data structures. That’s because many times, you’ll be expected to pass a technical screening before you hear the first interview question. For example, at DIG, you’re not usually asked to formally apply until you’ve gone through a tech screen and a video coding session with a DIG employee. Pass those, and a hiring manager will connect with you for an interview loop.
During the interview, you may be asked to solve problems on a whiteboard, so it’s a good idea to run through a trial interview with a developer friend beforehand. Narrate your steps as you write so the interviewer gets a sense of your thought process.
Ask questions
Be prepared to ask questions during your interview loop as they indicate that you are inviested in finding a career rather than just the next job. Below is a list of sample questions:
• How does your organization create a developer-first culture?
• What types of training programs do you offer?
• What type of conferences do software engineers at your company typically attend?
• What’s the process for raising new ideas with management?
• Will I report to another technical person?
• What’s the day-to-day experience like for a software engineer in your organization?
• What’s your tech stack?
Think of responses aimed at both technical and non-technical people
Sure, your job lives in lines of code, but the best software engineers can also interact with people who might think code is nothing more than how spies talk. When coming up with recent examples of successes and challenges in the workplace, jot down how you’d explain them to people in various departments, from engineering to marketing to human resources.
No matter who you’re speaking with, make sure you get to the heart of your answer quickly and succinctly; try to avoid rambling or tangential stories. If the interviewer wants to know more, he/she will ask.
Be genuine
DIG hiring managers love honesty and being genuine. This applies to whether you are solving a technical problem on a whiteboard or talking about your past experiences. No one is perfect and it is okay to admit that as it helps communicate your ability to learn.
Show your enthusiasm
DIG’s hiring managers agree that a candidate’s enthusiasm speaks volumes during the interview process. Showing passion for past projects and talking about how they might translate to future work is a great way to engage. And don’t forget to share details about any outside coding you do or developer groups you belong to.
Interested in applying at DIG? Check out our latest job listings.
