How To Prepare For Your Next Job Interview With A Tech Company
Just about every candidate in today’s job market, particularly tech-related, will have to interview with multiple companies before finding the perfect fit. The process goes both ways and requires you to perform your best each time to ensure a positive outcome. This can be daunting, and there are so many thoughts you’ll likely have before the big day. After carving out the hours needed to prep for each company, where do you even begin? Each interview is different and it’s unclear how much research is needed or if any at all. Practices and techniques taught by various professionals vary greatly so what if you’re handed a list of interview questions and no guidance as to how to respond? How will you even know what to prepare for? What if you simply don’t have enough time to study specific topics that might be neglected by prior preparation? There are too many worries! But there is hope! If this sounds familiar then take a deep breath, because we are here to help.
Do your research and prepare for common interview questions
- Interviewing for a tech job requires more than just a basic understanding of the industry and coding. A company has to be sure that you can handle the demands of the job, which is why they often use whiteboarding questions to test your knowledge.
- If you have an interview coming up with a tech company or you’re applying to an open position soon, here are some ways you can prepare yourself for the interview process.
- Do your research and ask questions
- It can be easy to get caught up in a company’s culture and values when you’re excited about a new job opportunity. But before you jump into an interview, take the time to do your research. Look at job review sites like Glassdoor or Indeed to see what previous employees have said about their experience working there.
- Prepare for common interview questions
- You won’t know exactly what kinds of questions you’ll be asked in your interview, but there are some standard ones that come up often. It’s a good idea to practice them ahead of time so you don’t stumble through your answers when the time comes.
- Most people will ask how you handled difficult situations or if you’ve ever had a disagreement with a coworker — especially if it was about something related to your job performance. Think about how you want.
Practice your answers
You should know about the company before you walk through the door. Know their product, know what they do, and know who their competitors and investors are. Read the news about them and be up to date on any new products or releases. These days it is not that hard to find out information about them online, but try and read more than just their own website or press releases. Find out what other people in the industry think of them. If they have a blog follow it. If they have podcasts listen to them so you can keep up with what they are doing and get an idea of their corporate culture.
Prepare answers to common questions
Google frequently asked interview questions, preferably ones related to the position you are applying for at this specific company. Some great questions to ask include
What to Expect
The interview process at a tech company is different than it is for other companies because of all the technical questions.
There are two types of interviews—technical and behavioural. In a technical interview, you will be asked to solve problems and answer questions about your technical skills and coding experience. In a behavioural interview, they want to find out if you would be a good fit for their team and culture.
On-site Interviews
An on-site interview has two parts—a technical interview and a behavioural interview. If you pass the on-site interviews, then they might make you an offer. After that, there might also be some additional interviews with people who will be your coworkers if you get hired.
Behavioural Interviews
Behavioural interviews are designed to figure out if you would be a good fit for the company and their culture. They will ask questions about how you work in groups, why this particular job interests you, and what kind of things motivate you at work. The goal is to find out if you have the personality traits or skills required for being successful on the job. Behavioural interviews can also be used as tests to see how well you deal with unstructured situations and off-the-wall questions.
Ask smart questions
The truth is that if you’re interviewing with a tech company, you need to be prepared for just about anything. It’s also important to remember that your interviewer might not even know what he or she is doing — you are probably talking to someone who isn’t very experienced with hiring or interviewing, and might not know the right way to approach it. But once you get the hang of things, you’ll start finding the interviewers who are worth your time.
Here’s how it works:
Think of yourself as an investor
Before you walk into your next job interview, think about what kind of person you want to hire. What would that person look like? How would they perform? The answer is always going to be ”
A job interview is a two-way street. Both the interviewer and interviewee are trying to determine if it’s a good fit. It’s important not to be just an interviewee, but to also be an interviewer. Make sure you ask questions and make sure they’re thoughtful, intelligent questions that show your interest in the role and the company.
Here are some smart questions:
1. What makes someone successful in this role?
2. What’s one of the biggest challenges facing this team right now?
3. What’s the work environment like for most employees here?
Conclusion
So with these tips, you should be able to prepare more thoroughly in your next job interview, and hopefully stand out more as a candidate. While the process may seem daunting at first, it really isn’t that hard to master the ins and outs of tech interviews, and soon enough you will have the hang of them. With this newfound knowledge in tow, you can go into your next job interview with ease, knowing that you’re prepared to face whatever comes up. Good luck!
