You Snagged the Interview...Now What?
Brad
In the competitive world of tech, landing a job interview is a crucial step, but preparation is key to securing the role. Before prepping for any type of interview, do your research! Check out the company website, read reviews, and align your skillsets. We highly recommend having a copy of the job description in front of you. It’s imperative you tailor your responses to the skillsets mentioned in the role. Whether you’re facing a behavioral interview, technical interview, or a panel interview, each requires a tailored approach.
Read on for our best advice on how to prepare for each of these common interview types in the tech industry.
BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWS
Behavioral interviews focus on your past experiences, aiming to predict how you might act in future situations. Employers want to understand how you’ve handled challenges, worked in teams, and made decisions.
Preparation Tips:
Use the STAR method: The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This structure will help you organize your answers clearly and comprehensively. For example, when asked about a time you dealt with a difficult project, describe the Situation, the Task at hand, the Action you took, and the Result of your actions.
If you want to take it a step further, you can add L for Learning. This shows your ability to reflect on the outcome and how you might approach it differently in the future or if there’s anything you’d account for ahead of time.
Prepare examples: Think about your previous work experiences and how they align with the skills required for the job. Prepare answers for common behavioral questions like:
Tell me about a time when you worked on a team project.
Describe a situation where you had to overcome a major challenge.
Have you ever had to deal with a conflict at work? How did you resolve it?
TECHNICAL INTERVIEWS
Technical interviews are designed to test your problem-solving abilities and technical expertise. These can involve coding challenges, algorithm problems, or questions that test your understanding of data structures, systems design, or software engineering principles.
Preparation Tips:
Practice coding problems: Websites like LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeWars provide a wide range of practice problems that simulate the coding challenges you’ll face in technical interviews.
Understand the fundamentals: Make sure you have a strong grasp of fundamental concepts relating to the field. If you're applying for a specific role (e.g., front-end developer, data engineer), focus on the languages and tools relevant to that position, especially if they are mentioned by name in the job description.
Mock interviews: Practice ahead of time! Platforms like Interviewing.io simulate real interview conditions; however, at $225 an interview, this option can get expensive-quickly! Instead, connect with friends, trusted peers, or the team here at Custom Business Solutions. We work with all of our candidates on interview prep!
PANEL INTERVIEWS
Panel interviews involve multiple interviewers who ask questions from different areas to assess your skills and personality from various perspectives. This format is common in larger companies.
Preparation Tips:
Be prepared for diverse questions: Panel members may ask questions ranging from technical to behavioral. Be ready to switch gears and answer questions from different angles.
Engage with each panel member: When answering, make sure to address each interviewer to create a connection with all members of the panel.
Stay calm and composed: Panel interviews can sometimes feel overwhelming due to the multiple perspectives at play. However, staying calm and organized will help you deliver concise and well-thought-out answers.
CONCLUSION
Tech interviews can be challenging, but with the right preparation, you can excel. Each interview format tests different aspects of your abilities, so it’s crucial to understand what’s expected and how to tailor your preparation accordingly. By practicing coding challenges, preparing behavioral examples, and learning system design principles, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle any interview the tech industry throws your way.