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Cathy Lai
Cathy Lai

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⭐ 5 Power Mindsets for Tech Interviews

1. “Equal Standing” → I’m a Partner, Not a Pleaser.

Companies need people who can ship.
They are interviewing you because they have:

  • deadlines they’re not hitting
  • missing skills in their team
  • features they must deliver
  • problems they can’t solve fast enough

You are offering them relief and capability.

When you enter the room as an equal:

  • you ask better questions
  • you speak with clarity
  • you show product thinking instead of fear

You're not begging for approval — you’re exploring whether this partnership makes sense.


2. “Ok Not Getting It” → Failure Is Just Feedback, Not Identity.

This is pure Grant Cardone.
A “no” doesn’t damage you — it directs you.

For you specifically, this is true because each interview:

  • sharpens your examples
  • reveals what the market values now
  • makes your next answer cleaner
  • grows your confidence

One “no” literally moves you one spot closer to the person who will say “yes.”

You’re learning your market.


3. “Not a Pedestal” → It’s Not an Exam. It’s a Collaboration.

You’re not being tested like a student.
You’re both adults exploring a working relationship.

Developers who see interviews as exams:

  • freeze
  • overshare
  • feel small
  • miss chances to show leadership

Developers who see interviews as collaboration:

  • ask about goals
  • diagnose problems
  • demonstrate ownership
  • talk like teammates

This is why senior devs sound calm: they’re collaborating, not performing.


4. “Ready to Walk Away” → I Respect My Time and My Standards.

When you’re willing to walk away:

  • your energy becomes confident instead of needy
  • you naturally set boundaries
  • you naturally ask smart questions
  • you filter out bad managers, chaotic teams, or low-trust companies

And ironically → this makes you more attractive as a candidate.

Companies don’t want desperate engineers.
They want steady, self-respecting ones.


5. “I Deserve Success” → I Won’t Self-Sabotage My Own Success

This is a huge point.
At the edge of success, many people collapse because they don’t feel worthy.

Your new reframe:

“I’ve done the work. I’ve grown. I’ve prepared. I deserve good things.
Success is not luck — it’s alignment.”

Believing you deserve success:

  • removes nervousness
  • stabilises your voice
  • lets you think clearly
  • lets you stay curious instead of anxious
  • stops you from flooding the conversation
  • stops you from over-proving or over-talking

You show up as the version of you that already has the job.

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