Introduction
I know it’s scary to a lot of people, but knowing how to pass an interview is a skill on its own. While technical skills and experience are certainly important, there are many other factors that can influence a hiring decision.
Soft skills can make a significant difference in how well you can perform in a tech interview and can lead to a better result. Communication, attitude and personality could be crucial.
By the end of the post, you will have a better understanding of how to approach a tech interview and increase your chances of success. This strategy works both for junior developers and more advanced ones.
To whom do I write this article?
I want to make one thing clear before I continue with the article. This article IS NOT for someone who is just trying to get into tech for money or for someone who just wants to “cheat” the system.
This article is for people who are passionate about their work and love what they do, but have some problems managing their interviews.
This article is for people who don’t just want to be programmers, but want to get further ahead.
These tips could be used not only for passing an interview, but also to expand your knowledge and improve yourself.
Ok, so let’s get it all started.
Why do soft skills matter?
If you try to compare yourself to other programmers, you will usually find several other people that are WAY smarter and better than you. And that’s absolutely fine! To be in the 1% of top programmers is something that most of us probably don’t even want.
When you apply for a job, you can’t just expect and hope that someone will notice your CV. At some companies, most CVs don't even get to HR. There is an algorithm that makes the initial decisions. If you pass that phase, there is a good chance your CV is going to be compared to the best candidates for the job.
How would I fight that? Are you going to leave it all to chance?
You know soft skills are important, but how to show them if you are not even picked for an interview?
Be prepared and organized
Let’s start with the more trivial information. Research the companies you are applying to.
I have always been against the idea of mass spam and apply to every single job out there. If you are looking for specific positions, try to search for the right position, not just every open one.
There are way too many companies out there and you need to take your time to find the right one. Pick just a few. Below ten is perfect in my opinion.
When you do that, check everything possible about them, find the people who take the decisions on social media, learn what they think about topics that are interesting to you and so on.
Try to feel the culture.
Engage!
Engage with them, talk to them and prepare a cover letter individually for every single company. Don’t copy and paste. Be serious about it!
You are not spamming companies, you are looking for the best place possible for you. You want to be happy at that company and working with like minded people. That's how you are going to be productive and you will enjoy working.
Communicate clearly and confidently
This is a hard one, since it takes the most time. It’s not something that you can change in a day, but it is something that will improve every area of your life.
When you engage with people on social media or recruiters, you need to show that you are a professional and bring real value. People have to know you are capable of taking decisions and sticking by them.
Show that you have an opinion on topics, even if they are controversial. I would avoid politics tho..
If you engage with the right people and when you start to promote yourself, they would already know you. That’s something other candidates won’t have.
It’s always better to hire a professional you know, than to expect to find a good match out of the blue.
Showcase your knowledge
Okay, I will lose some readers, but writing is the best way to get a job. And not only tech jobs, but any job.
I am new to writing and I even get some offers out of thin air because of it. I occasionally write articles about Angular and people expect me to know Angular, even before talking to me at all. That’s a power out there!
It doesn’t matter the field you are in. It’s not just tech. It has applications in a variety of fields. If you know something - share it. You accomplish two important things that way:
- You show your domain and when people engage with you, you don’t need to prove anything. They already know you know.
You are shifting the interview and the conversation from “Does this guy know about it?” to “Okay, he is a professional, let’s see if the personality can match the culture”
The hardest part is already behind you!
- You help people that start today!
I believe this is also important. You face challenges that a lot of other people are facing as well. Help as many people as you can.
The fulfillment is great!
Let’s summarize. Demonstrating the softs skills you have before applying even for the job is bringing you so much value, it’s unbelievable. Too many people are not playing the bigger game and if you start now - you are way ahead already!
Demonstrate your technical skills
This is where most of the stuff can go very wrong! Getting here is not a small task and I can argue for a long time that soft skills are important as much as technical ones. But a lot of people assume that the technical part of the interview is .. well.. only technical.
This part of the interview needs the best of your soft skills!
Let’s take two examples
Example one: The experience
We have this guy who has a ton of experience. Almost ten years, working as a back end engineer. He usually gets the job done fine, nothing fancy, nothing great. He is developing his technical abilities, but doesn’t give a dime for his social and soft skills.
Working like that leads to bad companies and people don’t like to work with him too much. He is not very sharing either.
When he goes to interviews, he smashes the technical one, but he ends up all the time at bad companies. That leads him to being average and he starts to show signs of “not caring” enough. Why is that?
I believe it’s an easy answer. Soft skills are skills that could be learned and it’s not just “that’s the way I am, take it or leave it”. Well.. most people won’t take it.
Don’t just assume you got the job, only because you know a lot. Many people do. It’s not enough even in this demanding market. Great companies want great people.
Example two: The great character
A person with around three years of experience, but with great soft skills. He always tries to teach somebody, and share knowledge all the way. Demand from himself.
He always expects more from himself and this leads to better communication. He is not writing articles, but he is always talking to people. He is engaging in network events and even led some small conferences in his hometown.
He is the guy that works around half the day and the other half is helping people. Great personality.
Who do you think is more respected and has the better job?
Easy answer, I know.
The interview
When you get to that part, show your passion for the technology. You have written articles, you have talked to people, you have managed to understand the language.
Show that!
Don’t just answer questions. When they ask you about something, expand it, talk with understanding.
And question back!
Ask questions about how they use the technology they ask you about. Ask questions about implementation and architecture in the project they have. Show the interest you have gained while developing the company beforehand.
Try to understand where you are going before even opening and cloning the repository. Act as you are part of the team already.
Those interviewers are real people who have the same passion ( most of the time ) as you. Engage in conversation and not just Q&A.
When they ask you what you would do in a particular situation, ask them back. They have that question for a reason. Learn how they did it and why. Be curious.
Your attitude should change from “he is above me and I have to prove myself worth it” to “We are both technology lovers and I want to make sure I am getting in the right company”.
No better way to do that than to ask the right questions.
Additional tips
Some of this will cost money, but the harsh reality is that no matter what some fake gurus are telling you. You can’t make it all for free.
Let’s make it in a bullet points
- website - make it your own and share to other platforms
- professional email - don’t use your Gmail account. It’s not serious.
- github account - take some time to make it look good
- professional image for your social media accounts - use one for all
- share and network offline as well - a lot of good offers come by by people you know in real life
Follow up after the interview. Don’t forget to follow up if time passes by.
You need to know what happened and feedback is important to you. Be serious about it.
Summarizer
Passing an interview it's a skill. You will manage after passing a few with no problem. You can learn the asked questions and pass every single one of them.
But doing that is a game of chance and luck. I don’t believe in that way of doing “life”. You need to take control of your own life and career.
Advance your soft skills, advance your writing skills and talk to people A LOT. Engage as much as possible. Show yourself to the world.
Be the picker. You choose the companies that you work for. Not chance.
It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it.
Good luck!
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