Is tech knowledge enough for interview?
In recent years I have been talking with many candidates who want to be get hired. The most common response I was getting, I have been in many interviews but I was never got hired even I have answered all questions and completed tech assignments.
As a person who was looking job before and recently was interviewing candidates, I want to talk about some important topics.
Be clear when answering questions
When the question is asked, you have to be sure that you can clearly answer the question and you know the answer. If you do not know the answer or do not remember the answer completely do not answer. Because when you try to answer the question most probably you will answer wrong or it will look like you are pretending that you know it. It will be good if you say I do not know and will be considered in a good manner. I have seen cases where candidates will struggle to answer questions and will end up with long talks which did not make sense at all.
Give detailed answers instead of short answers
For an engineering position interview, it is very important to give detailed explanations such as which technologies will be used, architecture, and implementation. For example, if a question asked how you would send email in real-time after they make a purchase, your answer should not be I will send an email during a request. Because the interviewer does not expect a very short answer from you.
Instead, you have to explain what will be the best practice and which kind of architecture you would use. Try to give more examples, explain the pros and cons. You can give additional explanations such as how you would design your system that your emails do not land in the spam box of the receiver.
Talking about projects you worked on or tasks you completed
One of the most common questions asked is about your past experiences. When you talk about these you have to make sure you mention teamwork. Instead of beginning sentences with I, you should begin with We and which particular work you have done. For example, if the team worked on building a new microservice, you can say I made discovery work and made documentation, we have made tickets. I worked on building API endpoint and written tests, hold meetings to explain to my teammates how it works and made a live demo.
This way you are able to show how much importance you have given to teamwork, and as an engineer, you have been making documentation and writing tests, also was able to share your knowledge with a team.
Cultural fit and interactions with other employees
Usually, candidates will get positive feedback after interviews, but in some cases, I have seen some will get negative feedback also. During the interview, it is important to have a positive attitude. We do not expect you to smile all the time during the interview, but having a smile on your face and a little bit of happiness will make the interviewer also excited to continue and learn more about you. Mention how you contributed to company culture like if you had held any team events or you attended after-work parties or lunches. Explain how a positive attitude is important for team health.
During the interview do not mention your race, gender, age, country of origin, and personal problems.
If interviewers ask these kind of questions at that point you should stop interview and reach out talent partner about the issue.
Should I reach outback after interviews?
I would not recommend reaching out after interviews for immediate feedback on how was an interview. You can send an email after the interview if you think you forgot to mention the project you worked on or something you accomplished. But be sure to give details, not just a name. Because the person receiving email will not investigate and will not try to verify it.
For conclusion I would say 3 things
- be honest,
- give detailed information,
- show positive attitude during the interview.
Good luck!
If you have any questions and want to get more information please reach out.
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