Interview etiquette
Interview etiquette
GOAL: SECURE AN OFFER!
This is the mission of any interview. You must effectively present your skills and show how they relate to the current needs. If issues arise, make a mental note to address them with your recruiter. In most cases the issues can be address and resolved…do not eliminate yourself unnecessarily.
Make sure to get all questions answered about your new job, responsibilities, and the company as to determine if this job is for you.
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
You are there to SELL YOURSELF.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
Do you homework: Research the web site, investigate their competition, and locate recent publications. Review job description. More information can be found on sites such as: www.howtointerview.com, www.infoseek.com, www.prnewswire.com, www.bls.gov, www.hoovers.com, and www.amcity.com.
Know your experience. Prepare examples of past and current projects as they relate to this job.
Confirm directions and meeting times and with whom you are meeting.
DURING THE INTERVIEW
Dress appropriately. Standard conservative dress is required. Confirm dress code with recruiter and remember an interview is a professional business meeting. (Dark business suit, conservative tie, and matching shoes)
Get the interviewer to give you the details for the project or responsibilities of the job before you begin to discuss your skills. Make sure you understand what is important before you begin selling yourself.
Ask questions: Come prepared with written questions. Ask informed, open-ended questions that express your interest and knowledge of the company.
Examples:
- Can you tell me about some of the projects you have worked on in the last year?
- What is your goals/vision for the team?
- What skills do you feel are most important for this position? Do you feel I have the skills necessary to be successful at your company?
- What are your expectations for me the first 30/60/90 days on the job?
- What is the training, computer systems, or reporting systems you have in place to make one successful?
Sell your skills. Match your skills to the clients needs.
Attitude is MOST important. Managers want to hire those most excited about working for their company and who show a positive mental attitude.
Keep responses concise and to the point. Listen closely to what the interviewer is saying and answer with direct responses and do not over explain.
Gain agreement throughout the interview. Explain your background openly and honestly. Translate experiences into benefits for the client.
WHAT NOT TO DO
- Do not chew gum – This may sound elementary, however, candidates have been eliminated from consideration because they did not remember to discard their chewing gum prior to the interview.
- Do not bring your cell phone into an interview – Why take the chance? Again, good people have been eliminated from consideration solely because their cell phone rang during an interview. If you need to take a call because of on-call duty or some other extreme circumstance, offer common courtesy and prior to beginning the conversation, let the interviewers know and apologize for any possible disruptions in advance.
- Do not ask the wrong questions- Topics such as vacation, sick time or benefits send the wrong message.
- Do not ask about compensation. If forced, give a range.
- Avoid any negative comments about past companies or managers.
POST INTERVIEW
- Ask for the next step.
- Say thanks in person.
- Call your recruiter or account manager immediately following the interview.
- Send a brief thank you note. Get interviewer(s) card(s) and send a note repeating interest.
PHONE INTERVIEW TIPS
- Interview from a land-based, private phone.
- Have copy of resume/job description in front of you.
- Have the website up on your computer.
- Review for 10-15 minutes, the job and website before interviews.
- Know interviewer’s name, title, and responsibility.
- Speak slowly and clearly and think before you speak.
- Stand Up – Stand up if possible, when speaking on the phone. It will give you more confidence in your presentation and will help your voice to be projected.
- Smile – Consciously smile when you are speaking with someone on the phone. A smile is usually an emotion that can be easily conveyed over the phone. Smiling projects a tone of pleasant and friendly attitude.
- Keep voice upbeat and lively.
- Do not ramble. If you do not know the answer, don’t fake it, just say so.
- Prepare questions.
- Express interest and ask for the next step.
The 4 Goals of Every Interview
Goal 1 Skill Sets.
Question 1 for Defining Your Skill Sets I’ve researched the company and reviewed the responsibilities; however, please give me an idea of what you need accomplished with this position say in the first 6 months to 2 years?
This is an excellent question that requires the interviewer to define exactly what needs to be achieved or accomplished. Once defined, then you can give examples of where you have been proficient in completing these tasks in the past. (give real life examples) Don’t just say I can do that.
EXAMPLE: I’ve been there and I’ve done that and here’s an example and the outcome ………… Or I’ve not been there and done that, but I’m looking forward to adding that to my professional experience. (Then give him an example where you had to become Subject Matter Expert on something you had not been exposed to in the past)
Goal 2 Compatibility
Question 2 for Communicating Your Compatibility As I’ve stated before, I’ve researched the company and position and I find it to be very compatible with my career goals. I am interested in how you would describe the company culture and why did you decide to work here?
This allows the interviewer the opportunity to describe the critical decision points they evaluated when they accepted the position with the company. What they outline as “IMPORTANT” to them should be consistent with your career passion as well. It’s important that you find common ground as people not only want qualified people to work with; they also want employees that have the same passions, goals and work ethics. (Common Ground)
When they finish outlining what’s important to them, you need to agree and state that that is important to you as well…..
Goal 3 Interest
Question 3 Interest in Moving Forward I am confident that what you outline today is very consistent with my career goals and qualifications; I am very interested in moving forward, can you define what our next steps might be?
Do not leave the phone/interview conversation with out letting them know that the opportunity matches your career objectives and that you have interest in moving to the next step (face to face interview/ Or second interview). People rarely make an emotional commitment without knowing it will be received positively! Let them know you are interested in continuing the relationship.
Goal 4 Follow Up
Follow up is critical to keep interest levels high. Don’t forget to send a “Thank You” email a few hours following the interview. On the same day, send a Thank You card via regular mail that will arrive a few days later. You would be surprised how many times companies have gotten down to the TWO final candidates and are having a hard time deciding and then a Thank You card arrives. They will always take the candidate with continued interest and follow up skills.
Please call your recruiter immediately after the interview while the interview discussion is fresh on your mind. Should you want to proceed or not proceed, your recruiter will need all vital information back as soon as possible to help guide you in your next step.
Good questions to ask in interviews
- Tell me about the team I would be work working with
- Tell me more about project and what your expectations are
- How do you judge success in the role
- What are your expectations in the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months
- Are there any concerns that you have about my background as it pertains to the role
Master the Interview: Soft Skills
- by Eric Elliot
This is one of the “Master the Interview” - a series of posts designed to prepare candidates for common questions they are likely to encounter when applying for a mid to senior-level positions. These are questions I frequently use in real interviews.
There are a handful of common mistakes that candidates frequently make in interviews. Most mistakes are forgivable, but a few could easily cost you the job. One of the leading reasons candidates get rejected is poor soft skills.
Here are some tips that can help prepare you to leave a great impression.
Project Confidence
What you actually say in an interview may contribute as little as 7% to the hiring manager’s decision to hire you. Skills can be learned. Knowledge can be Googled. But no software manager wants to hire somebody who isn’t confident to make changes and push their code to production for millions of people to see.
Clothing
You’ve heard the expression “dress for the job you want”?
I think most people get confused by that. Don’t dress for your boss’s boss’s job. Dress for the job you’re applying for. As a developer, chances are you make as much or more than the office suits, anyway. Developers don’t go to work looking like they just stepped off a fashion show runway.
Most developers pretty much wear jeans and t-shirts, accented with appropriate personal style touches. Be you and feel free to dress it up a little bit, but keep it casual. Dressing too fancy will project a lack of confidence, a lack of experience, and over-compensation.
By the same token, do dress appropriately for work. Don’t show up looking like you’re on vacation.
Eye Contact
Nothing says “I have no idea what I’m talking about” like failing to make eye contact with your interviewer. Don’t stare at them like a crazy person, either. Do remember that you’re addressing somebody and staring off in some other direction the whole time sends messages you don’t want to send. Be confident. Talk to the person you’re talking to, not to the wall or the floor, or your hands.
Smile
Confident people who are excited about a job are happy to be in the interview. This is your chance to land a great job. Are you smiling about it? Are you showing the interviewer that you’re excited and happy to be there? Can they tell by looking at you that you appreciate the opportunity?
Failing to smile can sink your chances.
Be Prepared
First-time developers typically need about 1300 hours of practice to land an entry-level job (at least 300 coding real applications, not just Code.org or FreeCodeCamp exercises). Most code bootcamps fall a little short of this, and most university curriculum doesn’t focus enough on technology to get you a job as a developer. It’s up to you. Put in a little extra work.
Experienced developers need to have ready answers to common interview questions. Do learn computer science, but not while you’re cramming for interview prep. Skip the algorithm lottery study. It’s called a lottery for a reason. What are the chances you’ll study the right algorithms? Besides, the best interviewers will also skip the lottery and instead ask you to demonstrate your ability to code and come up with solutions to common problems you’ll actually encounter on the real job.
Even if you have a lot of experience, it’s easy to fall behind on tech. Brush up on state-of-the-art topics in the language of your choice. Research the tech used on the job you’re interviewing for. If you don’t know it yet, and you really want to impress, crank out a side-project using that tech stack.
If you don’t have any time for side projects, you may struggle to keep up. A career in software development is a commitment to life-long learning, and most employers simply don’t provide enough time for learning and side-projects on the job.
Note to employers: a day a week for free study time and side projects is a good idea. Employees may come up with great product innovations, contribute to the open source software you depend on, sharpen their skills, and learn new things that may benefit the rest of the team.
Have Good Answers to Common Soft-Skills Questions
Look at the section “Have Good Answers to Common Soft-Skills Questions” in Behavioural Interview Questions
Curve Balls
Some interviewers are going to throw you some curve balls. You go into a meeting thinking you’re just going to have a nice chat, and suddenly you’re tossed head-first into a live-coding challenge. If you can keep your cool in a stressful situation, that’s a great opportunity to impress.
Marcus Lemonis threw a major curve ball at his candidates in an early episode of “The Partner” to see who could roll with it, recover well, and land on their feet in a stressful situation. Look at surprises as an opportunity to shine.
Rejection
It ain’t over till it’s over. Your ability to handle rejection gracefully could leave a lasting impression, open doors for future opportunities, and lead to an extended networking relationship. Maybe they didn’t hire you, but maybe they know a job that you’re a better match for, and they’re willing to make an enthusiastic introduction.
Empathy
I like to say that the most important skill in software development is empathy. How will you know what to build if you don’t have empathy for your users? How will you give the care and attention to quality required?How will you problem solve effectively when conflicts inevitably surface on your team?
This is one trait that I always look for in candidates. Are you able to consider the feelings of others? Do you demonstrate empathy in your answers about dealing with challenges on the team? Do you have empathy for the needs of the interviewers? Do you respect their personal boundaries, and respect their protocols so that they’ll feel comfortable during the interview?
Empathy is the ultimate soft skill. Practice it as diligently as you practice your coding. You’re going to need it.
KNOWLEDGE GAP - LEARN MORE
TODO
Take notes from apex interview preparation documents
https://www.apexsystems.com/careers/career-resources/why-should-we-hire-you