The job market is tough, and you must ensure you’re doing everything possible to stand out from the crowd. There are a lot of people who have the same skills as you do, so it’s important to express your uniqueness with honesty in order to differentiate yourself.
Here is an interview checklist for all the developers to prepare for an interview and boost their confidence.
Things to do before and during an interview
Be honest! Don’t lie about anything–no matter how small or insignificant it seems at first glance. This will only make things more complicated for them later down the road when they’re trying to find out if there’s anything suspicious in your background or experience.
Step 1: Research the company and their product
First, read up on the company’s mission statement, vision, and values. You want to know what kind of person they are and what kind of company culture they want to create. You should also look up their company’s website. If the company has a blog, read through it and see if there are any interesting articles about their company or products. You don’t need to read all of them–just enough so that you can get some sense of who they are as a team and what kind of work they do.
Finally, make sure that there is enough information available about how the team works together so that when you meet with them face-to-face, it won’t feel like an interview at all!
Step 2: Talk about the relevant experiences that you have
It’s important to talk about the relevant experience during your developer interview. You want to make sure that you’re talking about what you’ve done, not what you’ve read about or heard about.
It helps you stand out from the crowd. When you talk about your experience as a developer, you’re showing off what makes you special and different from other candidates. It’s also important to mention that there are many different ways to demonstrate your knowledge of programming languages and frameworks.
- Read the project description’s list of prerequisites. Note the responsibilities of the position, including regular duties, necessary abilities, preferred technology, and desired outcomes.
- Make comparisons to your experience and technical knowledge. Find tasks from your past experience that are comparable to those mentioned in the project description.
- At the interview, mention a significant experience. Concentrate on specific duties, list the technology you utilized for each activity, and highlight circumstances where you had the chance to increase your productivity and ability.
Step 3: Read the body language of the interviewer/s
The best way to read the body language of an interviewer is by paying attention to their face and hands. If they’re gesturing with their hands while speaking or nodding approval at what you say, then chances are good that they’re happy with what they hear–and this means that there may be room for improvement in your presentation skills!
If they’re leaning forward and looking at you intently, it means that they want to hear more from you. Make sure to mention every detail that you think is important for the role. There are, however, quite obvious symptoms that you are going into too much information. For example, if the interviewer slouches, looks down, leans back, or otherwise displays disinterest. Finish the logical thought, then wait for the interviewer to ask further questions.
Step 4: Ask questions to the interviewer/s to show interest
One way to do this is by asking questions of the interviewers during your interview process. This is especially important if you’re applying for an open position at a new company or if you have limited experience with the industry in which they work.
You’ll want to ask questions like “What is your company’s culture like?” or “What would be my responsibilities as an employee here?” This will allow you to get a better understanding of what kind of person they are as well as what sort of environment they want their employees to work in.
You should never forget to ask them about the technical expertise they are expecting from the candidates. Your goal is to show them that not only you’re skillful but also you care about the products and the customers. You should show interest in their company values and remote employee facilities.
A product-centric mindset is a great way to win a customer
The majority of our clients seek staff augmentation or team growth models, thus they rely on direct interaction and active participation from the developer. They are looking for a team member with the following characteristics who enjoys participating in conversations about product solutions and their implementation:
- Really interested in the product’s functionality.
- Alternative product strategies that might work better are suggested.
- Is a dynamic team player that contributes to the creation of products by sharing ideas.
Expert advice for candidates
- Don’t be afraid to question something that you don’t understand. Your interviewer might speak too fast or may have an accent, which can be hard for you to understand. Always ask politely if the questions need to be rephrased for you. Avoid attempting to guess the question and don’t interrupt them while talking.
- Demonstrate your method for solving problems. While responding to inquiries, keep in mind that clients are more interested in your style of thinking and capacity for problem-solving than they are in straightforward facts. Be free to express your viewpoint and strike up a conversation with a customer – your initiative is always valued.
- Be truthful. If you don’t know something or haven’t used a certain technology, be honest about it, but try to frame it positively by saying that you may have worked with something similar, read about it, or are curious to learn more. As necessary, you can also provide an example of how you picked up a new skill or strategy.
- Remain positive. There is no need to criticize past teams, managers, or projects. Keep the job on track by concentrating on what you did.
- List further achievements. Customers occasionally want to learn more about you. Your professional abilities are significant, but you can also be proud of something else. What if you quickly learned a new technology or established your own project with success? Do you mentor young devs or maybe participate in hackathons? Keep in mind that these successes typically enhance your experience.
Conclusion
Developer interviews are getting more and more elaborate these days, as companies try to find the best candidate. It’s also getting harder and harder to pass them because of this. Even if you’re a professional programmer, it can be challenging to remember everything that an interviewer could ask you about. But don’t let that intimidate you. We believe that anyone who takes time to be well prepared will be able to get through their first developer interview just fine. All you’ll need is the right information and some practice.
Hopefully, the article prompted you to consider some techniques and tips for developers. Now, take all of this advice and combine it with your knowledge of best practices and your understanding of development fundamentals. You are now ready to ace your next developer interview.
