Today, I’d like to share some experiences and tips related to job interviews and hope this will help other new grads to find their dream job.
Usually there are two types of interview: behavioral interview and technical interview (coding interview).
Before the interview
For behavioral interviews, It’s really important to research the company and interviewers. Using the company’s website and social media posts will give you a solid understanding of the company’s goals and culture. And using some time to read the job description again, to make sure you understand the potential skills the companies are looking for. Also, prepare some answers for the common interview questions, for example, “Tell me a little bit about yourself.” Prepare some questions for the interviewer too. Employers expect you to ask questions and they want to know if you want to work there. Here are some lists of questions I asked during the interview:
- How long have you worked for the company?
- What’s your favorite part of working for this company?
- What are the company’s core values? Culture?
- What does a typical day look like in this role?
- What do you believe are important skill sets the ideal candidate needs to be successful in this role?
For technical interviews, it’s better to practice some coding questions using some platforms like Hackrank, Leetcode etc. Also, you could find one of your friends or classmates to practice the coding questions together. Practicing your answers out loud is an incredibly effective way to prepare. And remember to walk through your solution before you start actually coding. This helps you and interviewers to understand your ideas toward the questions.
Interview day
If you have time, you can ask the recruiter about the dress code in the interview and choose your outfit. The interviews I had are all video interviews or phone interviews and I prefer to dress professionally so I use business casual as my dress code. Also, remember to arrive at the video session at least 5 minutes early in case some technical issues arise. You can always test your microphone and camera before the interview. During the interview, be honest and treat everyone with respect, show your confidence and make a great first impression. Regarding the technical interviews, make sure to ask the interviewer to explain more about the coding question if you are unsure about certain parts of the question.
After the interview
After your interview, it is good to ask your interviewer or recruiter about what you should expect for the next steps. And it’s always good to send a thank you email to your interviewer after the interview that you appreciate their time and effort.
