I've interviewed hundreds of software engineers over the last 10 years, and the number one reason I pass on candidates isn't that they lack technical skills.
It's because they struggle to communicate during their interview.
Today, I will share 3 common questions you will get during your next software engineer interview and how you should answer them.
Question #1: Getting to Know You
The first question is a "level-set" hiring managers use to understand your background. The question usually looks like this:
"Can you tell me a little about yourself and your background in software engineering?"
The scary thing is that, according to a study by the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 60% of interviewers decide within the first 15 minutes of an interview, and 26% decide within the first 5 minutes.
So, being concise when introducing yourself and providing basic information about your background is critical. I tell candidates to focus on the following:
- Who you are
- Your current role or most recent job
- A quick background, focusing on relevant experience
- Your purpose
Keep this answer to less than 5 minutes, ideally around 3 minutes. Practice answering this question and time yourself to ensure you are being concise.
Quick Tip
Communicating your purpose takes time and effort. It could be why you got into software, what you enjoy doing, or an area you like to explore. The goal is to show the interviewer what drives you.
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Question #2: Assessing Your Technical Skills
Next, let's talk about how hiring managers assess technical skills. This question usually looks something like this:
"What programming languages or frameworks do you have experience with, and which would you consider your strongest?"
The hiring manager wants to ensure that your experience matches your resume and that you genuinely know how to write software. Hiring is expensive, and hiring a candidate who needs help writing software can be even more costly. Hiring managers must ensure that candidates can do their jobs well.
For these questions, it's critical to do the following:
- Provide concrete examples
- Be excited to share
- Come back to your purpose
The "special sauce" when answering this question is circling back to your purpose. It shows you can connect principles and values to your work and experience.
Question #3: How You Solve Problems
The last question focuses on assessing your problem-solving. Hiring managers want to ensure you can tackle projects and work without having every detail laid out.m This question usually looks something like this:
"How do you approach a complex problem or feature to develop? Can you provide an example from your past experience?"
For this question, you must provide an abbreviated retrospective, breaking down a problem, how you solved it, and what you learned. I tell candidates they need to focus on the following:
- Break the problem down
- Highlight your creativity
- Showcase your perseverance
- Share what you learned
Don't be afraid to "get into the weeds" and discuss the technical details of your problem. This is a great way to show that you dug into an issue and understood the situation.
It's also okay to share a time when you failed. That shows you are introspective and can admit when you fall short. Most candidates focus on how perfect they are for the role without revealing where they have struggled and grown.
These 3 questions can make (or break) your following interview. As the job landscape shifts and hundreds of applicants vie for the same position, it's critical that you showcase your skills once you land the interview.
Outside of the specific examples above, here is how you can ace your next interview:
- Be Concise
- Show Humility
- Get Excited
Do you have a software interview coming up? Let me know by responding to this email. I answer each one. I am happy to help you prepare for your interview or review your resume.