Interviews for software developer and engineer positions typically involve a coding challenge, and though that is normally not the first phase of the interview process, it\u2019s definitely the one where you should be playing your aces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even if you pass that test with flying colors, however, you will not be the only candidate to do so, and it may not guarantee that you\u2019ll get the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what else can<\/em> you do to maximise the odds of getting that offer, once you are sitting down with the hiring manager from the company you applied to? Here are 5 tips to get in the good graces of your future colleagues which have nothing to do with proving your technical expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most interviews will start with a request for you to introduce yourself. First impressions are key, and your answer will set the tone for the entirety of the interview, so it\u2019s essential that you get this bit right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The question may well be posed with a tone that sounds casual, but do not be fooled: you ought to have a 2-3 minute routine in which you highlight all the relevant experience and skills you have which make you a good fit for the job. You should absolutely be rehearsing this over and over at home \u2013 or even better, try it out a few times with a friend \u2013 until you have something that sounds smooth and that you are comfortable saying out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start with a single sentence introducing you as a person \u2013 your professional title, where you are from \u2013 and then move on right away to the fields you\u2019ve worked in and the projects you developed, followed by what you are good at doing. Close with a few lines about your personal interests and hobbies, and do not be afraid to expand if your interviewer picks up on one of them (\u201cOh, you play chess too? My favorite opener is\u2026\u201d). You don\u2019t need to know the entire speech word by word, but you should remember the main points you\u2019ll make and in what order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your interviewer makes a quip about the weather, reply with your own thoughts on the weather. If they crack a joke, smile and say something that builds on it. And if they correct you on a mistake, recognise it and thank them for their input, rather than showing anger or frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interviewer isn\u2019t just there to gauge how clever you are. They also want to find out if you\u2019re someone they\u2019d like to hang out and work with on a daily basis. That is something they are less likely to pick up from direct questions than by observing your reactions to subtler social cues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not to say that you should fake your personality just to get a foot in the door, obviously, but keep an eye open for what your interviewer is doing and talking about, and respond to it. Let them know both that you can pick up on a vibe, and that you won\u2019t bring conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is something you should be doing regardless, to protect your own safety \u2013 you don\u2019t want to end up working for a company you do not trust. But it\u2019s also a great tool to pick up knowledge that shows you know and care about what you\u2019re applying for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research the company\u2019s website and products in depth. Find out what their values and their company culture are like, and make sure you genuinely align with them (remember that nobody can \u201ctrain\u201d motivation if it isn\u2019t there!). Find out what people are saying about the company on social media and in reviews, and what their growth prospects look like. Being able to tell an interviewer that you want to work for them not just because of what they sell, but because you personally agree with their unofficial motto which you learned about on their Twitter account, is something that will always sound more convincing than just a generic statement of personal motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a philosophy out there that the only purpose of a CV is to get you an interview, and so you should be \u2018creative\u2019 when writing it. I don\u2019t know how many people this has helped, but from my experience in the industry, it backfires much more often than not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The interviewer\u2019s job is to verify that you have the skills you boasted about in your application. If you lied about something \u2013 even something apparently trivial \u2013 and they find out about it, then no matter how good you may be, you\u2019ve just compromised your interview. Deservedly so, I may add.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before and during your talk with your employers, always say the truth about what you can and cannot do. This also works well with point #2, as an honest person will be more agreeable to work with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The tech world has a refreshingly relaxed culture when it comes to dress codes. Even if your plan is to work in a sweater and flip flops every day, however, let the interview be the exception to that rule: dress for the industry. This ties back to the research you should be doing about the company \u2013 check the photos on their website, their videos, their appearances at public events, and you should get a rough sense of what attire to wear. If in doubt, go for light formal (not necessarily a full suit, but perhaps a blazer), leaning towards the formal if the role is client-facing. Remember how we said that first impressions are key? Showing that you put effort into how you present yourself subcommunicates that you\u2019re someone willing to put in effort \u2013 in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A job interview is not a university exam, and the best thing you can do when approaching it is to relax. The coding challenge will give you an opportunity to showcase your skills, but it also falls on you to stand out by every other means at your disposal. I hope that these 5 tips can help you do just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Erika Margelyte is Talent and Partner Manager at WBS CODING SCHOOL, where she provides career services for students and graduates<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The best way for a developer to impress an interviewer is to pass their coding challenge \u2013 but there are also other ways that objective may be attained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":46340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-careers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10700"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10700\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62619,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10700\/revisions\/62619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wbscodingschool.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}#1. Work on your pitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#2. Show that you can be a part of a team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#3. Find out about the company<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#4. Be honest<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
#5. Dress for the industry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n