Have you an interview scheduled? Congratulations! – Now it’s time to prepare, and we’ve got you covered. Our team of experienced recruiters gave their top tips to help you impress your interviewer and get the position you want.

Remote Interviewing

In the current climate remote interviewing is far more common than in person, before you sit down to begin your interview here are some tips to ensure you make the best possible impression. Make sure you test the link you’ve been provided with and ensure your laptop is compatible with any software they might need for it as well as familiarising yourself with that software rather than in real time, especially if you are doing any interactive coding or whiteboarding. When something like that goes wrong, people often get flustered and make mistakes.

It’s also important not to dwell on anything you got wrong or didn’t know. It can play on your mind for the rest of the interview, instead just accept it’s happened and do your best for the rest of the interview as it may not be as costly as you think.

If you’re interviewing in person, make sure you have left enough time in your journey to get there in-case something goes wrong. First impressions count, so try your best to arrive on time.

Star Method

Using the Star Method throughout your interview is valuable, for those unfamiliar with this term it stands for;

S = Situation (What was the situation?)

T = Task (What goal were you working toward?)

A = Action (What action did you take?)

R = Result (What was the result of your action?)

In preparation for an interview, take time to develop responses to anticipated interview questions. STAR is a structured approach to answering interview questions, responding to interview questions with STAR examples can help illustrate your fit with the opportunity. With just a little preparation, and practicing this method you’ll soon view this style of answering as a great opportunity to emphasise your qualifications and skills.

Research the company

Before your interview, find out as much as you can about your interviewer(s) – anything that might help build rapport, this is one of the best ways to become a stand-out candidate during the hiring process.
Always remember to research the company values, you should know what the company looks for in a qualified candidate, this enables you to position yourself as the best candidate for the position.  They’ll be marking your answers according to how you’ve demonstrated those same values. Don’t forget the first impressions are huge, 90% of people make up their mind about a person within the first 90 secs of meeting them so make that first min and a half is a good one.

Back up your points

When talking about your experience try and talk about it in terms of deliverables or outcomes instead of just spewing out buzz words. In order to stand out in a competitive job market you have to describe your skills more specifically and explain to the employer how this is useful to the business. Try using an actual scenario that happened with data to support your points, as this will make you speak more fluid with confidence as it was a real event.

Ask questions at the end

Always have some questions to ask at the end of the interview. By asking the interviewer questions, you’ll able to walk away from the interview with a better idea of whether or not the job is a good fit for you, while also showing the employer that you’re engaged in the process and that you care about the position.

Finally, finish the interview by summarising what you like about the company and the opportunity and feel free to ask if the interviewers have any reservations.

Technical Pairing Exercise

If you have a technical pairing exercise here is a list of our top tips in preparation for it;

1. Make sure you fully understand the problem you’re trying to understand – ask as many questions as you need and don’t make assumptions.

2. Talk through your thought process – that will help them to understand your logic and they can steer you in the right direction.

3. Pair programming is supposed to be collaborative. Interviewers will chip in with help and ideas, so let them. Don’t interrupt and actively listen to their advice.

For more interview advice or to discuss your hiring needs, contact one of our team of experienced recruiters today to see what we can do for you, and good luck!