Your guide to interviewing

This newsletter was originally meant to be scheduled for later in 2023 but in light of the industry-wide layoffs I wanted to bring it forward to hopefully help at least 1 person that has been affected. I hope you find it useful! 

General interviewing tips

Interviewing for a job in the tech industry can be a daunting experience, especially if you're not familiar with the process or the types of questions that you may be asked. However, with the right preparation, you can make a great impression and increase your chances of landing the job. Here are some tips to help you prepare for a tech industry interview:

• Research the company and the role: Before the interview, research the company's products, services, and mission, as well as the role that you're applying for. This will help you understand the company's culture and expectations and tailor your responses accordingly.

• Brush up on your technical skills: Many tech industry interviews will include technical questions to test your knowledge and skills. Make sure you're familiar with the technologies, programming languages, and frameworks related to the role you're applying for, and consider doing some practice questions beforehand.

• Prepare for behavioural questions: Many tech industry interviews will include behavioural questions, which are designed to assess how you handle various situations. Be prepared to answer questions about how you handled challenges in your previous roles, how you handle stress, and how you work in a team.

• Be ready to talk about projects you've worked on: The interviewer will want to know about your experience and skills, so prepare to talk about specific projects you've worked on and the role you played in them. This is also a great opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills and how you've applied your technical knowledge to real-world situations.

• Be curious and ask questions: In addition to answering questions, an interview is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and the role. Prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer and show your interest in the company and the opportunity.

• Show enthusiasm: A positive attitude and enthusiasm can go a long way in a tech industry interview. Show that you're excited about the opportunity and the company, and make sure to communicate your passion for technology and problem-solving.

• Dress according to the culture of the company you are interviewing with: Make sure you follow the dress code of the company and dress for the role you are applying for, this helps create a professional image and gives a good first impression. For example - do not wear a suit and tie for a start-up where it's common to have a casual dress code. Equally don't turn up in flip flops or sandals... do some research here!

•  If your interview is virtual, please join via video!: A big part in interviewing is connecting with people and it's easier to connect if the person can see you, see your positive facial expressions and body language. Also be sure to join the call on time. i try to join at least 2 mins before the start of the call to test my video, sound, background etc.

My top tips

I wanted to share some of the things I personally do during an interview process. Please use them if you think it's useful or ignore it if you don't like the sound or feel comfortable - find your own style!

Preparation

Research - I always try to prepare well. I would research the company, their competitors, their top customers, the vision or mission to try and understand the culture, scope of the role and where I could add value if I was to be hired in this position.

Network - I would also reach out to my network and speak to people who have or are working for the company to get a feel for the expectations of the role and the culture of the company. I would also look up interviewers on LinkedIn or Google to see if we have shared connections.

Examples of impact - I also prepare a list of examples where I have made a big impact in my career, the more examples the better. I write these with a detailed but concise description of what I contributed to that particular piece of work or project. (This is super important if you are interviewing at Amazon, it's how we assess people!) It also helps you to demonstrate value with proof points.

Prepare a plan - I would prepare a first 30/60/90 day play for the role or a list of things as focus areas for the role. This is good because you can cross check this with your interviewers to see if you have a good understanding of the role and if those focus areas are the right ones. This will make you stand out (more on that below).

Do something to stand out

I always try to do something to stand out. Here's a few examples.

30/60/90 day plan - plan I mentioned above. I do this, even if unprompted and bring it up proactively. This will help you show the interviewer you've prepared thoroughly and that you have a good understanding of the expectations and where you fit.

Mention network connections - I might refer to some common connections with the interviewer. This might lead them to asking said connection so make sure this connection is a sponsor of yours or think of you favourably!

How you fit - For one particular interview, before the interview. I printed out the job description and for each of the requirement bullets wrote a summary of where I meet this requirement. I sent this to the recruiter and shared it ahead of time. I asked them to share it with the interviewer as this would be a good staring point and base for our discussion.

Not for the faint hearted!

Close the interviewer - For those of you not familiar with the term closing, it's a sales term which means going for the kill/the sale/some level of commitment from the buyer. In an interview setting this means asking the interviewer for the role. Now, you cannot just ask this directly, it might make the interviewer feel awkward so I will share my favourite way of doing this. Towards the end of the interview I would ask a simple but non-threatening question:

If there are reservations, you might be able to address them during the call. If there is not, this is usually a positive sign! This one takes a bit of practice and it also takes a bit of courage. Use it and see what you think!

Negotiate your salary - I will write a dedicated newsletter later in the year for tips on this.

Interviewing at Amazon

Of course times are tough at the moment and there are hiring freezes across our industry but I wanted to share a bit about the Amazon interview process so that you can refer back to this post if you ever interview with Amazon in the future. Every company has their own interview process but I wanted to give more insights and depth around Amazon (as that is one company I am very familiar with!) to show that you want to consider a deep understanding of the process for each company you apply with.

Leadership Principles

If you're interviewing for a role at Amazon, it's important to be familiar with the company's leadership principles and how they apply to the role you're applying for. The leadership principles are a set of 16 guiding values that Amazon uses to evaluate candidates and are an integral part of the interview process.

Leadership principle link: https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-principles

STAR format to answer questions

Another key aspect of interviewing at Amazon is the focus on scope, complexity, and impact of the work you've done in your career. Amazon is a fast-paced, innovation-driven company, and they look for candidates who have demonstrated the ability to take on complex problems and deliver results. When answering questions about your past experience, use the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to clearly communicate the scope of the project, the complexity of the problem you were solving, and the impact of your actions.

For example:

• Situation: During my previous role, I was working on a project to improve the performance of the company's e-commerce website.

• Task: The website had a high bounce rate, and the task was to identify and resolve the issues causing this.

• Action: I performed a thorough analysis of the website's data, identified several bottlenecks, and worked with the development team to implement several optimization strategies.

• Result: The website's performance improved by 25%, resulting in a decrease in bounce rate and an increase in conversions.

By using the STAR format, you will be able to give a clear and concise account of your experience, and demonstrate how you were able to drive results and deliver impact in your past roles.

The Amazon process

It's also important to note that Amazon interview process is rigorous, and often include multiple rounds of interviews, and some include case studies or take-home exercises, so expect an intense and challenging process. However, it's a great opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills and demonstrate how you align with the company's leadership principles.

A "bar raiser" is a term used at Amazon to describe an employee or interviewer who has the ability to set a high bar for talent and performance. At Amazon, bar raisers are responsible for ensuring that the company's hiring standards are consistently high and that only the best candidates are brought on board.

During the interview process, a bar raiser may be involved in evaluating candidates and providing feedback on their fit for the company. They are expected to have a deep understanding of the company's leadership principles and culture, and to be able to identify candidates who embody these values and have the potential to thrive at Amazon.

In addition to their role in the hiring process, bar raisers are also responsible for raising the bar for performance within the company. This may involve setting high standards for their own work and the work of their team, and challenging others to meet these standards.

Summary

In conclusion, a tech industry interview can be a challenging experience, but with proper preparation and the right attitude, you can increase your chances of landing the job. Make sure to research the company and the role, brush up on your technical skills, be prepared to answer behavioral questions, and come ready to ask questions. Most importantly, show your enthusiasm and let your passion for technology shine through!

A humble request

If you've enjoyed this newsletter, or know somebody who could use some hints and tips to further their career, please share this post on your socials and/or the link to subscribe: 

techcareerinsider.beehiiv.com

I really appreciate any likes/shares/subscribes here as I want to help as many people as possible in 2023 and beyond! 

Regards,

Erik Orrgarde