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1/ A friend asked me yesterday for some advice on how to give a good impression during an interview for a junior technical job. I thought a bit about it and gave her my answer, but I thought it might be useful for me to share with other people studying CS and looking to be hired.
2/ I've not been in a position to do many interviews, but I'm in no doubt as to who was the best candidate I ever interviewed, and what was initially just a hunch during his interview led to a job offer, and gave me the opportunity to work with best developers I ever knew.
3/ He was not the most experienced candidate, and he didn't perform best in the test questions. But above all, he had a good attitude, and showed it. I felt like there was nothing superficial about anything he said; no attempt to hide things that might be seen negatively.
4/ What I liked most was that he told me what he knew, and he made it clear what he didn't know. It was only a junior role, so there was no expectation the candidate would know everything, and he absolutely met that expectation.
5/ Having been clear about what he knew and what he didn't, he was able to show good understanding of those things he said he knew. This gave me lots of confidence that he would be able to learn the things he didn't know. Later when I worked with him he was always just as candid.
6/ It sounds simple, but just being honest in an interview is the best thing you can do. Don't practice "interview skills" or try to oversell yourself, because you think you're competing against other people who know them. Don't speculate about other people.
7/ If I were interviewing, I would be trying as hard as I could to get behind the veneer the candidate is putting on because they think it will impress me. I want to see what they're really like. As a candidate, you could make this easier for yourself and for the interviewer!
8/ But what if you don't know something that you know you should know? That, I'm afraid, has to start earlier: If you're planning to apply for a job in the medium term, start thinking about the interview now, and get into the mindset that you will be completely open and honest.
9/ And not every interviewer will be good at choosing candidates, so a rejection isn't necessarily your fault. If you don't get the first job you apply for, persevere. Knowing that you can always try again should hopefully take the pressure off any single interview. Good luck.
Good advice for when interviewee is talking to an interviewer who is an expert in their field. But beware when they are not an expert in interviewee's field. Then, interviewee should also teach them some aspects of their field, before telling them what they do or don't know.
I expect people to know about my company and why they're applying for the role. You may very well have applied for a hojillion jobs to maximise your odds; letting the interviewer get that impression is likely fatal.
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