What do you do if your technical expertise isn't coming across in an interview?

1 Know your audience

Before you go to an interview, do some research on the company, the role, and the interviewer. Find out what kind of database systems they use, what challenges they face, and what skills they are looking for. Try to anticipate what questions they might ask and prepare your answers accordingly. If possible, find out the background and expertise of the interviewer. Are they a technical expert, a manager, a recruiter, or a user? This will help you tailor your communication style and level of detail to suit their needs and expectations.

2 Explain your process

When you answer a technical question, don't just give the final result or solution. Explain how you arrived at it, what steps you took, what tools you used, what assumptions you made, and what alternatives you considered. This will show your interviewer how you think, how you solve problems, and how you apply your knowledge and skills. It will also help them follow your logic and understand your answer better. If you have a portfolio or a code sample, use it to illustrate your process and demonstrate your skills.

3 Use examples and analogies

One of the best ways to make your technical expertise come across in an interview is to use examples and analogies. Examples can help you show how you have applied your skills in real-world situations, how you have handled challenges, and how you have delivered results. Analogies can help you simplify complex concepts and make them more relatable and understandable to your interviewer. For example, if you want to explain how a relational database works, you can use an analogy of a library with books, shelves, and catalogs. Just make sure your examples and analogies are relevant, accurate, and clear.

4 Ask questions and listen

An interview is not a one-way street. It is a conversation between you and the interviewer. To make your technical expertise come across in an interview, you need to ask questions and listen to the interviewer as well. Asking questions can help you clarify the interviewer's expectations, understand their problems, and show your interest and curiosity. Listening can help you pick up cues, feedback, and insights from the interviewer. It can also help you avoid misunderstandings, errors, and gaps in your answers. By asking questions and listening, you can build rapport, trust, and confidence with the interviewer.

5 Be confident but humble

Finally, to make your technical expertise come across in an interview, you need to be confident but humble. Confidence means that you believe in your skills and abilities, that you can handle any challenge, and that you can add value to the company. Humility means that you acknowledge your limitations, that you are open to learning and feedback, and that you respect the interviewer and their opinions. Confidence and humility are not mutually exclusive. They are complementary traits that can help you impress the interviewer and showcase your technical expertise.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?