How to Create a Custom Tech Interview Prep Guide

One of the most common questions I hear from early to mid-career job seekers in tech: how do I know what to prepare for in my upcoming interview??

It's understandable that this may be confusing, as some hiring managers add unnecessary complications to the interview process. But most of them are thinking strategically about how to best assess your experience and your potential (as we’ve discussed before) and will develop questions in advance as well as in the interview itself.?

Let me share with you one preparation tip that has made the difference for many of the candidates I've worked with over the years. I had one client tell me recently that using this strategy gave him the exact questions he was asked in his interview!?

??? Hot Tip: Use the bullets of the job description to create a highly customized set of practice interview question prompts. ??

You should take each bullet and turn it into two types of interview question prompts: “Tell me about a time you did…” and “Tell me about how you would approach doing…”

• Let’s take a look at a sample job description: SoFi Business Operations + Strategy Manager
• Bullet: “Evaluate and help optimize the operations of the Member Business Unit and related cross-functional initiatives”
• Interview Q1: “Tell me about a time that you evaluated and helped optimize the operations of a business unit and/or cross-functional initiative.”
• Interview Q2: “Tell me how you would approach evaluating and helping optimize the operations of a business unit and/or cross-functional initiative.”?

Why is this approach so powerful?

• Q1 offers you a chance to tell the interviewer about your experience executing on a similar project. It’s also highly specific to this job (not just a generic ‘tell me about a time that you optimized a project’).?
• Whereas if you don’t have that experience, Q2 offers you a chance to tell an interviewer about semi-related experiences and/or your approach to solving a similar problem. Tech is a fast-paced & ever-changing industry so if you can show that you are always thinking ahead about how you’d solve problems you haven’t faced yet, you are demonstrating a highly valued skill set!

Note: Most interviewees don’t take the time to consider the Q2-type questions -- so you’ll be way ahead of the other candidates if you use this tip to prepare!? And as you become more experienced, you can also use the job description to create custom practice hypothetical/case questions to practice.?

??? I've found that with this approach, candidates report back that they felt prepared for around 80% of the interview questions asked! But as it's hard to be completely prescient, the remaining 20% allows for the random vagaries of the interview process (i.e. interviewer creativity, random/specific questions for a candidate's individual background, the waxing and waning of the full moon, etc). ??

Remember: Interviews aren’t supposed to be a ‘gotcha’ situation - they are supposed to evaluate your fit for a position across multiple dimensions so you can join the company & help them solve problems. This tip will help you strategically prepare for a good interview experience. Good luck!!?

Let me know in the comments if you have used this strategy and how it turned out! Need help with preparing for an upcoming interview? Send me a note here: digitalorchards.com/contact

This is day 8 in my Interview Prep Roadmap Series…just two more posts to come, so click the little Bell ?? on my LI profile so you’re notified about future posts.

This post was originally shared on the Digital Orchards blog on December 14, 2020 and was updated on November 22, 2022.