I Wasn't Expecting That Question
In my most recent article I talked about stress and mental health. One of the more stressful things we do as engineering professionals is get interviewed for a new job - especially since the majority of engineers are introverts. Many of us will go through this process a few times in our career. Some of us do it many times. In either case, if you’re like me, no matter how much that new job or role looks like a perfect match on paper, there’s still stress leading up to and during the interview. How do I convince this hiring manager or interview panel that I’m the ideal candidate? How do I make them realize I’m the one they’ve been looking for? I wish there were easy answers to those questions. If I had a one-size-fits-all answer, I’d probably be in a different career field myself. I do have a few interviews under my belt though, so I’d like to share a few tips.
Do Some Legwork
Doing some research up front is helpful. Get familiar with the company’s web site. Find out a little about the products - especially if you can determine which product the role you're applying to supports. See if you can find their mission statement. Maybe you can find their corporate values or principles. How does all this help you answer questions? It might not give you specific answers since in my experience most interviews don’t include questions about the company. However, it can make you appear more interested in the role if some of those topics do come up, and it can possibly allow you to relate your answers and your skills directly to the role and the company’s products.
You can also use resources like GlassDoor to do some research on the company. You can find out about the company culture, work environment, management style and expectations. For some, you can even find examples of interview questions. Even if you don’t get the same exact questions (and you probably won’t), you’ll at least get a sense for the style of questions the company tends to ask. More on that in the next section.
Answer The Questions Before They’re Asked
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received regarding interview preparation was from a recent manager I had. He suggested creating a list of common or likely questions and then writing down your answers. Where you get the list of likely questions can vary. Maybe you’ve just been through this process enough times that you can make your own list. If not, you might get tips from any one of several websites. I’ve included some links below that you might find helpful. Or if you’re interviewing for an internal position, you might be able to get some tips from co-workers.
I created my list in a spreadsheet. You could use your favorite document editor or note-taking app. The point is to spend some time building a list of questions and thinking about how you would answer. It’s much easier to stay on track and provide useful, meaningful answers and examples if you’ve spent some time thinking about it beforehand. Even if you don’t get asked those exact questions, oftentimes the situations and scenarios you’ve thought about can be applied to similar questions. This approach can be applied to technical and to behavioral questions. Technical questions are used to gain insight into your technical skills and the depth of your knowledge related to the specific role. Behavioral interview questions, on the other hand, focus on how you’ve acted in specific situations in the past. They're meant to give the interviewer insight into you as a person - how you’ve dealt with stress or how you might react in a difficult situation. There is often debate about which style of questions are more beneficial, but that’s the topic for a future article. For now, create your list. Review it before every interview and update it after every interview.
I’d like to share one more recommendation about your answers. Always try to have your answers follow the STAR technique. If you’re not familiar with it, the STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It helps you structure answers in a clear manner that directly relates to the question.
That’s A Wrap
Finally, be prepared to ask your own questions. Maybe you found something about the company or product in your research that you’d like to know more about. Asking that question lets the interviewer know you’ve done some homework and you’re genuinely interested in the company and the role. Also, be sure to follow up. Hopefully you have some contact information for the interviewer or an HR rep. Follow up within a day or two with an email or phone call to thank them and to remind them how your experience and qualifications can be a benefit to their company and contribute to their project being successful.
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So there you have it. Do some research. Write down some good questions and answers ahead of time. Use the STAR technique. Be prepared to ask questions. Follow up. I hope you find these suggestions helpful in your next job search.
Do you have any stories about how you prepare for interview questions that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear your story or thoughts in the comments below. I’d also encourage you to share this post on your own feed. The more discussion, the better.
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Helpful Links
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Banner Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels
Research Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
Question Mark Image by Leeloo Thefirst on Pexels
Follow Up Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels ?
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I don’t have a lawyer so I’m going to go with this simple disclaimer. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of LinkedIn, my current or former employers, my alma mater, my church, or my family.