Three steps to I.T. interview success

[ If you are a potential future employer of mine then please do not read this. ]

I am going to assume that your resume or profile has already passed the initial HR barriers and you have an interview scheduled. You are a little unsure how the interview will go and you want some tips on how to impress the hiring manager and land the position.

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the company

Despite not always being apparent or even attempted the interviewers are supposed to sell the company and position to you. This means that they should give the interviewee (you) some information on how the company is doing and why it is a great place to work. After all you have choices on where you work and they need your help. A little sales effort helps enhance your interest in them and reduces the chance of you declining an offer.

Of course, this is a sales effort for you as well. You need to demonstrate to the hiring manager that you do not walk into strange offices unprepared. You have researched the company website, blog, and twitter. You have some idea of the culture and values of the organization and you think you have a lot to offer it. You are a team player who will come in on day one ready to help everyone else succeed.

Coming prepared about why the company is a great place to work shows you have research skills and saves the interviewer some minor awkward embarrassment. Despite what anyone tells you: Most people would prefer to be at home or playing with their kids versus conducting interviews. Attempting to convince a stranger you may never see again that you enjoy every day at this company is very challenging.

In the event they do go into company history you will at least benefit from the most condensed version of it. It will be appropriate at the end of the interview to ask at least one culture question. Caring about what type of environment you will be in is natural and people naturally like others who care about their environment. Be careful that your question is genuine and not needy. Be optimistic.

For many I.T. positions it is permitted to work remotely. A good positive question is to ask how many other remote workers there are and if the company culture meshes well with them. Assert that you do not want to be the one individual outside the group or getting special treatment. This reinforces your image of a team player while also giving you valuable information regarding the remote position.

Step 2: Inception

The interviewer wants to conduct the least number of interviews possible and find the best available candidate. You could be that candidate. You probably are.

At some point in the interview you will be discussing the position and what it entails. For any type of knowledge worker position the job description will likely be very broad. The hiring manager wants someone who can wear many hats because they have many problems. Only the largest companies have knowledge worker positions very rigidly defined. Even then what internal project you work on from month to month can drastically change your responsibilities and role. My point is however accurate the job description is it is unlikely to be updated fast enough to deal with your growing role in their organization.

The trick I have found is to help the interviewer conceptualize you in that position. Ask a pointed question regarding your first 2-3 weeks in the position. For example, “what will my first two weeks look like?” For a software developer that could be “How soon will I be writing code or interacting with the QA team on existing bugs?” Answering that question will require them to consider you in the position and what their goals and expectations of you will be.

Another way to accomplish this is to inquire about the problems they are having or outcomes they are trying to achieve. Companies need employees but that does not mean they necessarily want them. Employees are expensive and hard to manage. Unfortunately, they have problems or tasks that need to be completed and they need your help. Inquire about how you will help them reach their goals or solve the problems they have. This is a great way of getting into a conversation about what the role will entail while simultaneously conceptualizing you in it.

I believe in doing so they make a subconscious association between you (the person sitting in front of them) and the position. Once that association is made it can be a powerful ally. We tend to bias towards our pre-existing notions and thoughts. On a minute to minute basis we often make decisions out of habit or whatever we have the strongest feelings for in that moment. I think it helps tremendously to have a hiring manager who has already imagined you working for them.

Step 3: Make it as easy as possible to say yes or no.

Before ending the interview always leave on a positive note. Let them know you greatly appreciate their time and enjoyed the conversation. Tell them you are ready to get started should they wish to pursue this further. They will be relieved they do not have to schedule more interviews.

Should you not hear back I think it is bad practice to follow up. If it is a recruiter or HR person you were dealing with you then may inquire to the status 48 hours post-interview. Simply demonstrate that you are still interested and hope to hear back. If you do not hear back you did not get the position. That does not mean you will not get it in future or that they will not call you back next week. It just means right now that position in your mind that you wanted to start yesterday is not yours. If and when they are ready to hire you they certainly know how to get a hold of you.

If you were referred by a friend or acquired the direct managers contact information directly during the process: Do not contact them asking about your status. Your friend does not know or does not have the heart to say because they value your friendship. The hiring manager has forgotten about you or simply cannot afford to respond because the proper way to say no is difficult and not in their job description. If they are considering you it is ideal not to seem needy or show up in their inbox prior to their selection.

Good luck!