Turn Your Job Interview into a Job Offer with these 5 Proven Steps

Do you want to get the job offer with one of the top organizations you dream of? Then, ace your job interview with these 5 very clear steps. This is effective for data engineering or any data or tech related jobs. In this article, I will explain the secret sauce to prepare for a job interview and making sure you present your best self.

No matter if you’re a Tech recruiter, or a Senior Data Engineer who’s had dozens of interviews or its your first time interviewing for a job, this article will provide you with new and effective insights on acing that job interview you have been dreaming of. It includes many examples, templates, and practical tips to turn that job interview into actually being chosen for the job. This 15-minute read can make a difference whether you get the job or not.

Job interviews can be scary, nerve-wrecking, and is possibly outside of your comfort zone. And that’s understandable because you’re entering a new environment and must talk to strangers, often with more seniority, who will judge you. For most Data Engineers or tech professionals, interviewing is not their core expertise since they don’t really do it often.

I have over 14 years of experience in job interviewing and sat in on over a thousand job interviews. With all that experience, I have managed to figure out the formula for success, which can help you prepare and give you a sense of control, allowing you to be completely genuine. I’m currently focusing on the data engineering market, so most of my examples below are based on my experiences coaching data engineers. However, these examples can definitely be applied to any job interview.

So, let's dive into it.

Step 1: Prepare well before the interview to have a good first impression.

Half the success of a job interview lies in the preparation. As a manager, I immediately develop a dislike for candidates who don’t prepare. Frankly, it can feel somewhat disrespectful, cocky, or as if you simply don’t care about the job. You should know that the person interviewing you will make immediate assumptions based on the first few minutes of meeting you. Preparing is a small effort, but it demonstrates that you take this job seriously. It shows you're responsible and can be trusted with a problem.

So, what are the steps you need to prepare?

1.????? Make sure you have read the job description a several times over and know exactly what they have specified and what are the job demands. Often, people apply to dozens of jobs and tend forget which job they applied to. Make sure you know exactly what job you get invited for.

2.????? Research the company by checking out their website and Company LinkedIn page. Make sure you find out what their values are and what makes them proud. You can usually find this in their about us section. But sometimes you have to look into their annual report or their mission and vision. Generally, most people identify their certain behaviours or are proud of something about themselves. For example: “I’m the type of person that is always on time” “Or I consider myself a fast reader”. The same thing goes for companies.

For example:

Heineken is proud to be a very international family company that drives for innovation and brings people together to have a good time.

Coolblue wants to be the type or company that are open, honest, and direct and are friends with their customers.

In a company with a strong culture, the company values should tell you something about the culture of the people who work there. Mentioning in the interview that this is also important to you creates an immediate bond.

3.????? Check out the LinkedIn profiles of the people you're meeting with. Ask yourself: Is this going to be a technical meeting, or is it more about checking on cultural fit?

4.????? Think about what you will wear to give off the right impression and ensure you look professional and well-groomed.

5.????? If the interview will be conducted virtually or via a video call, make sure you are in a silent environment, have a steady internet connection, and a clear camera and microphone. Choose a good background that doesn’t distract you or your interviewer. If a suitable background is not available in your surroundings, opt for a virtual background.

6.????? Be early to the meeting. If it's in person, arrive 15 minutes beforehand. If it’s a video call, log in at least 5 minutes early. This signals that the meeting is important to you.

7.????? Bring a notebook and pen, or digital variant, to take notes. This shows you are listening and interested.

We have crafted a 1-page document that illustrates the job preparation and can be used as a cheat sheet every time you have a job interview. You can download it here for free: https://www.spruit.ai/post/the-secrets-for-a-good-job-interview

Step 2: Get your introduction right.

Then the point comes where they ask you a question and it’s your turn to talk. Usually, the first question is to tell something about yourself. And even if it isn’t, you should still start with a prepared introduction about yourself. You want to ensure the interviewer knows the most relevant things about you right from the start. Your goal is to 'wow the interviewers.' This approach helps steer the conversation in a direction that is beneficial for you. Typically, the interviewer will follow up on something specific you mentioned.

Right after the first impression has been established, you will sit down, and the interviewer will take the lead to explain what will happen next. Hopefully, they will try to make you comfortable by sharing something about themselves and their organization first. This gives you a bit of time to settle in.

Then comes the point where they ask you a question, and it’s your turn to speak. Usually, the first question is to tell something about yourself. But even if it isn’t, you should still start with a prepared introduction about yourself. You want to ensure the interviewer knows the most relevant things about you right at the start. You want to “WOW the Interviewers”. This way, you stir the conversation into the beneficial path for you. Usually, the interviewer will follow up on a specific thing you mentioned.

What not to do?

• Often, people have a standard introduction for whoever sits across from them. This is wrong. Make sure to personalize your pitch and focus on the aspects of your background that are most relevant to them.
• Don't start at the beginning of your career and slowly work your way up to the present. It should be the other way around, and anything over 7 years ago is not very relevant anymore.Your introduction should last no longer than 3 minutes and should be chopped up into 5 different parts (this example below will only take you about 1.5 minute):

1.????? Share something about your personal life that you’re comfortable discussing and that defines you. This might create a sense of recognition for the interviewers and help establish a connection.

For example: “My name is Michael Jackson. I live in Utrecht with my wife Janet and our 2 boys Jermaine and Tito of 4 and 6 years old. In my personal time, I love to walk my dog Beethoven and do exercise. I try to go the gym 2 times a week and also play squash. Furthermore, I also love to watch Formula 1 and I have a deep interest in traveling and learning more about people from different cultures.”

2.????? Then, switch to professional and share your educational background.

For example: “From a professional point of view, I started studying Information Technology at the University of Amsterdam and got my Bachelor’s degree in 2014 and my Master’s degree with specialiZation in Artificial Intelligence in 2016”

3.????? Highlight the most relevant parts of your career that are being asked for as the knockouts in the job description.

For example: “I have been working in the Data industry for 7 years and specifically in Data Engineering for 5 years. I worked for Heineken and Coolblue and have worked with Azure and AWS clouds. Furthermore, during the last 5 years, I have built ETL pipelines and worked intensively with Python.”

4.????? Get specific about your most relevant work experience, include period, organiZation, the challenges you experienced and how you approached them and what tools you used.

For example: “Most recently, I worked at Coolblue for 2 years. They were in the middle of migrating from a private cloud to Azure environment. They used Synapse and Databricks. They needed me to build ETL pipelines from A to B and make APIs for their connection with source X. Furthermore, I used Python for making Y. In my time with Coolblue, I was also responsible for guiding 2 juniors and making sure they were properly trained.”

5.????? Mention why you specifically want to work for the company you applied to. If they feel you don’t care about them and you’re just looking for any job, you lose points if not the job itself.

For example: “From what I have read about your company, you value the relationship with your customers above all. I love that you want to be open and honest to them and see them as friends. That absolutely resonates with how I approach life.

And then you stop talking and let them take it from there. ??

So, what if they don’t ask you to introduce yourself?

Perhaps they start off with a deep dive into your career, then just redirect them as follows:

For example: “That’s a good question and I certainly have a lot of experience with that. Perhaps, before I get into that, I can briefly share a little bit about myself, so that you have a good understanding of who I am.”

Step 3: Behave in a professional manner.

Usually, by having a prepared introduction, you can smoothly transition into the conversation and start to feel more comfortable. The first two steps are by far the most important to practice. But if you want to take it a step further, keep the following behavior in mind:

• Be polite to everybody and sit up straight.
• Don’t interrupt the interviewer even if you already know what he is about to say.
• Pause a moment to think before answering and make sure they said all they want.
• Breathe slowly to avoid getting nervous and feeling your heart race in your throat.
• Avoid talking too quickly or too slowly.
• Speak clearly and not in a monotonous tone.
• Provide examples when you answer, but don’t ramble on, and keep your answers brief.
• Don’t speak negatively about others, your previous employers or yourself.
• Talk about what “you” did and not what “we” did.
• Ask for feedback (e.g., “Did this answer your question?”)
• Be confident, but not arrogant.
• Show enthusiasm and interest.
• And most importantly, be yourself! ??

TIP: Practice a mock interview with your partner or a friend. The more you do it, the easier it becomes, and the more natural it will feel.

Step 4: Be ready for the interview questions.

There is a wide range of questions they can ask, and it usually depends on the experience of the interviewer or the specific thing they’re looking for. However, it’s good to know upfront what the technical knowledge of the interviewer is. Blurting out technical details to a non-technical person only confuses them.

Some non-technical questions you can expect in a (first) job interview are:

1.???? What questions do you have about XxX based on your research of us?

2.???? Explain to me what you think a Data Engineer does on a day-to-day basis?

3.???? Why are you leaving your current role or why did you leave your previous role?

4.???? What made you excited to get up and go to work at your last job?

5.???? What could we expect from you in the first 30-60-90 days on the job?

6.???? Where have you been most successful in your career? Why?

7.???? Describe a time when things weren’t going so well for you and how you handled it?

8.???? How do you tend to handle difficult people – when have you done this?

9.???? Describe the most pressured environment you’ve worked in? How did you handle the pressure?

10. Describe a situation when you were asked to do something you’d never done before?

11.?? When did you last have to think on your feet?

12.?? How do you know when you’ve had a good day at work?

13.?? Tell me when you’ve gone above and beyond your job role?

14.?? Tell me how you managed your time in your last role?

15.?? Tell me how much autonomy you got in your last role?

16.?? What qualities do you have that make you right for this role?

17.?? If I spoke to your former boss, what would they say about you?

18.?? How do you unwind outside of work?

The technical questions usually ask you if you have experience with a specific problem and how you handled it. It's pretty standard for an organisation to test the technical questions with an assessment that will demonstrate the level of your skills. Usually, a Lead Data Engineer will then discuss the outcome and process of the assessment with you and ask you why you made certain choices.

Step 5: Ask questions yourself.

It's hard to predict the middle part of the interview and which questions they will ask exactly, but you can prepare the introduction and the end. Most interviewers end the interview with the question: Do you have any questions for us?

The idea of this question is threefold:

1.?? To answer any open questions, you might have.

2.?? To see if you have been paying attention. Don’t ask about things they already mentioned.

3.?? To see if you are eager to work there and did some preparation. Don’t ask for things that are easily found online.

It's always good to prepare some questions beforehand and write them down in your notebook. You could scratch them off during the interview if they answered them. Try to ask no more than 3 most important questions at the end of the interview. You want to appear interested but not stalkerish. You shouldn’t expect to be able to learn everything about the job, the people, and the company in the first interview. ?Just make sure you get an excellent overall impression.

In case you're not able to come up with any questions based on everything you found about them and the job, here are some general questions you can consider for inspiration:

1.???? What will the process look like after this?

2.???? When can I hope to hear back from you?

3.???? What is your favorite thing about working for this company?

4.???? How do you see this company evolving over the next five years?

5.???? Can you tell me about the team I’ll be working with?

6.?????What are your expectations for this role during the first 30 to 60 days?

7.???? What should I do over the next 6 months to positively surprise you?

8.???? What do you think is the most challenging aspect of the job?

9.???? What does the ideal candidate for this role look like?

10.?? What do you think are the most important qualities for the person in this role to possess?

11.?? Beyond the technical skills required to succeed in this role, what soft skills do you think will serve the company and position best?

12.?? Do you have any hesitations about my qualifications?

13.?? Have I answered all your questions?

14.?? Is there anything else I can provide to help you with your decision?

15.?? Is this a new position? If not, why did the person before me leave this role?

16.?? How have people previously succeeded in this role?

17.?? Is there a 'typical' career path for someone in this role?

I hope this article has provided you with insight into how a job interview is conducted effectively and has given you specific examples and templates to help you formulate your own perfect interview approach.

I suggest you also check out our article “Make your CV 10X more effective with these 5 golden steps to get you to a job interview” or if you’re more of a visual learner, watch this video.

If you would need further guidance and tips tailor-made for you, then please book a 1-on-1 coaching session with me, and we will build your CV into a job interview magnet, then turn your job interview into a job offer together.

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