There is no hack for finding a position, please be honest in every interaction.
I have been on both sides of the table (or Zoom call) when it comes to interviews. There are 2 huge pieces of the software engineering interview process that seem to make people the nervous.
- Code in front of someone else
- Not know what criteria they are judging you on when they watch.
I would also add something that you might not know is a thing. When you are applying to a software job, there is the coding interview, and the design interview.
And it was really the last couple of years that had me see that what interviewers are asking for is actually the same every time. So I am writing these articles in hopes of helping you to understand what is wanted from you in these interviews.
A few notes before the long drawn out bits of information.
- Please Read and Follow these Principals.
- No advice is full proof. There are caveats to all rules, and you will (unfortunately) run into so ego-driven people that make things hard. I had to decide for myself that if I run into a person like this, and they decide I am not good enough because I didn’t know their naming convention or something, it is better that I don’t work there.
- If you are interviewing with multiple people in an interview process. Know that they are trying to get multiple perspectives and all trying to understand you and your abilities. I have rarely seen a “One person didn’t like me, and I was out.”
- Absolutely try some deep breathing or any method you use to calm down first. Nerves tend to make it really hard on interviewees, and anything you can do, you should try. Most interviewers I know do assume that interviewees will be nervous and offer them some grace.
Coding Interview:
When you join your coding interview, there is often a quick introduction, then some question and answer, then a coding problem to solve, and finally a short time for questions you get to ask the interviewer.