There is no hack for finding a position, please be honest in every interaction.
While this often feels like a formality to get past, it is worth taking this moment to set up the structure of what you want them to know about you. Do you feel like you don’t have a lot of experience, but did really well at school? Are you self-taught, but have an extensive portfolio to share? This is the opportunity to be honest about what you bring to the table, and help curtail the interview in a way to potentially eliminate a bunch of questions that you really don’t know yet.
When the interviewer introduces themself, set aside your anxiety, stress, and preparation and really listen to the them. Being able to listen is an essential skill that every company needs to every employee, no matter what level you are. I find the best way to really listen is to try to connect their words with something you know. Does their introduction bring up any questions for you about the interviewer or the company? Are they saying anything that touches on something that you are really interested in? When you come up with these questions, jot them down, or try to remember for later in the interview. When they ask you if you have any questions for them, you have some good fuel that allows you to not only learn more about this position, but also proves that you have some ability to listen and discern information that is relevant.
You may have an interviewer that is very clips, or short, maybe clearly overly stressed. Before you get there, think about how you may want to respond to this. Most-likely, their demeanor and attitude have very little to do with you. If they have a very quick, or no introduction, it is ok for you to set the pace. If they open the conversation with “Hi I am Sarah, tell me about yourself.” You can give your introduction, and then ask a polite question or two to learn more about who you are working with. “Sarah, would you mind telling me a little about what you do here? If I were to get this position, are you someone I would work with?” One of the unstated things I have learned about the Interview Process is that connecting with people is generally a required skill that is never spoken about.
When you give your introduction, I would advise having prepared a concise introduction. Often, people will start talking here and spend a lot of time not really saying much. In these interviews, time goes quickly, so preparing a clear and concise statement ahead of time will help your nerves. The beauty of having something short prepared, is it allows you to make sure you can get the points across that you want to, in a way that you feel good about, but also allows you to read the situation, add more information if that feels relevant, or stick exactly with what you prepared and save time for other parts of the interview.
I am NOT an expert in English, or Writing, but an introduction that might work as a starting place (In case you are completely stuck) could be:
This approach allows you to focus in on the job posting you applied to. If it says you need experience in React, SCSS, and 4 years experience, you can get that all in your statement.
My name is Katherine Johnson, I have been working professionally in the field for about 8 years. I have focused heavily on Front-End Software, have experience with Angular, React, Vue, ES6, and several compiled CSS languages. I also really enjoy working with Databases and Architecture.
If you have had little experience in the field professionally, but completed your education in the field. You might try:
My name is Yukihiro Matsumoto. I have just completed my master’s degree in computer science with a focus in data structure’s and algorithms. I am looking for the first position in the computer science field, and I am excited to see how my internship with IBM doing C++ programming applies to a new position.
If you are self-taught, and have no formal education in computer science, maybe something like this:
My name is Victoria Chavez. I have been programming for about 12 years and have had multiple clients over that time, including 2 different clients that are in the Forbes 500 list. For each client I have had a variety of responsibilities including Java API’s in Spring Boot, Front-end applications in Angular, as well as database reporting systems for others. I have recently created an App on my own for helping to locate grocery stores that has over 10,000 active users.
Each of the above are examples of how you could approach sharing what you have to offer this company, and highlighting the pieces you want them to know. If you do not have a college degree in Computer Science, or maybe no even on at all, no reason to even bring it up. Tell them about the value that you bring, right now.
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