Interview Advice for Software Developers

A guest post from Helma Noelle.  For many people, having a job interview is a stressful experience. Apart from the pressure of being employed or not, there are a number of questions that must be answered both before and during the interview, such as what to wear, how to prepare, how much money to ask, and so on.

Although there are no set rules for a successful interview, there are several tactics you may learn to improve your chances of landing the job.

Simply unwind.

To begin with, being worried or stressed will not benefit you in any way, so you should learn to relax. A calm candidate, rather than an anxious one, seems more professional and self-assured. But how do you go about doing that?

There are a few fundamentals that can help you relax before the interview:

  • Prepare by doing some research on the role and the firm.
  • Arrive a little early to give yourself some breathing room.
  • Think positively and concentrate on your strong points.
  • Remember that an interview is simply a discussion.
  • Enter the interview with the knowledge that there are always other chances in the market (if things go wrong).
  • If the interview does not go well, use it as an opportunity to learn from your errors and improve your performance in the future.

You will be able to explain yourself better to your possible employer and enhance your chances of being hired if you remain cool.

Be yourself and grow as a person.

This rule is equally vital as the first. Allow your future employer to get a sense of who you are and what you know. Don’t behave as if you know something you don’t. Don’t make any false statements.

It’s fine if you don’t know everything.

During the interview, you will be asked a lot of questions. You won’t be able to know everything. It’s great that no one knows everything. What matters is that you understand the foundations of your field.

So, if you’re asked a topic about which you don’t know much or anything, simply admit it, but also tell them that you’re eager to learn new things and that you’re willing to grow. You may also want to be aware of some potential react interview questions.

Keep learning in mind.

Your desire to learn new things is important. The software industry evolves at a quick pace. It is part of our work to always be learning. Furthermore, the more you know, the better you will be at your work, which will result in a higher salary.

Ask questions

Before attending an interview, you should conduct some preliminary research about the organization and position. “What do you know about our company?” is one of the things they could ask. It’s also beneficial for you to be aware of your possible new work.

Asking questions during the interview has two advantages:

  • To begin with, you demonstrate that you are serious about gaining the job. Because they will not hire you if they believe you are not serious about gaining the job.
  • Second, it is beneficial to your health. The more information you have about the firm and position, the better equipped you will be to decide whether or not to accept the position.

So, in addition to answering questions, feel free to ask them.

Demonstrate your coding abilities someplace ONLINE.

You will be asked whether you can demonstrate your coding abilities in some of the interviews. Everyone in today’s society has a social media profile. Why not, for example, have a Github account? It’s free, and you may post your own projects or help others with theirs..

It’s not required to use Github, but if you have at least 1–2 example projects there, you’ll have a far better chance of getting recruited.

It’s not required, however having a Github account with 1–2 project samples is highly RECOMMENDED.

Don’t complain about your former employers.

Another crucial aspect to remember is to speak openly about your previous employers/companies. We guarantee you’ll be asked anything along the lines of, ‘What are the reasons you wish to change jobs?’ or ‘What made you decide to quit XYZ?’

Whatever the cause, your future employer should not believe you are always moaning, and if you are hired, you would most likely do the same with their firm.

For example, suppose you’ve been waiting for a promotion for three years and don’t believe you’ll receive it. Instead of saying, “Hey, you know what? They’re liars; they promised me a promotion for three years and I haven’t received it…”

Try to say something like, “I’ve worked on several enjoyable projects with kind coworkers, but the promotion I’ve been anticipating for the past three years has yet to arrive, so I decided it’s time for a change.” is a far superior response you can provide.

So consider before you speak; offering more intelligent responses will improve your chances.

Expectations for Salary

On the application form, most companies will inquire about your wage aspirations. Make sure you’re familiar with the market range in your area so you know what to expect.

If the market ranges from $40,000 to $60,000 a year, and you seek $100,000, you’re not going to get the job unless you’re Bill Gates.

So, based on your expertise, determine what your local market range is and ask something in between.

Unless you’re starving, don’t accept really cheap offers.

Finally, it’s best to avoid discussing money unless they specifically want it.

What happens if something goes wrong?

Some of your interviews will not go as planned. Some of the following situations may occur:

  • Technical interview/assignment that is really difficult.
  • The company or position is not what the job description claims.
  • Offer of a very low income
  • Irrelevant or too many questions to be addressed
  • In cross-interrogation interviews, you are asked questions by a group of five individuals.
  • Interviewers/managers who are arrogant or too serious

In these conditions, it’s possible that you won’t be able to reach an agreement. You may become irritated or uninspired, but you will soon understand that this is unneeded.

Every job interview, good or poor, is a learning experience for you. There are always better possibilities and friendlier employers out there; you just have to keep seeking.

Last but not least, don’t forget to arrive on time! 🙂In fact, the more interviews you conduct, the better. Everything revolves around encounters.

We hope that the advice we’ve given you will be useful in your next interviews. We wish you all the best of luck and a brighter future.

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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

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