This is how you can excel in your interview as a software developer

If there’s something we can all collectively agree with, is that interviews are not particularly fun. In the tech industry, you’ll find yourself trying to prove your hard skills and selling the soft ones, and once the number of interviews add up, you’ll find yourself worn out, especially if you’re interviewing for a job for the first time.

In this blog post, we share some useful advice so you can prepare in advance and feel more confident on future interviews.

Access your resume

Consider what you wrote down in your resume and be prepared to get questioned about what you listed there. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to outsell yourself by writing down technologies you’re actually not very familiar with or trying to make your last position more complex than what it really was. It’s always clever to let the interviewing team know if you played around with certain frameworks and languages, but don’t put yourself in the position where you sound like you’re selling yourself as an expert when you’re not.

Be ready for a technical interview

Interviews in this industry are far from uniform, but when it comes to secure a position like this one, it’s highly likely that your technical competency will be put to the test. Some teams send off next day challenges to complete, others make questions on the spot and even ask for quick problem solving exercises to check your level of comfort with the required technologies. Make sure you review the basics and carefully take a look at the job description to make sure that you’re up to what they ask for.

Talk about yourself

Although this sounds like unnecessary chit chat, talking about yourself is meant to know primarily about your job history, academic background, motivation and goals. This is your opportunity to pitch yourself to the company and let them know why they should also be excited about hiring you. Share your common interests, what you find exciting about software development and how you see yourself growing by taking a new challenge.

It’s very possible that you’ll be asked about former projects. Now, this is where some candidates end up losing themselves by getting into too much detail – most times because they’re actually excited about talking about said project. Keep it short and simple and allow the interviewing team to ask questions: make a quick overview of the project and the problem it solves; mention the technologies used and how you directly contributed to it. It can also mention the most challenging component and how you overcame those issues. If you’re fresh out of uni, worry not! Speak about your college projects and let them know how you work in a group setting and deal with conflict!

If you’re leaving your current company, be nice about it

In Portugal, we have a saying that roughly translated sounds something like ‘you see yourself on others’ backs’. In case you’re still wondering, that means that you should avoid talking negatively about your current company, even if you have the right to feel that way about it. It might be a colloquialism, but a candidate that focuses on exposing the negative traits of their current employer rarely makes a good impression. Avoid directly comparing compensation and benefits, talking about coworkers or managers and turn all of the negative factors into positive ones. Instead of saying you’re bored with your current position, share that you’re looking for a new challenge to help you grow and gain experience. If your work is repetitive, tell them you’re curious about working with different technologies.

It takes two to tango: ask questions!

You might be tested and have to pitch yourself but an interview is your perfect chance to decide if you also feel like the company is a good fit for you.
Ask the interviewers about the company environment, non salary benefits and internal initiatives. If you want to get specific, ask away about their current projects and what they find more exciting at the moment.

Lastly, you got this!

Software Development is a fairly safe area when it comes to employment so opportunities will always arise. Be prepared, relax and take a deep breath! The hardest part is already surpassed: you got called for an interview and they see promise in you. You’re good to go!

Working at Exaud is more than just a job. Want to come along for the ride? We’re always looking for great people to join us. Check our current openings on our Careers Page.