Interview Preparation to help you get better Software Engineering jobs

Preparing for a job can be difficult because we have to focus on many things and it is easier to get lost. But being prepared is the best approach to help you land the perfect job you are looking for. I myself went through this process of looking for a job and I want to share with you a preparation guide that help me get the software engineering job that I was looking for.

I will try to touch on the most important aspects of the process.

Different companies have different procedures and processes and requirements. Usually, small companies that are not very known have simpler and easier processes and larger companies like Amazon and Microsoft have more difficult and complex processes.

Define what companies you are looking for

A good first step is to list some companies you desire to work for. When you have the list, you can look for information in the interview process. Some companies have a well-defined process that is available for you to see before applying. This can help you be prepared for it.

Look at the current open positions

Another thing that is helpful is to look at the company’s open positions, there you can find what they are looking for and the technical requirements. With the position’s technical requirements, you can now compare what skills you have and study for those you do not have or need enhancement.

Practice your coding skills

This is more common in big companies. They may ask you to perform a coding challenge that asks you to solve some problems. Some ask for sorting algorithms and other types of algorithms.

It is good to have some practice, some resources are helpful:

HackerHank

Hackerhank is the main one, at least the main one that I used. They have a lot of preparation resources, algorithms, data structures, mathematics, artificial intelligence, C, C++, Java, Python, Ruby, SQL, Databases, Linux Shell, etc. The main one that I did was the Interview Preparation Kit

HackerEarth: Has Interview Preparation Tests

HackerEarth is also a nice place to prepare. They have the Interview preparations programs. Another really nice that they have is a mock assessment of coding tests by some companies, like Adobe, Google, Amazon, and Facebook. It is very helpful.

LeetCode

Another great resource is LeetCode. It has preparations and specific questions for interviews

Others

With the three above you probably are covered, but you can also try Exercism and AlgoExpert

Brand statement

One good tip is to think of yourself as a brand, as you are providing a service for the company that will hire you. Think in this way, I found it useful to create a Brand statement about myself. The points below can help guide you in brand statement creation.

• What are you best at (Value)
• Whom you serve (Audience)
• How you do it uniquely (Unique Selling Point)
• What are the 3 things you do that add value?
• What 3 words would people use to describe you?

Brag file

Another thing that is good is to collect some information about situations where your boss or coworker compliments your job. This can help you in the interview when they ask related questions or can help you identify your strengths and weakness.

Interview questions

I am not an expert in interviews but I collected some interview questions that you can practice or at least think of a response to.

There are usually two types of interviews, competency-based interviews, and strength-based Interviews. The table below summarizes the differences.

Strength-based Interviews Questions

• What are you good at?
• What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
• When are you at your best?
• Tell me something you are particularly proud of
• What do you find is always left until the last minute or left undone on your to-do list?
• What would you say is your biggest weakness?
• What qualities would you bring to the team?
• When would your friends and family say you were at your happiest?
• Tell me an activity or task that comes easily to you.
• What were your favorite subjects at school?
• What activities give you an energy buzz?
• What part of your job do you enjoy the least?
• What do you say is your best day?

Situational-Base Interviews Questions

Here a good tip is to follow the STAR model. STAR Stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. The image below summarizes it.

You should spend most of your time in the action part, where you made the difference.

• What is your biggest weakness?
• What is your biggest achievement?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• What type of employee are you going to be?
• How are you going to add value to my business?
• Can you give me an example of when you have worked on a team?
• Can you describe a challenging project/activity that you have planned and taken through to conclusion? What (if anything) would do differently next time?
• Describe a situation where you have implemented a change
• Time me about a time when you have influenced someone else
• Tell me a time when you have had to persuade other people to do something they did not want to do
• What’s important to you in company culture?

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This is the preparation guide for interviews and job seeking for software engineers based on my experience looking for jobs. I hope that it helps you.

Good luck!