Interviewing for a job can be a nerve wracking and extremely stressful process. The future of your career depends on your ability to convince people that you really do know what you’re talking about, and that you can excel at the job they’re interviewing you for.
In my 18 years at Microsoft I interviewed hundreds of candidates for technical positions. Of those, only a handful were “hire” recommendations. Why? Because at the end of the day, only they were the ones who clearly demonstrated what it would take to do the job.
With this site I’m giving you a head start, an inside peek at what really matters when you’re interviewing and how to make sure that you best demonstrate your skills and abilities.
The interviewing technique I’ll cover is that used by many high tech companies. Your future peers are the people interviewing you. A typical interview “loop” might begin and end with someone in a Human Resources department, but the real decision makers will be several of the people with whom you might someday work.
I’ll also touch on what’s called the “problem solving interview”. Microsoft became famous for this style of interviewing, though again, many high tech firms now use the same technique. During the interview you might be asked to attempt to solve problems, typically logic or thinking problems, as well as problems specifically related to the job you are interviewing for. What the interviewer is really looking for may surprise you. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves … we’ll talk more about that in tip 7.
So just what are the tips? Well, here they are:
1. Remember the Goal
2. Use Your Résumé
3. Know the Language
4. Know What You Know … and What You Don’t
5. Show Your Passion
6. Focus on What You’ve Done
7. Show Your Thinking
8. Ask Questions
9. Challenge Authority
10. Relax and Have Fun!
(Click on any of them to go directly to that step.)
Perhaps, surprisingly, tips 1 and 2 start before you’ve even set foot in the door!