How to crack an interview for an IT Software Company
By: Dorothy Ali
Tags: Interview Preparation, Software Company, Interview, Interview Questions, Interview Tips

As soon as COVID situation started to ease off, the job market boomed and almost every professional started to look to shift jobs and explore new opportunities.

The style of interview has changed to phone calls or video calls from original style of face-to-face rounds when it comes to hiring and recruiting new employees.

Here are some additional tips which you can follow to crack an interview for you next job shift:

1. Applying for a job

Use Linked-in or job searching portal like Hackajob, CV Library, reed etc. Once you upload you CV on these portals, there are major chances that you will get calls from the recruiters. You should also search jobs and apply for them by yourselves. You will find that on the Linked-in job posts, recruiters sometime post their phone number and email-ids, make use of that and reach out to them directly.

2. CV / Résumé

CV plays a vital role when it comes to initial screening, most of the candidates get rejected at the initial screening level.

Use online free CV reviews tool like TopCV etc., they will give you a score for your CV and also tell you the skills which gets highlighted by passing your CV through CV screening software, this is what a lot of companies use these days.

like TopCV etc., they will give you a score for your CV and also tell you the skills which gets highlighted by passing your CV through CV screening software, this is what a lot of companies use these days. Highlight your key skills in summary and keep you CV to the point. 1- 2 pages is a good length of the CV

and keep you CV to the point. 1- 2 pages is a good length of the CV Send you CV in pdf format, and add your Linked-in link in your CV

CV is your representation, make your CV easy to read and pleasant to eyes (less colourful).

3. Research about the company

Make sure you research about the company, their values, culture and especially reviews from their current or ex-employees.

Check for a mutual connection on Linked-in , visit the company’s linked-in profile and you can see if any of your connections are working there, talk to them about the company and how they are finding it. What’s the rate of progression, salary increase, technology they are using etc.

, visit the company’s linked-in profile and you can see if any of your connections are working there, talk to them about the company and how they are finding it. What’s the rate of progression, salary increase, technology they are using etc. Check for reviews on websites like Glassdoor. Search by the company’s names and you will come across posts with pros and cons about the company posted by their current or ex-employees.

on websites like Glassdoor. Search by the company’s names and you will come across posts with pros and cons about the company posted by their current or ex-employees. You can find some sample interview questions online on Glassdoor. A lot of users post their interview experience and the questions they get asked. You can get idea of what to look forward to.

Use Google and research as much as you can.

Check Youtube for any videos on the company or check for their YouTube channel. You can get a vibe of the company culture which will help you in answering the questions of Cultural fit rounds.

4. Practice Practice Practice

Read, learn and practice. Practice your basic programming skills, make notes, algorithms etc., practice how you are going to present your answers.

Practice and prepping is the key to success

5. How many interview rounds to expect

When you do your research, you will get a good idea about the kind of interviews they do and how many rounds to expect.

Initial Phone Screening - This is usually an informal interview where a recruiter will call you and give you an overview about the role and check what you are looking for. This is a good opportunity to validate if the role is what you are looking for and ask them about what’s on offer.

This is usually an informal interview where a recruiter will call you and give you an overview about the role and check what you are looking for. This is a good opportunity to validate if the role is what you are looking for and ask them about what’s on offer. Technical round - Once the phone interview is done then your CV will be put forward, this will the time where the first round of interview will be set up and you will be asked questions on basis of technical knowledge. Be prepared with a script where you answer the ice-breaker question “Tell us about yourself”, take that as a compulsory question which every interviewee has to answer. Yes, they have your CV but they want to see or hear from you about your achievements. Make sure to highlight your expertise and your main projects. While answering any situational based question, use STAR method (Situation Task Action Result). You can find a lot of examples or sample videos on YouTube.

This round can be presentation based, whiteboard sessions or question answer session. I have learned from my peers that they had to go through more than 1 technical round. Google conducts 3–5 round of interviews.

Cultural Fit round -In this round they will assess if you will fit in their company culture, it’s more of a personality check. You can check YouTube videos on their company. Just be yourself. Show them you are a good learner and always motivated by technology. If you are referred for the role then mention about your referral. Be sound about what’s going on around in technology field. Pitch in your favourite tools and new softwares you have used or you are passionate about.

It’s a two way process.

You can ask them about their work cultural, training programme, career progression scope etc and assess that if you are going to enjoy working there.

Contract discussion - If you have done good in your interview and they are happy that you are the one they are looking for, they will offer you the job and provide you a draft contract and salary breakdown. This is where you can show your negotiation skills and negotiate your salary, if you are not happy with the one offered or if you think that you are worth more.

If you have done good in your interview and they are happy that you are the one they are looking for, they will offer you the job and provide you a draft contract and salary breakdown. This is where you can show your negotiation skills and negotiate your salary, if you are not happy with the one offered or if you think that you are worth more. Contract Signing -Once you have agreed with them that you are happy with the principle terms and the salary then you can sign your contract and get ready to start you new job !