Thoughts on Software Engineering Interviews. (Part 1 of 2: Experiences.
Published: 2021-03-01 17:52:12

I’ll be completely honest, I have re-written this post about 3 times before publishing, and the reason for that is because I didn’t know how I wanted to structure the content, how to approach it, and what to share to ensure that it will actually be valuable to my readers. So, after some thought and a bit of procrastinating… I have decided to take a non-technical approach and share some personal experiences. In part 2, we’ll talk about some technical stuff for the geeks. 

Here’s what to expect:

* The Journey.

* The interviews.

Without wasting any more time, let’s get into it.

## The Journey.

<img width="100%" style="width:100%" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/7yFFIVzaz4uM6vV0Z1/giphy.gif">

Getting a software engineering interview and nailing it is never an easy task, especially if it is your first one. And for an array of reasons, a lot of people confuse the journey with failure; you see, on your road to success it isn’t about how many times you fall it’s more about getting back up and going for what you want. Always remember that delay is not denial (say it with me) delay is not denial. We have to go through certain experiences to be prepared for our upcoming opportunities and you only truly fail an interview if you learn nothing from it.

My first tech interview was with a company I had always idolized. However, it quickly turned into a mess. I’d gotten past the technical assessment, which was followed by a remote interview and that’s pretty much where the fantasy ended. It all happened so fast that there was hardly any time to assimilate it, kind of like love you know. But that kind of love that you know you will never get back, and even if you did — it wouldn’t be the same.

To be fair, I really had no idea what I was doing. I liked the company and I knew nothing much about the industry at that time, so my natural reaction was to impress the people interviewing me and take it from there. It was only after the interview that I had gotten a snapshot of what to expect from the industry. In hearing the interviewers present the opportunity and measuring their levels of expectations and what the role entailed, only then was I able to comprehend and decide what I wanted for myself and which company to apply for next.

## The Interviews.

1. **The worst thing you could do in an interview is to lie or claim you know technologies that you will have a hard time dissecting.**

You see, for me, nailing a job interview had always been about perfectly selling myself to the interviewer. Literally, sing music to their ears and convince them that they’re lucky because in me they’ve found exactly who they are looking for. You want someone and I make you believe I am exactly that person, and in time I grow in that role to be what you wanted; fair game, makes sense right?

However, this mindset quickly changed after my first interview. I spoke about things that I didn’t know the intricacies of and this set me up to be asked numerous follow-up questions, most of which I couldn’t answer.

<img width="100%" style="width:100%" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/eP1fobjusSbu/giphy.gif">

 I spent a lot of time thinking about my responses and very early it was clear I had no idea what I was talking about. The problem with interviewers is that they’ve probably interviewed a lot of people before, and they know what they’re doing; so they’ll be able to see right through you.

Some people lie better than others, and maybe you’re really good at convincing people but I wouldn’t bet on it when it comes to interviews. Rather; spend time researching your opportunities, find the company that you love, only speak on things that you know, and if you’re in a position to speak on something you’re not completely familiar with it’s always better to say “This is not a concept that I am familiar with, but if I could answer this, I believe ABC is a solution used to solve problems XYZ… you can correct me if I am wrong.”

This shows that you are an honest person and although you don’t understand the concept, you have no problem trying it and you are open to learning and taking criticism.

This makes for a perfect sequel to my second point.

2. **You only truly fail an interview if you learn nothing from it.**

Your ability to carry the knowledge acquired from one interview into the next is essential to improving your chances for success and being a good candidate overall.

It can be heartbreaking receiving a “we regret to inform you…” email, but what you do after reading it almost always defines the path you’ll follow next. In the “dev world”, criticism and constant improvement make a huge part of how people succeed. Taking a moment to analyze what set you off, and asking for feedback to carry into the next problem (in this case your next interview) is something that is of the essence. 

Identify the areas you can improve on, send some more applications and as you wait for the next interview, jump back to the drawing board.

3. **Post interview.**

A simple thank you note or email can go a long way after an interview, especially if you are being closely considered with another candidate. This gives you a chance to assert your professionalism, which you should have done in the interview anyway. Furthermore, it can represent your eagerness and dedication in getting the role. 

If you spoke about an awesome project you worked on, this could be an excellent time to share that with the hiring manager, or whoever the interview was with, preferably the links to your work(i.e. the GitHub link) and the demonstration thereof. (i.e. the live site)

Lastly, be comfortable and wait for a response. In the meantime, interact with the company’s content online if you are that kind of person, connect with the interviewer on Linkedin and engage with them on shared interests, be mindful about this. Again, you want to do all this in a professional manner and leave an impact that influences your chances of success in a positive manner. 

## Thanks for reading.

If you made it this far, you’re a gorgeous unicorn 🦄

Shameless plug, if you enjoy reading my shits, connect with me on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/lerato1ofone) and [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lerato-letsepe-1312b5156/).

See you in part 2.😎