What you really need to know right now …

Hayesha SomarathneB.Sc(Hons) in IT, MSc in CS, Dip in Psy

Interview Tips

Understand the concept and purpose ofthe interview

Learn how to prepare yourself for theinterview

Develop strategies and techniques for agood interview

Interview Tips

Any face-to-face contact with anyonewho has the authority to hire orsupervise a person with your skills. Theymay or may not have a job opening atthe time you interview with them.

Interview Tips

1 Prepare

2 Prepare

3 Prepare

Interview Tips

Research the employer

Find out what the job responsibilities are

Find out and record where, when, andwith whom you will interview with

Prepare a resume

Interview Tips

Your goal is to show the

employer why you are

the best person for the

job

Relate your strengths and

experience to the job

Interview Tips

Fully complete the state application without being too wordy. Resumes should be brief and to the point (1-2 pages). Both must be error free!

Application form is available on the Intranet in the HR Forms file. If you do not have a personal computer available to you, please complete the form neatly by hand, preferably typed.

Make sure all information is accurate and captures what you have done in each job.

Document your qualifications. Never assume anything.

The application deadline date is exactly that. Plan ahead!

Interview Tips

Your Resume

Your Application

Your Clothes &

Appearance

Your Body Language

Interview Tips

Even when your interviewer gives you a first and last name,

address your interviewer by Mr. Or Ms. and the last name

Maintain good eye contact during the interview.

Sit still in your seat; avoid fidgeting and slouching.

Respond to questions and back up your statements about

yourself with specific examples whenever possible.

Ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question; and be

thorough in your responses while being concise in your wording.

Use good grammar and good diction. Say yes, not yeah. Don’t

fill pauses with um, uh or ah. Don’t punctuate sentences with

you know, like, see or okay

Interview Tips

Employers want concrete examples

Identify your skills: adaptive, transferable, and job-related

Present a good “story”

Use data - numbers, volume, %, etc.

Emphasize results: what happened as a result of your skills/efforts?

Link up what you’re good at to how you can help the employer out in this job.

Interview Tips

Exhibit quiet confidence

Organize your thoughtsand apply yourknowledge, skills andabilities

Think globally! Relateoutside experiences todemonstrate yourqualifications

Interview Tips

Job skills and transferable/adaptable skills

Flexibility

Dependability

Teamwork

Productivity

Creative Thinking and Problem Solving

Organizational Skills & Leadership Skills

Communication/Customer Service

Ability to continuously learn

Interview Tips

Courteously thank the interviewer(s) for theopportunity to interview with the agency.

Extend a handshake and exhibit enthusiasmabout the career opportunity.

Consider following up with a thank you note ore-mail of appreciation to the interviewer(s) tofurther show your interest.

Interview Tips

Send a Thank You

Call back in a few weeks

Get a second interview

Interview Tips

It takes time and persistence to reach your goal

Consider every interview a learning experience

Interview Tips

What material do you need to learn inclass or on your own?Know what kind of job you wantCreate a resume that looks like the jobyou want

Don’t just list all your skillsTailor the resume for your dream job or awaypoint

Interview Tips

Interview skills to develop

Material to review

Programming problemsPuzzles

Knowledge-based questions, non-technicalquestions

Interview Tips

How to prepare for interview with aparticular company?

Company website

Ask your friends about the company

Review your resume & bring copies with you

Arrive early

Interview Tips

Time pressure

Nerve-wracking

No computer or reference material

They test interview skills

Interview Tips

Learn as much as you can before the interview Make yourself comfortable: water, comfortable shoes, time of the day, etc.Give yourself ample time (arrive 15 minutes prior, plan for 1 hr extra time after)If you don’t know the answer - slow down and thinkGet good night of sleep before

Interview Tips

Background

Programming

Puzzles

Algorithms

System design

Product and industry ideas

Interview Tips

Be prepared to discuss:Past projects (including lines of code)

Debugging

Leadership or teamwork experience

Resolving difficulties with co-workers

Interview Tips

White boardPractice on paper without an IDEIt's okay not to remember library routines

Interviewer wants to evaluate how you thinkThink aloudBalance confidence and humility

Question may be ambiguousMake sure you understandAsk questions

Interview Tips

Make sure you understand problem.

Consider time, space, and other trade-offs.

Test your code.

If you don't know how to proceed

Work through an example.

Start simple, then optimize.

You're not expected to be perfect.

“Find a substring within a given string.”

Interview Tips

Purpose is to test intelligence, logic,problem-solving.

Actually hit or miss.

Approaches

Study puzzle problems beforehand.

Think aloud.

Interview Tips

ProblemsHow would you sort/search/represent/solve ...?What is the efficiency of this data structure/algorithm?

ApproachesAgain, ask questions and consider trade-offs.Review undergraduate algorithms and data structures.Listen carefully to the problem.

Interview Tips

Types of questionClass structureScalability

Example: “Sort a million numbers”Use previous techniques, especially:

Clarifying problemAsking what to optimizeDiscussing trade-offs

Interview Tips

Sample questionsHow could one of our products be improved?What could you contribute to our company?What should we be doing?

ApproachesBe aware of what the company does and the state of the industry.Don't say their products are perfect.Think ahead

Interview Tips

Further Help

Mastering the Art of theTechnical Interviewhttp://community.anitaborg.org/wiki/images/8/8e/Technical-interview.pdf

The Job Interview -https://fc.deltasd.bc.ca/~pmassie/FOV2-0007448C/FOV2-00075DBD/FOV2-0008E5F1/Interviews_Overview.pptx?Plugin=Loft