She can cop an attitude and be high maintenance.

As candidates, we can not.

Job interview killer for engineers

Yes, developers experience a different job interview killer. A few weeks ago, I delivered a presentation to a group of software engineers graduating from a Ruby on Rails class and preparing for their job search.  The topic was specifically about what a software engineer should consider when searching for a job. In other words, “interview killers” for software engineers.  How should an engineer prepare for an interview, and what are the job interview killers out there?  

The session was a lot of fun, as the group was energetic and very interactive. This group had a lot of great questions, and I thought that it might help if I shared the questions and our discussion notes here.

Top 10 Interview Questions

I tried to set a casual and “interactive” tone during the presentation by conducting a quick exercise to generate group participation.  The goal of the exercise was to try to figure out what the top 10 interview questions would be in any standard developer interview.  The setup for this exercise was that a standard interview would probably be only 40 minutes of questions.     

I asked the class to give me the top 10 questions they thought would be asked in a 40-minute interview.  In quick succession, we had two scribes capture the generated answers.  After we had the first 10 interview questions from the class documented, I then unveiled a prepared slide listing questions I will ask as a gatekeeper for technical interviews.  The answers the class gave, and my top 10 questions, were an uncanny match.   The point of this exercise was to show that everyone in the class ABSOLUTELY KNOWS what questions will be asked in an interview.  It is best to practice the answers beforehand and out loud to maximize the use of a 40-minute interview and appear articulate.

Questions from the class and my responses

Q: “What are some ‘trick’ interview questions?”

HRNasty:  Every question is a trick question.  Make no mistake. All interview questions are trick questions.  The trick is to respond to every question in a positive manner.  Most candidates take themselves out of the interview loop, not because they lack technical skills. Candidates are eliminated because the answers to the most innocent of questions are bitter or hostile in tone. 

In an interview, remember you loved your last job, your last manager, and your long commute.  Keep your answers positive.  The trick in every interview question is to find a positive way to answer the question while still getting your point across.  You might not have liked your last boss, but indeed, there is “something” that you liked about them.  That is what you talk about.  There is no need for you, as the candidate, to take the initiative and expose your dirty laundry.  Dirty laundry is an interview killer.    

Q:  “When negotiating for salary, I have heard that the person who gives their number first loses.  Is this true?”

HRNasty:  I hear that regularly as well.  I like to interview candidates and conduct the interviews with complete transparency.  I realize that not everyone operates like this, but let me give you a couple of reasons why the candidate WANTS to provide their salary requirements and not avoid the question.

• If you tell the company what you are looking for financially, you will show a lot more maturity and confidence. 
• When I interview a candidate, I want to ensure that the company and the candidate are in the same ballpark regarding salary. I don’t want to bring a candidate into the office two or three times to interview with several employees and then the department VP, only to find that we are $10K apart when we offer the position. 
• With the above in mind, if I do not have your salary, I am setting myself up for failure, and this is a job interview killer.  Why would I set myself up to look stupid in front of a VP when I can find ten other candidates who will answer this question?  Remember, this isn’t just about the candidate.  
• When asked this question, give your number and let the company know that you don’t want to lose this opportunity over a 5K difference.   

Q: “What do you look for in a candidate?”

HRNasty:  “You would be surprised how often a company will hire a candidate that doesn’t have all the technical skills but shows they can work with the team, get along with anyone, and wants to learn.  I think most companies would much rather hire someone who may not be as qualified but has a great attitude over a candidate that is a technical genius but an arrogant ass who cops an attitude and will be high maintenance.  You can teach someone who wants to learn a skill set.  It is tough to teach manners to someone who thinks they know everything.  Don’t be a dick in the interview.”    

Q:  “I have a friend who has a rule where they won’t work for a place unless they are offered 6 weeks of vacation.  What are your feelings on this?”

HRNasty:  (In my mind, I thought this was F’in crazy. Definite job interview killer.)  I said, “Remember, we are taking an introductory class here.  This is a boot camp.  This isn’t an advanced class.  I can respect anyone with a high bar, but I have some thoughts about this.”

• As an HR person, I don’t want to give something to one employee that is so visible that other employees will not receive it. Most offers include 2-3 weeks. When someone is gone on vacation for 6 weeks a year, you are setting yourself up for resentment among your peers. This is not something I can usually budge from a company perspective, especially for a junior position.   
• With this presentation, I aim to help you increase your odds of landing a job offer.  I believe that this statement is cutting your odds of landing a position.
• Most companies are looking for employees who WANT to work.  Asking for 6 weeks is a pretty strong statement that you are looking for time off and would be considered a job interview killer. 
• I am sure I can find someone who will take the same amount or even MORE money and significantly less vacation time. 
• If you want to work and then take time off, I would advise looking for shorter-term contractor positions. You can take time off between gigs. 

Q:  “I am essentially an entry-level candidate, which is why I am taking this class.  I don’t have any experience, which is all I am looking for.  You talk a lot about showing an interest in the position, the industry, or the company because the company wants to hire employees who are digging what they are working on.  What if I really “just want to get some experience”?  I don’t care where I work, I want to work. I don’t care where that is.”

HRNasty:  I think we can always find something exciting about anything if we put our minds to it.  Without some interest in what the company is doing, I think it will be tough to land a position.  No company wants to be a stepping-stone for your career.  I realize this will be the case for most candidates, but we don’t want to start the relationship this way.  No one in the class likes it when a girl is only hanging out with me to get an introduction to my taller, more affluent, better-looking friends.

The company you work for doesn’t have to be working in your number 1 passion, hobby, or interest.  If you can convey that you can relate to the company and convince them that they are a company you can believe in for personal reasons, your case will be listened to with much more interest.  Going to the About page on the company’s website should give you much insight.  You might just want experience, but if all I hear is: “I just want to use your company so I can put some experience on my resume and then go out and get the job I want,” this is the job interview killer.

Q: “What if my prior experience is unrelated to the position/industry?  How can I show related experience on my resume?  The only experience I have with software development in this class.”   (On further clarification, the student had been in roles that were very different and unrelated to computer science)

HRNasty:   As long as you can relate parts of your prior positions to what you want to do, I think this can work.  If you were an office manager, maybe there are some things you did with Excel or other computer programs.  I wouldn’t list accomplishments related to ordering office supplies if you were an office manager. I would list projects that used a computer.   Keeping spreadsheets in Excel, experience with accounting programs, and working on the company website can all show a link to technology.  Remember, you will not be hired for what you did years ago. You will be hired for your most recent experience.  Just make it relevant.  

The position you are looking for is not going to require advanced computer science skills, it is requiring entry-level skills.  You will compete for these positions with other candidates with little or no real experience. All interested candidates are looking for about the same amount of money.  If you are applying for an entry-level position, your competition will probably be a recent graduate with little experience as well, so don’t sweat the “lack of experience.” 

I had a great time with this group and was flattered to be included.  I also heard that several folks have already landed jobs.  Congrats to the inaugural CodeFellows class.

See you at the after party,

HRNasty 

nasty: an unreal maneuver of incredible technique, something that is ridiculously good, tricky and manipulative but with a result that can’t help but be admired, a phrase used to describe someone who is good at something. “He has a nasty forkball”.

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