The document discusses tips for both interviewers and candidates on preparing for and conducting job interviews. It advises interviewers to evaluate whether a candidate can do the job and would be a good fit, and advises candidates to research the company, convince the interviewer they are qualified, and ask questions to assess fit. The key tips are to view the interview as a two-way conversation where both parties aim to determine if the job and company are right matches.

1. Interviewing From Both
Sides of the Desk
Andy Lester, Land The Tech Job You Love
http://theworkinggeek.com/
andy@theworkinggeek.com

2. Understand your role
in the process.

3. Interviewer + candidate
want the same thing.

4. Hiring manager's task
• "Can this guy do the job?"
• "Do I want this guy working for me?"
• "Do I want this guy on my team?"
• Convince candidate that yours is a
company to work for.

5. Candidate's task
• "Can I do the job?"
• Convince the HM you can do the job.
• Get a job offer, or move closer to it.

6. After the offer
• "Do I want to work for this guy?"
• "Do I want to work on this team?"

7. Conversation,
not interrogation.

8. Your interview is your
first day on the job.

9. Preparing
the day before

10. Preparing
the day before
• Clear your schedule.
• Prepare to get there.
• Prepare what you're going to take with you.
• Include a portfolio of work if you can.
• Prepare your own questions.

11. Asking & answering
questions

12. Good questions
a/k/a
"I hate those!"

13. Tell me about yourself.

14. Tell me about yourself.
• Did she do any research?
• Is she prepared?
• How does she speak?
• Does she take pride in her work?
• What else should I ask about?

15. Where do you want to
be in five years?

16. Where do you want to
be in five years?
• Does he have any sort of plan?
• Does he work on self-improvement?
• Will I have a place for him?

17. What is your greatest
weakness?

18. Why do you want to
work for us?
- and -
What do you know
about our company?

19. Why do you want to
work for us?
• Has she done research?
• Is this just another job for her?
• What drives her?

20. Tell me about a project
that didn't go well.
- or -
Tell me about a
teammate you've had
trouble with.

21. Tell me about a project
that didn't go well.
• Is he a blamer/whiner?
• Can he learn from mistakes?
• How are his personal skills?

22. Candidate questions

23. What's a day like?

24. What sorts of projects
will I be working on?

25. What will the first day
be like? First month?

26. Is this a new position,
or are you replacing?
What happened?

27. Tell me about the team
I'll be joining.

28. Can I meet the team I'll
be joining?

29. Show you can
do the job.

30. Show you can do it.
• Diagnose a dead PC.
• Write some code.
• Assess design problems on a web page.
• Participate in a code review.
• Critique a network diagram.

31. Always ask for the job.

32. Debrief after.

33. Debrief after.
• Thoughts
• Impressions
• Stories
• Follow-up

34. Recap
• Your awesomeness is not self-evident.
• Think like the hiring manager.
• You and the hiring manager both want the
same thing.
• Speak in terms of time and money.
• Interview is first day on the job.

35. andy@theworkinggeek.com
http://theworkinggeek.com