Feeling anxious about your technical interview

1. Feeling anxious about your technical interview - Here
are some practical tips and hints to help you through.
Why do I need to do a Technical Test?
The technical test gives the potential employer an opportunity to evaluate your
approach to problem solving, technical knowledge, coding ability, and creativity
with regards to the skills you are being hired for.
What can come up on a Technical Test?
Interview topics may cover anything on your CV, especially where you claim
particular expertise. Fundamental computer science knowledge is required for all
engineering roles and will form the basis for almost all interview questions. For
example a Software Engineer will always be expected have a good grasp on the
basic principles of OOP.
A technical test can come in many forms: telephone, video chat, whiteboard,
presentation, written test and take home projects etc. The test will generally
consist of coding challenges, word problems, math problems, peer discussions,
logic puzzles and even brain teasers.
Where there is a requirement for knowledge in a specialist subject e.g. Python be
prepared for specific questions on that topic.
What steps you can take to maximise success?
Whether you are an experienced Software Architect or a recent graduate a
technical test can sometimes seems daunting. The key to success in any
interview is preparation, you simply cannot just muddle your way through.
The first thing to do is to focus on the positive; if you have made it to this point in
the interview process you're in with a strong chance of success.
Prepare yourself mentally. It is imperative you are focused to ensure you show
yourself in the best light. There are some simple steps you can take like eating a
good breakfast and ensuring you are well rested. If your interview is early ensure
you rise early. Going into any interview tired will set you on a downhill slope from
the outset!! Bring a watch. Generally a technical test will take 45 minutes to one
hour. Treat it like an exam and don’t spend too much time on one question. If
written begin with your strongest topics. This will get your brain flowing and will
give you confidence when tackling the tougher topics.
Spend time before the interview preparing to cover the topics in your CV and the
job description. Ensure you have refreshed yourself in any aspects of the role
where you may be rusty. If there are tools/methods in the job description that
are new to you research them as it is a great way of showing your interest in
news skills. IT is all about your ability to learn not what you know now. The
internet is a great resource and there is a wealth of online resources to help you
prepare.

2. Research the company, their products, current employees and clients on
LinkedIn, Facebook, blogs and for the larger companies Glassdoor can be a good
resource.
Communicate with the interviewer - Ask questions!! If you need to make an
assumption don’t be afraid to check with the interviewer that the approach is
correct. If you are completing a written test note your assumptions in the
margins. Often your questions will lead to hints and will demonstrate your
thought process to the interviewer. Therefore, listening is also an essential
element in a technical interview. Showing you are passionate about technology is
a great way to build rapport with a Hiring Manager. Just because it is a technical
interview it does not mean your communication skills and personality won’t
be a factor. The way you interact with the hiring manager can often give insights
on how you would behave as part of their team.
Break a problem down into solvable parts - keep it simple. Keep in mind
when coding that the ability to write “clean code” is an essential skill. You should
be able to answer most questions in fewer than 20 lines of code. Where you have
time run back over the code and clean up any bugs and prove its viability using
examples. Remember a correct solution is not essential where you have
demonstrated a logical thought process based on the basic principles of OOP.
Although it is good to show you are quick to take in and solve a problem you
don’t want to rush in with a wrong answer. If you need time to think don’t be
afraid to say so. At the same time don’t sit there silent for 10 minutes. In a
verbal technical interview a good trick is to take a sip of water to give yourself
those essential few seconds to form an answer.
For a graduate or junior engineer it can be a good idea to bring a portfolio of
work to demonstrate practical ability and eagerness to be successful.
Finally, stay calm and relax; a technical test is not intended to trip you up and
can often give you a good insight into yourself.