10 Steps To Ace Your Next Interview

Preparing for interviews can be very daunting especially in the current economy where there have been a plethora of layoffs in a variety of industries. Tech workers are the ones that seem to be suffering the most. According to Layoffs.fyi more than 24,000 workers have been laid off in just 2023 and more than 154,000 workers were laid off last year. The retail and consumer industries are the most hard hit and companies like Meta, Amazon, and Salesforce led the charge with the most layoffs. But it isn't just FAANG employees that are affected; even workers in smaller companies like me have been laid off as well.

Getting back into the workforce after a layoff can be frustrating and demoralizing so here are some tips to increase your chances of getting an interview, impressing the hiring manager, and finally getting an offer. It takes time and effort to prepare for interviews but if you want a streamlined and results-driven approach to land your next job in tech, consider signing up with Pathrise or Outco. Wonsulting is another career accelerator that provides interview prep training.

1. Register on different websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster. If you are lucky enough to be a tech worker and already have some experience under your belt, a well optimized LinkedIn profile should also get you plenty of connections with recruiters but expanding your reach on multiple platforms is also important to overcome localized competition and get access to varying opportunities. Once you find some job postings that are of interest, modify your resume to use similar language to the job description and highlight relevant experiences/skills. Use this tool to craft great resume bullet points. This is crucially important because most online applications are screened through an automated process that will reject resumes that do not align with the job description. Your resume won't even get to a hiring manager if it doesn't pass this screen.
2. Do a SWOT analysis for example

• Strengths: industry experience, led similar project
• Weaknesses: no experience with technology
• Opportunities: you have a connection with someone at the company, you have completed training prior to the interview, you have excellent recommendations, you have contributed to open-source projects, you have a portfolio website
• Threats: no in-person interaction, high competition

3. Research the company website and at least 1 social media page. Take the time to understand their industry, mission/values, their product/service offerings, and what problems does the company solve or what needs/wants does it satisfy. Afterwards practice answering the following questions:

• Why do you want to work here?
• What do you know about our company?
• What industry or tech experience do you bring?

4. Craft a 30 second elevator pitch that highlights your:

• Career journey
• Recent/relevant focus areas
• Accomplishments
• Experience with tech/tools/methodologies
• Degree, certifications, training
• Rebuttals to skills gaps
• Example: I started my career as a software developer after earning my Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering. I have spent the last 4.5 years developing full stack web applications in React and .NET on agile teams. I am eager to move into a senior engineer role. While I don't have a computer science degree I have relevant on the job experience, a certificate in Full Stack Web Development from Udacity, a portfolio website showcasing my work, and a strong desire to learn.

5. If you have a recruiter, prep with them

• Ask if the job description was recycled, if it was can they provide you with details specific to the company you are interviewing for.
• Ask the recruiter to tell you about the hiring manager's interview style, likes, dislikes, preferences, and anything else to help you make a positive impression
• Practice your elevator pitch with them
• Ask for best practices or resources you can study

6. Formulate a list of expected questions and practice answering them

• Search common interview questions for your role on Google
• Find someone on your social media channels who has held a similar role or even worked at the same company and ask them what questions you can expect to face. Alternatively, if you don't have many connections online you can try attending meetup groups and asking people in person. Most people at these groups are friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely want to help others.

7. Craft good marketing materials

• Create a website using a low-code/no-code platform like Wix or Wordpress with links to your projects, code samples, creative works, or blog posts. This will give you a competitive edge compared with other job seekers that just have a resume.
• Ask your LinkedIn network for a few recommendations. Ideally you should get recommendations from managers or peers every time you complete a project or reach a milestone.

8. Practice your body language

• Smile and slightly raise your eyebrows when greeting interviewer
• Make eye contact regularly
• Maintain an upright posture and lean in towards interviewer
• Keep hands visible and make hand gestures (did you know a judge is more likely to think a defendant is guilty if they can't see their hands)

9. Build confidence

Answer these questions

• I'm qualified because...
• I've done this, this, and ...
• I'm excited because...
• I may not have this, but it's no big deal because...

Focus on the skills and experiences you have rather than on those you don't but mention how you will develop your skills to be able to contribute in areas you are not yet experienced in.

Reread recommendations and remind yourself of past successes to boost confidence

10. Ask good questions during the interview

• What should I be able to accomplish in this role?
• Can you tell me about the company/team culture?
• What are the top skills required in this role?
• What tools/tech do you use?
• What is the company roadmap for the next year?
• Are there any concerns about my background that I can address?