Hacking the Hiring Process

Making their decision (and yours) easier

I can’t tell you how to outsmart the tech interview. However, I can share tips that will help you stress less, be a badass candidate, and make clear decisions.

Until this year, I had only one full technical interview, and never had to choose between companies. Recently, I spoke with many companies to figure everything out.

Who should I apply to?

In addition to the companies you know you love, apply to companies of all different sizes, industries and locations. You cannot make an informed decision without this perspective. More about this later.

As long as you can learn something different from each company and keep an open mind, you should not feel guilty about applying to many companies.

When should I apply?

Apply to companies you are less certain about first. You can “warm up” before interviewing at your dream company. More importantly, if the company you love gives you only a week to decide you will have enough data to make a decision.

How should I apply?

Always apply through a referral — as a rule of thumb, companies contact every internal referral. If you can’t think of anyone, look on LinkedIn or impress someone at an event (Not a career fair). If you must apply online, reach out to the hiring manager directly. Jobvite shows you the hiring manager’s name under “Sent Messages” after you submit your resume.

How do I prepare?

Skim through Cracking the Coding Interview for an idea of what to expect. Identify problem types that are more difficult for you. My weakness is binary trees so I practiced serializing/deserializing them.

Because anyone can memorize answers to these questions, interviewers are most concerned with your thought process and technical communication. After fudging the same question three times in a row I asked my Google interviewer for feedback. He replied “Your answer is incorrect, but you organize your code in a clear, thoughtful way”. Always explain why you chose your approach. Even if it fails, interviewers value a clear plan of attack.

By interviewing at places where you aren’t afraid of rejection, you can focus on communicating better technically and developing a style that suits you. Focus on your interviewer’s body language to determine what works and what doesn’t. After a few interviews, you will develop a confident, clear, and authentic style. Do a lot of phone screens — they will force you to focus on what’s important and not fear awkward silences.

Handling Rejection

When companies give no feedback (for legal reasons), it’s easy to forget the decision may have been difficult. After one rejection I felt resentful until I met someone familiar with the situation. “They really liked you — if you were just a bit farther in your career they would have taken you”. Although companies can’t tell you this, they really want you to reapply. One limo driver told me an inspiring story:

I drove a candidate to interview at Palantir three years in a row. The fourth time I drove him, it was his first day as an employee.

Offer and Decision

Every company is different, but your goals should be similar. Pick the place that best matches your goals. With only 5-10 minutes per interview to ask questions, this is hard to measure. However, by asking each company the same questions you can compare them. I ask every interviewer these two questions:

Tell me about a time you received important feedback.

I use this question to measure mentorship. Interviewers at places with the best mentorship will often talk about times when they received tough feedback and improved as a result.

Pick your favorite coworker and describe them to me.

I use this question to measure company culture. At companies with a looser sense of culture people describe qualities of the company as a whole. Interviewers at stronger companies describe a single coworker in vivid detail, showing how well they understand each other.

Pick opinionated references. The best companies will ask your references how they can help you succeed. Your references can give critical feedback.

After you have received the offer, start asking tough questions and do a bit of due diligence. Do a search on LinkedIn for past employees. If you have guts, contact some of them. See how long they stayed, where they went next. If they left to run a startup or take a higher position that’s a really good sign. Otherwise, ask the company why people (in general) have left or been let go in the past.

Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions to the recruiter or higher-ups — they are used to getting grilled. Pay attention to how eager your interviewers are to answer your questions. If a company offers to connect you with more people, especially investors or advisors, that is a really good sign.

Although it is important to ask tough questions, recognize when your uncertainty lies not with the company but with your own future path. In one case I did too much due diligence, frustrating both sides and ending in an awkward decline.

Lastly, once you know your decision move forward as quickly as possible. Life is too short to doubt yourself.

Negotiation

I believe you should only negotiate with a company if you are sure of a very strong fit. When you receive your offer, the recruiter will be excited to explain your salary, stock options, etc. Redirect the conversation and tell them compensation is unimportant until you have established fit. However, use every call as an opportunity to present your value proposition and be open about reasons you are considering other opportunities. This approach establishes your integrity and is a great negotiating tactic.

When negotiating compensation, remember that a new offer usually must be approved at the executive level. Assuage any “offer shopping” fears so recruiters/managers are comfortable advocating for you. Let them know you are asking for more compensation not due to other offers, but because you can add the most value at their company.