Crack Your Next Interview!

Five tips to help your odds.

Ramyata Mehrotra
Practice in Public
3 min readMar 11, 2023

--

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Having spent over a decade of my life working, I have had my fair share of interviews. Some of them I got through and accepted the offer. Others I got through but decided to not move forward with, and there were many where I didn’t make the cut.

The interview process can be a daunting experience, as one must navigate an intricate array of dos and don’ts while still presenting an authentic self.

In my experience, I found that listening to the experiences of others and learning from their mistakes was more useful than merely following a predetermined script. Here is what I learned over the years:

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

Your Elevator Pitch

Think of interviews as a teaser of your skills and experience; include the best bits. My approach when applying for a job is to emphasize the project I have previously worked on, which aligns most closely with the job I am seeking, to demonstrate my competencies. As a stranger in the interview, the time allotted to introduce oneself is limited, and thus, it is critical to make a memorable impression.

Bonus Tip: Cut the backstory! The award you won in your first job might not be relevant.

Be Prepared

When applying for a job, one should know why and everything else about that job under the sky. Recruiters are my favorite; they help you understand the process and what to expect at each step. Prep, prep, and then do a little more of that. This can be accomplished through the aid of recruiters or by conducting mock interviews with friends or even oneself.

STAR methodology: I strongly recommend this framework as it allows you to be concise. Unless asked for details, do not get into the rabbit hole of explaining every challenge you ran into while delivering the project. Be precise!

Technical Rounds: Leverage resources like LeetCode and HackerRank

Must-have skills: This should be a post in itself but if I have to list three strengths everyone should build on regardless of what your dream role is, here’s what I will suggest:

  1. The art of listening (highly underrated)
  2. Asking and equally important understanding the ‘Why’
  3. Gaining Alignment

Ask Meaningful Questions

A key aspect of the interview process is asking meaningful questions which can provide insight into the role and organization, helping you make informed decisions. I usually dig deeper into the role responsibilities, growth aspects, team composition, and the challenges the team is trying to solve.

More!? Ask how decisions are made in the organization you are joining.

Stay Confident and Have Faith

It is easy to become disheartened when faced with rejection. However, persistence and maintaining a positive attitude can lead to success. Also, that’s the only way forward.

Enjoy the Process

It’s not easy to stay relaxed when the stakes are high. Nonetheless, try framing the interview as a casual conversation to alleviate anxiety and bring out your best self.

Considering the current economic climate, with many individuals seeking employment, I hope these insights may prove beneficial to those navigating the interview process.

--

--