SFL Hiring Talent: Interviews

As a growing company, which is always welcome to new talent, here @SFL we have had dozens of interviews with prospective candidates. A couple years of experience on that has been pretty fruitful: so, why not stick to your reading for a while and find out how to rock that interview with us, or any reputable company with proper culture that’s looking for true talent? Ready? Let’s go!

Understand the “concept” of interview

Many candidates wonder why they fail at interviews. It seems that all of the answers for the “must” questions are practiced and polished, the eye contact and smiles are there, yet they fail.

The thing is: your job interview is not a trial at court where you have to make the judge believe you. It’s not a talent performance where you have to please your audience to get that yes, and it’s not a Grade 1 final exam where you have to be the “good little jobseeker” and agree to everything your interviewer says.

Nope. None of them. It’s, in fact, a BUSINESS MEETING. Yeah, you heard it right! A business meeting during which you and your potential employer will discuss possible grounds for collaboration. It’s a mutual process of evaluation- of you, and the employer. Not one-way traffic, you see?

While our decision, as a company, may have some impact on the way our company functions, your decision has a huge impact on YOUR LIFE AND CAREER! You spend the biggest part of your day at work. So why spend your precious interview minutes trying to impress without finding out whether YOU would like to work with these people, and without asking questions that will help you estimate how good the company is for you!

Show what you can, and ask what you’ll get

And we don’t mean money, though this is one of the most important aspects. What challenges will you face in the role? Will you learn new skills? Will you have a chance to grow professionally? Will you be an asset to the company? These are all questions to ask if you wanna be happy in your new role!

As for answering the interviewer’s questions, be honest and straightforward. Showcase your skills in the best way and use the minutes you get wisely!

While we’re sure you know what the interviewer may ask, consider questions YOU can ask. Here are some examples that we love to hear:

Can you tell me what the culture here is like? If the company is live and cool, there shall be tons of it! We at SFL love sharing them as something new is bound to happen very often.
What are some of the challenges the prospective candidate may face once on board?
What direction is the company heading, and what are the development plans for the near future?

Communicate

Shall we look at 2 examples of how an interview question can run?

Us: Do you read books or other resources on Java?

You: Yes.

Us: What was the last book you read?

You: Effective Java by Joshua Bloch.

Us: Did you enjoy it?

You: Yes, it was very helpful

While you may think this is a common and ordinary way to answer questions, what about this scenario?

Us: Do you read books or other resources on Java?

You: Yeah, there are lots of resources available online, so I read articles and other resources every once in a while. I can share a recent story on that if you’re interested.

Us: Sure!

You: I recently finished Effective Java by Joshua Bloch. It was a cool practical resource on clean coding and raising efficiency. I really liked the approach and how down-to earth it was.

This is a communicator speaking. One who will speak out and communicate in the same manner when working on the project. One who will ask enough questions and give enough answers when collaborating with teammates. This is a good sign!

Turn that stilted interview conversation into a human convo — in the end, we are all people sitting around the table.

Once you are armed with this approach, together with your skills, landing the suitable job shall not be such huge of a problem. Wanna have an interview in “cool-mode”? We’re willing to have it with you: Right now, we have 2 openings waiting for you! Check out our Linkedin Page and apply for the Java developer or UI/UX designer opening. Let’s rock your next interview together.

About the author

Varduhi Petrosyan is SFL’s HR specialist, happiness manager and talent hunter.

With a background in technology, she is especially good at making hiring decisions for tech teams.