Basic Interview Tips

This is a perfect market for job seekers, with a surge in demand for IT professionals as companies head towards Digitalization during the Pandemic.

However, how you present yourself during the interview can make a big difference in earning the trust of the people you are going to work with.

After conducting 200+ interviews since the onset of Pandemic, I have seen repetitive mistakes that candidates make, that prevent them from going further in interview rounds.

Before the Interview:

• Accept / Decline the invite to acknowledge if you can or cannot make it for this slot.
• Avoid last-minute changes. If you are tentative, please work with the recruiting team to find an alternative schedule before accepting the invite.
• Check Zoom/Teams connectivity prior to the call. Ensure your Audio/Video works from your laptop.
• Find the most suitable location (Free from distractions, background noise) when joining the interview. Use Zoom filters, if you want to hide the background.

During the Interview:

• If for any reason you are unable to attend the interview, be courteous and respond to the invite explaining the reason why you can't make it.
• This is a 2-way interview process. Do not hesitate to ask questions or get clarifications on the role and job expectations.
• Use direct answers when responding to questions.
• If you did not understand the question, ask for clarity rather assuming the question.
• If you understood the question, but do not know the answer do not shy away from saying: “I do not know or I do not recollect.”.
• If you know the concept or worked on something similar, you might present that answer after acknowledging that you do not recollect the exact answer.
• Restrict answering questions within 1-2 minutes time limit/question. If you need more time, check with the interviewer if he needs more details.
•  Just remember, we all are humans and we understand that it is perfectly OK not to be an expert at everything. 

Post Interview

• If you are selected, take some time before you accept the offer. You may do your research to avoid any surprises later.
• It is perfectly acceptable to shop around multiple employers for a better offer, and in the end, pick the one that is more appealing to you. However, provide a courtesy email to the other employers for declining their offer.
• Once you accept the offer, stick with it. It is highly unprofessional to take an accepted offer and shop around. Rather, let the other company know that you are still looking for the best offer.
• Finally, once you commit, try to stick around with a new employer for at least 1-2 years before making a switch. Remember, if you switch jobs too often, it might reflect negatively when you apply for new employment