Preparing for Job Interviews

I've interviewed 100s of people for 6-figure roles. (Here's what nobody tells you...) It's not the most qualified candidate who gets the job. It's the best prepared for the interview. How to prep like the top 1%: 1. Research the company like you already work there. ↳ Know their challenges, victories, and latest news. 2. Practice your answers out loud. ↳ What sounds good in your head may not when spoken. 3. Prepare 3 specific stories that showcase your skills. ↳ Focus on your adaptability and leadership. 4. Study the job description. Find the top 3 skills they want. ↳ Then craft examples proving you have them. 5. Do a mock interview with a trusted person. ↳ Someone who will give you honest feedback. 💡 And 7 questions to ask that make YOU stand out: 99% of candidates ask basic questions at the end. Don't waste this opportunity to impress! Ask these instead: ➟ What does success look like in the first 90 days? ➟ What are the biggest challenges facing the team that I could help solve? ➟ How would you describe the management style of the person I'd be reporting to? ➟ What distinguishes your top performers from everyone else? ➟ How does the company support professional development and growth? ➟ What made YOU decide to join this company, and what keeps you here? ➟ What do new employees find surprising after they start? The best candidates don't just answer questions. They create meaningful conversations. Remember: Interviews are a two-way street. You're evaluating them just as much as they are you. You spend 90,000 hours of your life at work. Choose a company and manager that support your growth. Your career will thank you. P.S. What's your best tip for nailing your interview? Share in the comments to help others prepare. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to share with your network. 🔖 Follow Justin Wright for more on career success. Want my 80 best cheat sheets? Get them here for free: BrillianceBrief.com   

When I interviewed at Google, they asked me: “How many soccer balls fit in a school bus?” Here’s what went through my brain: "WHAT did this guy just ask me?! … I think I’m going to barf… No, Sarah, you can do this.  Wait - what’s the area of a circle? π r²? No, that’s not it. ... How big is a school bus? Does it have seats? Are there kids in it? … This is such a dumb question. WHY are they asking me this?! ... They’re trying to see if I’ll squirm. I actually might barf. SAY SOMETHING, ANYTHING!!." 👉 Don’t be like me. Don’t freeze and spiral in your inner dialogue. So, how’d I handle it? I took a breath, forced a laugh, and said, “Hm. Great question!” - trying to buy myself a few extra seconds. Back to my inner dialogue: “F*ck. AH! Okay, take a step back - What are they *really* asking? Why would *anyone* NEED to fit lots of soccer balls in a school bus? 💡 Oh - that’s a good place to start. Maybe if I understand the problem, I can make a plan.” So, with all the fake confidence I could muster, I said, “Well, to get started, I’ll need to know why we’re putting soccer balls in a school bus; What's the end goal?" The interviewer nodded. I was on the right track. Now that I’ve trained Google interviewers and analyzed thousands of interview feedback reports, I know the right way to answer.  When you get hit with a curveball question that seems totally unrelated to the job, here’s what they want you to do: ✅ Ask clarifying questions to understand the end goal & business needs.  Who’s involved, why, what are the timelines & budgets? Has this been done before?  ✅ Take notes to organize your thoughts. ✅ Make your assumptions explicit. To solve hypothetical problems, you’ll likely have to make assumptions.   ✅ Think out loud. ✅ Don’t rush into solutioning. ✅ Consider alternate approaches. ✅ Address risks & dependencies. At the end of the day, your thought process matters more than the answer. You’ve got this!! Drop the wildest interview Q you've been asked in the comments section & follow me, Sarah Goose, for job search strategies that actually work. ♻️ Repost to help your network.

Dear Job Seekers, At the end of an interview, the interviewers will ask if you have any questions, don’t ever say “NO.” Here are some questions you can consider asking👇👇 1. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this role? 2. What does success look like in this position, both in the short-term and long-term? 3. Can you describe the company culture and how it supports employee growth and development? 4. What opportunities are there for professional development and advancement within the company? 5. How does the company foster collaboration and teamwork among employees? 6. Can you provide insight into the team dynamics and the type of people I will be working with? 7. What are the biggest challenges facing the team/department/company right now, and how does this role contribute to addressing those challenges? 8. How does the company measure and evaluate employee performance? 9. Can you walk me through the onboarding process for this role? 10. Based on this interview, do you have any concerns about my ability to perform this role? 11. What are the potential challenges for this position?

After taking 75 Software Engineer interviews at Google in < 7 months, I’ve seen a range of mistakes all of us make in coding interviews. Here’s a compiled list to help you (and me) avoid these pitfalls in our future interviews! 1️⃣ Not Clarifying Requirements > Many candidates jump straight into coding. Often without fully understanding the problem. This can waste time and lead to errors. Tip: Always ask clarifying questions. To ensure you get the requirements. Confirm edge cases and input constraints early on. 2️⃣ Overcomplicating Solutions > In the heat of the moment, it is easy to overthink a problem. And this complicates the solution, both for you and your interviewer. Tip: Start with a brute-force approach (just explain it), then iterate towards optimization (code it up). Easy-to-understand solutions get bonus points. 3️⃣ Under-Communication > Interviews are not just about coding. They’re also about conveying your thought process. Silence takes away the only help you have during the interview—your interviewer. Tip: Think out loud! Explain your reasoning and approach as you code. This helps the interviewers understand you and even guide you if needed. 4️⃣ Ignoring Edge Cases > Many candidates create a working solution. But fail to consider edge cases. This can lead to catastrophic failures. Tip: After arriving at a solution, always discuss potential edge cases. Explain how your code handles them. This shows your thoroughness. 5️⃣ Neglecting to Optimize > Even if your solution works, failing to consider optimization can cost you points. Tip: After solving the problem, re-read your solution and discuss ways to improve time and space complexity. No micro-optimizations. Interviewers appreciate candidates who think about efficiency in big-oh notation. 6️⃣ Skipping Dry Runs > 80%+ candidates skip the dry run of their code, leading to overlooked mistakes. Tip: Walk through your code with sample inputs. This helps catch errors early and makes you look proactive. 7️⃣ Getting Flustered > Interviews are stressful. And it is easy to panic if you hit a roadblock. Tip: If you’re stuck, ask for a minute or 2 to gather your thoughts. Ask for hints if necessary—interviewers appreciate candidates who are willing to seek help. Those were my 2 cents on how to tackle coding interviews. But believe it or not, the best way to realize your interview mistakes would be to start taking interviews (even mock ones). After conducting so many interviews at Google, I realized how I often fell into the same traps as everyone. Like going completely silent or forgetting to do a dry run for the interviewer. Taking interviews altered my perspective, and now I advise everyone preparing for interviews to take a couple of them first. Total game changer! #codingInterviews #jobPrep #softwareEngineering #Google #interviewTips

Mechanical, hardware, and chemical engineers are among the hardest-to-fill/hardest-to-hire roles for climate tech companies, with time-to-fill times longer than even machine learning engineering roles. ClimateTechList teamed up with data scientist/engineer Jason Zou to analyze our dataset of ~60,000 job posts from 900 climate tech companies posted in the last 6 months. Specifically, we found that the time-to-fill for the following roles were: - Sales: 31.9 days - Marketing: 35.9 - Analyst: 36.0 - Design: 38.5 - Data Science: 40.3 - Product Management: 41.5 - Operations: 42 - Electrical Engineer: 47.1 - Software Eng: 48.2 - Machine Learning Eng: 48.3 - Mechanical Eng: 49.0 - Hardware Eng: 50.2 - Chemical Eng: 51.5 Engineering jobs associated with physical production are hard to hire, namely mechanical engineering, hardware engineering, and chemical engineering, all of which take almost 2x as long to fill (50 days) as sales jobs. Even machine learning engineering positions, in high demand from the AI boom, are filled at a slightly faster rate than these 3 positions Possible reasons for this effect - many of these jobs require in-person work, which makes job matching jobs to candidates inherently more difficult - Federal legislation of the last few years- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS Act are all driving massive investments into U.S. physical infrastructure and manufacturing. These investments disproportionally require talent with physical-product engineering skills more than software engineering skills. 👉 For more insights on hiring trends by company, country and climate tech vertical, see our latest climate tech hiring trends report here: https://lnkd.in/gpMCaSZ6 #climatetechlist #decarbonization #energytransition #chemicalengineering #mechanicalengineering #hardwareengineering #hiringtrends

The 5 unconventional interview techniques that helped me land my job in Dubai after being rejected 12 times After messing up badly in 12 interviews in a row, I completely changed my approach. Within 3 weeks, I had 3 offers, including one from my current company paying me 25% above market rate. These aren't your typical "research the company" tips. These are the really valuable and nobody talks about: ➙ I stopped preparing generic answers and instead created a "Value story document" - 8 specific examples of problems I'd solved with metrics. For EVERY question, I referenced one of these stories. The interviewer from one company actually said: "Wow, I've never heard such concrete examples." ➙ I recorded myself answering questions and discovered I was using "minimizing language" - phrases like "kind of," "sort of," "just," "a little bit." Removing these instantly made me sound more confident and competent. ➙ After bombing technical questions, I started creating 5-minute mini-presentations for each interview. Nothing flashy - just a simple document showing my thought process on a typical challenge in that role. Four different interviewers said, "I've never seen a candidate do this before." ➙ I researched my interviewers and noticed one had recently published an article about a challenge their team faced. I prepared specific ideas addressing that exact problem. They were shocked I had taken the time to understand their actual work. ➙ I adopted the "No-surprise method" - at the end of each interview, I directly asked: "Based on our conversation, do you have any concerns about my ability to excel in this role?" This gave me a chance to address objections on the spot rather than wondering why I didn't get a call back. The job search isn't just about qualifications , it's about standing out in a sea of qualified people all saying the same things. Agree?

SDR Interview Tips from my 15-month journey at Salesforce… Long post alert! But if you’re prepping for an SDR interview, this is the guide you need. Follow through, and thank me later! You’ve sent out countless applications, finally got a response, aced the screening call… and now? You’re meeting the SDR Manager for the real deal. Excited? Nervous? Wondering how to prepare? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Here’s your SDR Interview Survival Guide to help you land the role (even without 6-12 months of experience). 1. Know the Product & Industry - Skimming the company website isn’t enough. - Sign up for a free trial, read case studies, and check competitors. - Use Owler or Crunchbase to find revenue, growth, and market trends. Sales managers know if you’re genuinely interested or just applying everywhere. Show them why this company excites you. 2. Follow Company News & Trigger Events - Was the company featured in Forbes? - Did they secure funding recently? - Are they expanding into new markets? Trigger events help you stand out by showing you’ve done your research and understand where the company is headed. 3. Review Case Studies - How is the product sold? - What’s the unique value proposition? - Who are the ideal customers? Mock calls are common in SDR interviews. If you know the ICP and key selling points, you’ll crush it. 4. Prepare for Role Plays Cold calling isn’t magic. It’s a repeatable process: - Who you are & why you’re calling - Ask open-ended questions - Discover pain points - Book the meeting 5. Ask Smart Questions Hiring managers love curious SDRs. Some great questions: - How do top SDRs exceed quota? - What’s the ramp time for new hires? 6. Follow Up Like an SDR - Send a LinkedIn message or email. - If they go dark, pick up the phone. - Stay top of mind, this is your first test as a salesperson. SDR roles aren’t just about skills. Nail these, and you’ll land the offer. Are you preparing for an SDR interview? Drop your biggest challenge below! 👇 #SalesDevelopment #SDR #SalesJobs #InterviewTips #TechSales #JobSearch

I interviewed thousands of #jobseekers when I was a recruiter. The best applicants all did the same things: 1) They talked about their experience in a coherent, easy-to-follow way 2) They qualified my questions with their own questions (i.e. they showed they were listening and not just waiting to respond) 3) They mentioned the values of the company or something about the company that had been in the news or on the company website recently 4) They asked me about me (we all have a bit of ego, it’s okay) 5) They picked out key points from the job description and told me about their experience with said points 6) They showed that they had interests outside of work (They weren't one-dimensional) 7) They were polite - i.e. they were never late and said please and thank you etc. 8)They found a great balance between confidence and humility - they knew what they could bring to the role and the company, yet they also embodied a growth mindset 9) They knew their worth and weren’t afraid to hold firm on their salary expectations. 10) Ended their interview by clarifying the next steps, timescales and by asking “Is there anything about my skills or experience that you’d like me to clarify for you?” If you do these things, I can almost guarantee you'll find recruiters putting you forward for more roles and hiring managers taking you to the next round. Best of luck #jobseekers And for anyone involved in conducting the interviews is there anything you'd add? #interviews #interviewsuccess #cgatips

The mantra that helped me crack multiple offers from big tech companies- “Do your research before the interview—it makes all the difference.” When I started interviewing, I focused only on coding prep—solving algorithms, grinding LeetCode. But after a few interviews that didn’t go as planned, I realized something crucial: I wasn’t connecting with the companies. So, I changed my approach. Instead of treating every interview the same, I dug deep into each company—learning about their products, their tech stack, and their challenges. I remember one interview where we specifically discussed about a product they’d just launched. The conversation turned into a collaborative discussion, not just another Q&A session. I also started going through previously asked interview questions for a company before going to the interviews. Here’s what I learned: 🔸Know the company. Show you care about their work. 🔸Tailor your questions. Ask about the challenging projects the team is working on. 🔸Align with their values. Let them see why you fit. Company-specific prep isn’t optional. It’s what makes you stand out. #TechInterviews #CareerAdvice #Placements #CompanyResearch

I’ve reviewed > 400 portfolios this year. Observation #1: The ones that got interviews weren’t the prettiest. They were the clearest. → Clear intent (what roles they’re targeting) → Clear structure (who they helped + what changed) → Clear thinking (how they made decisions) Observation #2: Hiring managers responded best to portfolios that made it easy to scan, not admire. → 3-5 second headlines that told the story → Metrics up top, visuals in the middle, lessons at the end → Less storytelling. More signal. Observation #3: The portfolios that ‘failed’? → Opened with “Hi, I’m Alex and I love solving problems” → Contained 30+ screenshots with no explanation → Didn’t articulate business impact or their role → Had no opinion, no POV, no process If I were applying today? → I’d restructure my case studies to lead with outcomes → I’d add a design philosophy section to show how I think → I’d cut 40% of the fluff and focus on what actually matters → I’d communicate my USP and elevator pitch up front Your portfolio isn’t a gallery. It’s a business case for why you’re worth hiring. ----- Just thought I'd share this after reviewing some notes over the weekend. Hope it helps! ----- #ux #tech #design #ai #business #careers