What process can I expect for my tech job interview?

Tech interviews can be slightly different than interviewing in other sectors, as you often need to prove your experience through practical testing and screening.

Many tech interviews begin way before you meet in person.

It’s very common to undertake initial screening calls. These can often be 15 minutes with the hiring manager or one of the team leads to discuss your skills as listed on the CV.

Tech jobs often come with specific requirements, as you are commonly working with an established tech stack. These screening calls can include some very quick-fire questions about your technical skillset and capabilities.

Once you have progressed from that stage, you may be given a task such as reviewing code or writing your own. This is to establish if you have the skills required.

From there, you can go onto in-person interviews and meetings with the wider team. This is really to establish if you are a cultural fit. You’ve already proven your skillset so now they want to see if your values align with the business as a whole.

How do I prepare for my tech job interview?

Research!

Research around what’s new in the tech industry, what’s coming up, and if there’s any software mentioned in the job description that you haven’t used before, take some time to understand it’s benefits.

Even if you haven’t used their tech stack before, showing you have some base understanding of what it can do is hugely beneficial.

Prepare!

Lots of tech interviews require you to undertake a task, which could happen on the day, so it’s a good idea to practice coding and review code you have previously done.

Practice questions and answers, either by yourself or with a friend.

Ask yourself;

• Why do you want this particular role?

• What do you like about the company?

• Why you chose this career?

• What does the future of tech look like?

• Strengths and weaknesses.

• How do you continue to grow your skillset?

What do I need to take with me to my tech interview?

It can be good to take a copy of your CV if you need to discuss any relevant points, along with proof of your qualifications and your portfolio if you have one.

You may not be asked for these, but it is good to be prepared just in case.

What questions should I ask in my interview?

An interview for a tech role will require you to get into detail, about your experience, qualifications, and previous work you’ve done.

It’s always a good idea to prepare two or three good questions you can ask back to the interviewer. An interview is a two-way street, they want to get to know you as much as you need to get to know the business.

Some questions you could ask are;

• What is your tech stack going to look like in five years?

• Where is this business looking to take their tech software?

• What goals are you looking for this role to achieve?

• How can tech and this role enhance this businesses efficiency and reduce costs?

• How does this role fit into the team or company structure?

• How receptive are they to working with new tech that you have used previously?

  • You can use this to explain what software you have worked with before, why it is good and what benefits you think it would have for the business showcasing your interest in taking the business forward.

If you are interviewing with the IT lead in the business, they should be able to answer these questions easily, and give you some real insight into the business you’re looking to join.

What should I wear to my tech interview?

What you wear to an interview does depend a lot on the business, and your recruitment partner should be able to advise on the tone you can take. A shirt and tie are generally appropriate. If it for a corporate services position, you can expect to wear a suit.

Remember, you want to be comfortable during the interview and appear professional.

Good luck for your interview!

If you are looking for support in finding your next role in the tech industry, get in touch. At CA Tech Talent we help talented tech professionals from across the South West find roles in Engineering, Data Analytics, QA and more.