VOICES
Opinion
PROFILEKevin Gordon offers top tips on interviewing for your
dream job and presenting yourself in the best light
Your CV is excellent and portfolio
impressive. But how do you prepare
for the all-important interview? Having
had years of experience hiring developers,
here are my tips on how to succeed.PREPARATION
Use visualisation techniques
Think of examples of when you built
something amazing. Actively visualise these
examples before the interview, thinking about
how you approached each stage of the process.
When you go into the interview you will have
these examples at the front of your
consciousness, which will help you to
formulate great responses to the questions
asked using ‘real-life’ experience.Record yourself
To prepa re for an inter v ie w, record yoursel f
speak ing on a voice-recorder app or to camera.
Doing this activates the same anxieties you
might feel when under the pressure of aninterview. By running through potential
questions ahead of time, you can feel prepared
and relaxed in the interview.Make something for the interview
Candidates are often asked to provide a
presentation for an inter v iew. One candidate
I met went one step further and built a demo
app, bringing their presentation to life. This
not only proves that you are serious about
wanting the position, it also provides another
opportunity to showcase your skill set. Going
the extra mile means that after a long day of
interviewing, the managers have something
to remember you by and that helps you stand
out from the crowd.Refresh your knowledge
Br ush up on your coding sk i l ls, re-fam i l iarise
yourself with your favourite IDE and check
for the latest trends in your favourite
programming language or development stack.
Be confident that you are up to speed on thelatest developments. You wouldn’t want to be
caught unstuck.DURING THE INTERVIEW
Be confident
Don’t worry if you are nervous – that’s okay,
it shows that you want the job but don’t let it
overrule you. Focus on telling the interviewer
about your experience and getting across
everything that you want to say. Make notes
beforehand and refer to them if needs be.
Ensure you understand the question before
responding. Do not be af raid to ask clari f y ing
questions or for a question to be repeated.Don’t be afraid to pause and think
I’ve seen a number of candidates run into an
answer without thinking it through. Take
time to consider and construct your answer.
Answer at a gentle pace to give yourself time
to give your best answer.Use the tools you’re given
If there is a whiteboard in the room and you
prefer to explain things visually, then draw
the answer on their whiteboard.
If you’re asked to complete a live coding
test and the interviewer is giving you hints
and tips, listen to them. If you’re given
internet access, use it – you’ve been given it
for a reason and the interviewer wants to see
how you work. It’s okay to research an error
message or check for a good piece of code on
Stack Overflow, for example.AT THE END OF
THE INTERVIEW
Ask questions
An interview is both an opportunity for you
to impress the interviewers and for them to
impress you. If you are asked to move forward
to the next stage, you want to be sure it’s the
right role for you. Have at least one question
about the role or company prepared as well
as asking about next steps in the process.Be authentic
If this is your dream job, tell the interviewer
that. There is nothing wrong with showing
your passion and enthusiasm for a role.
Good luck with it all!Gordon is the founder of Digital Technology Labs,
which specialises in software development and web
design, helping businesses get online.
w: http://www.digitaltechnologylabs.comINTERVIEW TIPS FOR
WEB DEVELOPERS
CAREER ADVICE