4 tips for unlocking your potential in your next tech interview

More than half (58%) of tech professionals are planning to move jobs this year, our latest Salary & Recruiting Trends guide shows. If you’re one of these professionals – whether it’s because you’re looking for a more senior role, a higher salary or a change of direction – then you might be thinking about updating your CV and brushing up on your application and interview skills.

Here are four tips for how to unlock your potential and ace the interview for your next tech job:

• Find out more about the company you’re interviewing with
• Do your research ahead of the interview
• Get a handle on your interview nerves
• Showcase your suitability for the role

Find out more about the company you’re interviewing with

Securing your next tech role is as much about finding an organisation that’s the right fit for you as it is about a company selecting you. As such, jobseekers are increasingly using the interview process as a way to size up potential employers by evaluating their company culture, opportunities for career development, ways of working and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

Before you continue with the application process for a particular role and attend the interview, it’s key to consider what the position can offer you, in terms of remuneration, work experience, development of skills, career progression and work-life balance. A lot of this information can be found on companies’ websites, social media pages or on employer review sites like Glassdoor.

It’s essential to find out as much as you can about the company you’re interviewing with and their values, especially since our recent research into what workers want shows that 44% of professionals have left a role in their first year because it didn’t match the expectations they gained during the job application process.

Do your research ahead of the interview

As the saying goes: ‘by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’. Doing research ahead of your next tech interview will ensure you’re in the best position to succeed.

Firstly, find out what type of interview you’ll be doing – will it be a 1-2-1 interview, or a panel or group format? Will the interview be in person, on a video call or over the phone? Knowing these important details will help frame your preparations for the interview.

If it’s a 1-2-1 interview then you’ll likely be asked about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as competency-based questions centred on the job description. To prepare, think of examples of how you’ve demonstrated the skills and competencies they’re looking for, be it in your previous roles or in voluntary positions. You can formulate answers to potential competency questions using the STAR method:

• Describe the Situation you were in
• Explain the Task you were given
• Detail the Actions you took
• Share what happened as a Result of your actions

Ahead of your next interview, set aside some time to gather information about the company’s recent projects and product launches and make references to these in your answers. Industry news sites, as well as the company’s own publications, press releases and marketing collateral, will be useful to draw upon during your research.

Most interviewers will ask at the end if you have any questions for them, and you can prepare these beforehand to avoid being put on the spot. Searching on LinkedIn for the individual or group of people who’ll be interviewing you will give you an idea of their areas of interest, which you can use to shape your questions.

Get a handle on your interview nerves

If you’re feeling nervous ahead of your interview, know that you’re not alone – it simply shows that you care about the role you’re applying to. Most people experience a degree of nerves ahead of job interviews – remember this can even extend to the person interviewing you! Here are some tips for how to get a handle on your pre-interview nerves:

• Practice makes perfect – ask your friends and family to practise some interview questions with you in the lead up to the day.
• Create a “brag document” – produce a file about yourself with evidence of your achievements that you can reference in the interview.
• Challenge your unhelpful thoughts – ‘I don’t have all the skills they’re looking for’, ‘What if I don’t know the answer to their questions?’, ‘They’re probably interviewing other people with much more experience than me’… these are all examples of unhelpful thoughts. Our salary guide research shows that you don’t need all the skills listed on the job advert to be considered – over three-quarters (78%) of tech employers say they would hire professionals without all the required skills, with the intention of upskilling them once they’re in the role.
• Remember to breathe – breathing exercises and mindfulness techniques can be effective if you’re experiencing a high level of nerves before the interview.

Showcase your suitability for the role

Did you know that more than half (57%) of employers are struggling to secure tech professionals who are experienced in their chosen field? Skills shortages are particularly notable in core, niche areas of technology like cyber, data, cloud and AI. It’s therefore essential to showcase your technical skills, AI literacy and previous work experience to stand out during an interview.

However, it’s not just technical skills that employers are looking for – they want to know whether you have a growth mindset and will be a good fit with the organisation. Our salary guide reveals the top soft skills that tech employers are looking for:

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving
• Ability to learn and upskill
• Ability to adopt change
• Critical thinking

Following the interview, you can demonstrate your proactivity by sending a follow-up email to your recruiter to pass onto the employer, thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in the role. If you’re offered the job, there’s no reason why you can’t continue to communicate your personal attributes, skills and experience to your new line manager ahead of your start-date.

If you want to take your tech career to new heights, browse our current opportunities now.

Looking to access expert insights and career advice ahead of your next tech interview? Check out our website for more interview tips, or alternatively get in touch with one of our specialist tech consultants today.