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Question: What are some questions I should prepare to answer for my first interview with a tech company?
Answer: Preparing for a first-round interview with a tech company can be nerve-wracking. We often think of tech companies as these cool, hip places with juice bars and treadmill desks. They are described as “the” place to be. Landing an interview at a tech company is often no easy feat. When preparing for a first-round interview with a tech company, it’s first important to identify what category the tech company you are interviewing for falls into.
There are some key differences to take into consideration depending on the age, focus area and size of the tech company you are interviewing at. For example, tech startups are often looking for very different qualities than big tech companies.
In a tech startup, the majority of the positions are going to involve wearing multiple hats, overcoming stressful situations and working long hours. Aside from some basic questions to determine if you have the technical aptitude to do the job, the recruiters’ questions are going to be more geared towards identifying your passion, desire to achieve and ability to overcome obstacles, as well as some questions to assess if you are a cultural fit.
Questions you should prepare for when interviewing at a tech startup would be:
- What drives you to succeed?
- How do you stay motivated in a high-stress environment?
- Why do you want to work here specifically?
- What do you think it is like to work at a tech startup?
- Tell me about a time when you fell behind on a project and knew you weren’t going to meet the deadline. What steps did you take, and how did you overcome it?
- What is your ideal work environment?
- Tell me about a time you didn’t get along with a coworker. How did you handle the situation?
When it comes to big tech companies, the need to wear multiple hats is usually not there. Typically in a large tech company, job responsibilities are very narrow.
A web developer at a tech startup, for example, would likely be working on both front-end and back-end projects; whereas a web developer at a big tech company would likely be assigned to either front-end or back-end projects, but not typically both. Moreover, they may even narrow the back-end developer role further and hire specifically for a SQL developer, for example.
The need for specialization at big tech companies is tied to the need to constantly innovate. They are often looking for someone who is an out-of-the-box thinker and can take a unique approach to problem-solving.
Oftentimes, in a round-one interview at a big tech company, a portion of the questions are going to be nontraditional in an attempt to gauge your ability to think on the fly, think critically and overcome challenges that are presented to you. For instance, Google has asked candidates to “describe Google as a person.” Another common question candidates have been asked at other big tech companies is, “If you had to relate to any superhero, who would it be, why and how would that apply to your position?”
In addition to questions designed to judge your ability to think critically on the fly, other questions that are commonly asked at big tech companies are:
- Describe your biggest failure and how you overcame it.
- What new product or service do you think we should offer here?
- Why are you the best person for this position?
- Why do you think you are a fit for this company?
Ultimately, when it comes to crushing your first-round interview at any tech company, it’s important to do your research and to practice answering interview questions. When it does come time to interview, just be yourself. Take a second before you answer a question, and gather your thoughts to ensure you answer the question fully, speak confidently and relay your passion.