How do I get through a tech interview

lenorelaufeyson·Jun 30, 2021

I've had some interviews for IT companies, (most recent was shoppify) I thought I did fairly well with the interview but as per usual some how I unknowingly did something or said something that got me passed over. I know I tend to stutter occasionally when I'm nervous.In general my resume gets me the interviews, then I some how fail and get the usual rejection emails. Are there any tips for getting my feet in the door?

teresaman·Jul 01, 2021

Hey Lenore! This could be a great question for Stephanie in her office hour here: https://elpha.com/posts/mjq9139w/office-hours-i-m-the-head-of-career-counseling-at-skillcrush-i-ve-helped-100-job-seekers-land-jobs-at-top-tech-companies?v1=01

marly·Jul 01, 2021

Hey Lenore! First off, I wouldn't get too discouraged. Trying to snag a job at a company like Shopify is incredibly competitive, and it's hard to be certain how far along in the hiring process they are for any given position. Sometimes you can be scheduled for an interview when they may already be considering whether to extend an offer to someone else.It's hard to answer your question without more detail about the role you're going for and your current experience. I wouldn't think stuttering and nervousness should impact whether you get hired.

lenorelaufeyson·Jul 09, 2021

It was a position for IT security. I'm not as skilled with that as I am doing general web development. Although I'm going to brush up on learning that soon.

marly·Jul 31, 2021

So sorry for the very late reply here. That's awesome that you're trying to move into a different facet of tech! There are so many different focus areas of InfoSec, but if you're coming from a web development background, you might have an easier time breaking into a role in Web Application security. There are a lot of resources for it (check out OWASP and the OWASP Top 10 for a primer), but one of the best ways to start is to look at the current stack you use, and learn about the kinds of security issues that are regularly seen in applications for that stack, and coding patterns to avoid. There are tons of cool resources that allow you to try to hack web applications online. (OWASP has a few on their site). You can even sign up for a bug bounty program (like HackerOne or Bugcrowd) and try to identify vulnerabilities on real websites.If you're more interested in some other facet of security, though, that's also great and you should definitely pursue it!

Sherie25·Jul 01, 2021

You have your foot in the door by getting the interview. I would suggest you write out some stories on paper of past achievements and then use those stories threaded throughout the interview. When you get stumped and don't know something tell them how you learn new things. Sit in front of a mirror at home before the interview and tell the story to yourself while watching. When you are in the interview, take notes. Take a moment to absorb the question before you rush to answer, and if you are not clear on what they are asking ask for clarification. You can also tell the interviewer at the inception of the call that you are nervous because you are so excited about the company. Do your homework about the interviewers and ask them why they are there and why they chose the company. That often helps!Breathe! not every company deserves you. Keep going till it feels right.

lenorelaufeyson·Jul 09, 2021

Thanks for the advice :)