You’ve finished your front end or backend developer bootcamp course, and you’re ready to test the job market to put those newfound skills to good use. You know you have the kind of training and experience that employers want, but you still have to get hired. And that means you have to sit through the dreaded job interview. Knowing how to answer technical interview questions will help you land the perfect gig and get your career off the ground.
In this guide, you’ll get a rundown of the top things that you can do when you answer technical interview questions to boost your chances of success. We give you advice that you can use to work through any technical question to come up with either the correct answer or an answer that projects the correct attitude. You’ll get tips on how to think through problems and work your way toward an answer that will get you hired.
How to Nail Your Technical Interview
Tips for Answering Technical Interview Questions
- Ask Questions of Your Own
Employers have several goals in mind when they ask you technical interview questions. Of course, they’d love it if you knew the answer right off the bat, but they’re just as interested in finding out how you think. And they love to see how you work through unfamiliar issues or foreign concepts. How you respond to the question is the first response they want to see.
Be interactive when you’re asked unfamiliar or highly-involved technical questions. Ask for clarification, and make them repeat any part of the question you didn’t get the first time. Delve into details (that’s where the devil is, they say!) to get more information and have a better idea of the big picture. Employers like to see their potential employees engage and really sink their teeth into the issue at hand.
- Use Concrete, Relevant Examples
Your technical interview questions are bound to be quite involved and will require some in-depth thought. Some of the concepts you’ll be asked to work through or explain will likely be esoteric and meaningless without concrete examples, though. After you are sure you have the question’s parameters down cold, you should try to use any available examples to help explain your reasoning to your future boss.
- Keep It Simple
You should also try to avoid reaching for involved and amazing answers. Our instinct is always to impress during interviews, and nothing wows the crowd like a spectacular and brilliant answer. Don’t forget where you are and with whom you’re speaking, though. The boss wants quick and reliable results, and if that’s achievable through obvious and simple means, so much the better. Save showing off your genius for when you meet your future coworkers after you get hired.
- Relax
You’ve spent a long time preparing for this interview, and you have the technical expertise to wow your interviewer. So take a moment to breathe, relax, and trust yourself. You’ve got this!
There you go, kiddos. Technical job interviews can seem daunting, but they don’t have to be. Our guide helps you find the right attitude and gives you key pointers on how to answer technical interview questions. With our help, you’ll breeze through your interviews and will be able to choose between competing job offers.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
