10 Tech Interview Mistakes

---

Know the mistakes during tech interview and avoid it.

As an interview you went to the company on time, the job description is a seamless match and one stare at the workplace tells you this is the right job for you. So what can go wrong?

Many!

Everyone makes inaccuracies. Hence conferring to those who do the interview, job hunters for tech positions are inclined to to a number of common interview gaffes. Know how to avoid those, it helps to distinguish what they are. These are 10 of the most common.

Presence

Tech people oftentimes dress “from the waist up”. They’ve got “wrinkled khakis and rubber-soled shoes” — not exactly the image they should be projecting.
Remember this, the days when you would not be considered because you [were] dressed too conservatively are over.

Overconfidence

A quite number of tech people come transversely as arrogant in interview. True enough that techies are very talented, but what comes out is arrogance.

Confidence is desired, not arrogance. Arrogance proposes “they can’t be a team player.”

Not Collaborating or Communicating

There are times when interviewers often indulge to open-ended questions, but techies sometimes reply with too-brief answers, failing to elaborate or deliver their communication skills.

Tech professionals should think of each question as an initial way to a conversation. A simple “yes,” is never an appropriate answer to the question. Candidates must see questions as an chance to discuss the worth they will bring to a company.

A person who is unwilling to communicate and collaborate will have a hard time working in a team environment.

Exaggerating Skills

It is noted that certifications and other credentials matter, plus your technical know-how, but take note: You’re around to function an organization’s necessities, not to emphasize on Cisco or J2EE just for the sake of the technology itself. You need to come across as more than an mixture of your expertise.

Sometimes tech people exaggerate their skills.

Unprepared

Now that we have a vast technology and with all the information available, there is no excuse for someone not being equipped for an interview.

Being ready and prepared does not mean passing knowledge about a company, but rather in-depth research about the firm and its industry.

Lack of Interest

Tech people sometimes show a lack of interest by not asking about the company’s industry, competitors or “the larger business problems” facing the firm.

Quite often, this comes through when candidates are asked if they have any questions. Never say no. It just shows that candidates are not interested, or they’re not prepared.

Too Casual

Interviews can be formal matters. The interviewer, not the candidate, should set the tone. Tech pros tend to be a little casual in the interview. This may come through as a lack of significance, or even a lack of interest in the job.

Too Impatient for Perks

Queries about parking spaces, sick days, free coffee or soft drinks, and other benefits and perks should be reserved for a human resources department, preferably after a job offer. Remember this techies: Stay away from what’s-in-it-for-me questions.

Too Negative

Several tech professionals smarting from rough times — failed startups, corporate layoffs and the like — may mistake an interviewer’s friendly bearing as an invitation to confide. This focus on “the highest highs to the lowest lows” is not proper during an interview. Candidates use interviews as therapy sessions and it is not appropriate.

Failure to Close

Tech candidates every so often fail to close the interview. Rather than emphasizing how much they would love to join the company or asking what the next step in the process will be, techies may let the interview “fade out”. They’re not closing or they’re not selling themselves.

Consider getting the book, “Inside the Tech Interview” today and be guided. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.