Remember that at each stage, from application to interview, the hiring person is trying to answer two key questions:
If I invited this person into a room with me, would they be able to help me solve a problem?
What is this person like to work with on a day-to-day basis?
General things to prepare
The interviewer may let you know ahead of time what they’re going to ask you. Even if they don’t, you can prepare for these two:
Tell me about yourself
Why do you want to work with us?
These can be based on the mission-related part of your cover letter, but the interview is a chance to go into more detail.
When answering these questions verbally, it’s great to mention:
Why you chose to transition to a career in tech
Why you love coding (e.g. problem-solving)
A bit about your journey before Makers
How the company you’re applying to fits into your career aspirations
The last part of the answer is commonly missed, but it’s a great way to make the interviewer understand why you’ve chosen this job, and where you’d like to go with them.
Be prepared to talk through at least two of your projects in detail. They don’t need to be finished projects; try to pick ones that either fit the job description really well or ones that you are really passionate about.
Prep answers to the following:
What went well and what did you enjoy?
What did you learn?
What would you do differently with the knowledge you have now?
If you had more time, what would you add and how?
Explain your approach and how you made the design choices that you did.
Think about scenarios that show off your soft skills, for those questions that start with: ‘tell me about a time when…’
Answers need to relate to past experience and link back to how this skill would benefit the end user of the company product.
You should already know which skills are most important to the company from your application and cover letter research, but below are some of the most common ones you might want to prepare for.
Remember the STAR method for talking about skills!
Leadership
Attention to detail
Teamwork
Communication
Emotional intelligence/empathy
Problem-solving
Conflict resolution
Interpersonal skills
Decision-making
Creativity
Discipline
Ability to adapt
Time management
Resilience
Skills that can be learned. The interviewer might also ask about these. Consider:
TDD
OOP
Agile
Specific languages and frameworks, etc