8 Essential Tips To Help You Ace Any Junior Developer Interview
Tech interviews are tough.
Often the interviewer will attempt to ask multiple technical questions to see what your knowledge level is like. It’s difficult to keep a calm head in these situations.
Here’s my advice:
❓ Get comfortable with the phrase ‘I don’t know’
In tech interviews, we can fall into the trap of thinking we need to know everything.
As a junior, you do not know everything. That’s why you’re applying for a junior role. If an interviewer asks a question, which stumps you. Do not be afraid to say ‘I don’t know.’
Guessing an answer can be worse.
🔈 Turn the interview into a conversation
You’re applying for a future position, not being interrogated by the police.
This can be difficult to assess, but I try to get a sense of the interviewer. If the interviewer is friendly and open to chat, I attempt to get to know them. This can break the barrier of an interview.
If I get asked about my hobbies and I feel the atmosphere is right, I will often say:
‘One of my hobbies is reading. I am currently reading X book. Have you read it before?’
Note this does not work with every interviewer, but it can work wonders.
⏱️ Take your time responding to questions
Not every question needs a response straight away.
If you need time to think about a question, it’s okay to say ‘I just need to think about that question.’ This will give you some time to plan out your answer.
The interviewer is not timing you.
😥 If the interview is going badly, continue until the end
Is the interview going terribly? Do you want to leave early? Don’t!
I felt like this after a job interview where I said ‘I don’t know’ at least 10 times. I thought the interview was a shambles. Turns out the interviewer liked how I did not pretend to know the answers.
