interview Flashcards
Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years
“In five years, I would love to be an industry expert that others can go to for ideas, help, and strategy. I’ve had amazing mentors and managers in my past positions, so I’d like to be able to provide similar guidance, potentially taking on a leadership role. Finally, I’d like to have taken the lead on a project I’m passionate about. I’m motivated by connecting my initiatives to the company’s larger goals, and I’m excited by the prospect of getting more experience in that.”
NEIL: Tell me about your current job. What does it involve?
As a software engineer, you’ll need to:
analyse user requirements
write and test code, refining and rewriting it as necessary and communicate with any programmers involved in the project
research, design and write new software programs (e.g. business applications or computer games) and computer operating systems
evaluate the software and systems that make computers and hardware work
develop existing programs by analysing and identifying areas for modification
integrate existing software products and get incompatible platforms to work together
create technical specifications
write operational documentation with technical authors
maintain systems by monitoring and correcting software defects
work closely with other staff, such as project managers, graphic artists, UX designers, other developers, systems analysts and sales and marketing professionals
consult clients and colleagues concerning the maintenance and performance of software systems, with a view to writing or modifying current operating systems
investigate new technologies
continually update technical knowledge and skills by attending in-house and external courses, reading manuals and accessing new applications.
How comfortable are you in a startup environment, or do you prefer working in a more established company?
must say I really enjoy the unpredictability and excitement of working at a startup. Yes, the hours are long and everything moves at a breakneck pace, but there’s nothing quite like building something from scratch and seeing where it goes.”
What distinguishes a great software engineer from a good one? Do you feel you have those qualities?
Example: “A great software engineer has a healthy balance between perfectionism and pragmatism. Too often engineers want their code to be perfect while losing sight of the overall goals of the project. A great programmer also learns not to fall in love with their own code, to keep a healthy skepticism (skep·ti·si·zm) until it’s been thoroughly tested, making sure it is the right choice for the project at hand. And yes, I believe have the qualities of a great programmer, though working on my need to be perfect is an ongoing battle.”
What’s the most important thing to look for or check when reviewing another team member’s code?
how well they articulate their debugging process, and whether they’re a victim of tunnel vision or can they keep their focus on the project at large. What to look for:
Attention to deal
Debugging skills
Problem-solving ability
Example: “Some things you want to look for when reviewing a team member’s code is its functionality and how readable it is. Is it secure, or are there obvious flaws that would cause security problems and make it easy to hack? Is the code simple, or are there a lot of unnecessary line of code that needs to be removed or rewritten? Does it meet the regulatory requirements in place for the project, and is it optimized to not be resource-heavy?”
tell me a little about yourself
I’ve always loved designing and building things so i suppose it`s natural that i became an engineer. I’ve worked in a variety of roles and companies, which I’ve learned a lot from but now i am ready for a new challenge
where do you see yourself five years from now?
I don’t know exactly, but the most important thing is that i continue to learn and grow in my career. im the kind of person who needs new challenges to stay focused. I might even start my own business, because thats something I’ve wanted to do at some point in my life.
what are your strengths/weaknesses
without signposting language
I’m very good at working with other people. In my last job, I always tried to encourage my colleagues and create a good atmosphere. I supposed I can by a little but careless sometimes. I’m not the kind of person who focuses on details. I’m very calm and can keep a cool head in very stressful situations.
what is your leadership style
without signposting language
i’m quite a hands-off manager. If one of my team has a project, i’ll keep an eye on things, but i don’t need to be involved in every details.I’m very approachable. I make sure my team know they can come to me with problems or questions at any time. I like to lead from the front.
if everyone`s working late to meet a deadline, I’m make sure i’m there with them
can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated …
use star method situation -> context task -> what you have to do action -> what you actually done result -> end result
situation (There was one time when a customer`s order hadn’t arrived, and we didn’t know what had happened to it). task(the customer was very unhappy, and i had to try to solve the problem for him). action (I arranged for a replacement to be sent, thinking we could find out what happened to the previous order later,) Result (In the end the customer was happy that i could solve the problem quickly and simply )
tell me about a time you dealt with situation at work
use star method situation -> context task -> what you have to do action -> what you actually done result -> end result
Once, we realized three days before a project deadline that two of our teams were using incompatible software tools. As the project manager, I had to find a way to deal with this without causing any delays. I talked to both team leaders and we made a plan for one team to convert their work into a different format with help from some staff from other departments it was very close but we managed to get everything done on time
why do you want this job
company describe itself as innovative and forward-looking
and needs someone creative and flexible
using mirroring
use same words and phrases used by interviewer or in the company values or in job post what adjective they use on their website or in their advertising
pay attention to words they use to describe the candidate they`re looking for
creativity is very important to me, and I’ve always wanted to work in an environment where i can innovate and find my own solutions to challenges.
I also feel that your company will continue to evolve(forward-looking) in the future, and i like the idea of contributing to that development
why should we hire you company describe itself commanding respect long history great communication skills passion for helping others
I believe that great customer service starts with good communication, which is a strength of mine. I also think that in customer service, you need to care about what you`re doing, I care about helping others and as such i believe you would find me to be a respectful and effective team member who can fit with the established tradition of your company
avoid including unnecessary details
make a full sentence
have clear directions
how is that
answer very concise
+ has clear end
signposting language use : firstly, For example, on the other hand, because coming back to strengths,
I’m very good at working with other people. In my last job, I always tried to encourage my colleagues and create a good atmosphere. I supposed I can be a little but careless sometimes. I’m not the kind of person who focuses on details. I’m very calm and can keep a cool head in very stressful situations.
words and phrases show your listener where you are going
example:
firstly, I’m very good at working with other people. For example, In my last job, I always tried to encourage my colleagues and create a good atmosphere. On the other hand, I supposed I can be a little but careless sometimes, because I’m not the kind of person who focuses on details.Coming back to strengths, I’m very calm and can keep a cool head in very stressful situations.
