Let's start with part two and the final part of mission 8. This portion concentrates on the last-minute things that need to be done the night of the interview. Code Newbie reviews everything participants need to do on the day of the interview including everything that needs to be done post-interview.
You did a lot of prep during part one, but this prep is going to be less about preparing your answers to future interview questions. Today's prep is about making sure all the materials you need are ready to go and having a plan ready for your interview. A lot of the advice Code Newbie gives in this section might sound repetive of the advice they gave about informational interviews. If you want to revisit those tips, head back to this mission to reread these tips.
Last Answer Prep: Write down 3 questions to ask your interviewer.
There is one last bit of part one prep you need to do so you are ready for tomorrow. First, you need to create a list of questions to ask your interviewer tomorrow. You don't need to have a big list of questions, but you do want to have 3 questions prepared for the end of the interview when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions.
Remember interviews aren't just about the interviewer asking you questions. You are interviewing them too. While hiring experts like having questions for the interviewer to make you look better as a candidate, I like asking interviewers questions because it paints a better picture of what it is like working there and see if they match what I'm looking for.
Code Newbie put together three different categories of the type of questions job seekers should ask at interviews. They recommend asking one question from each category. However, I suggest you ask questions about things that matter most to you, focus on you values, or give you more information that you weren't able to find out during your research. Code Newbie's categories are a good guide you can still use, especially if you are stuck thinking of questions to ask.
Technical questions
These kinds of questions are about the product or role. As you are doing research, check out the company's blog, LinkedIn page, or website to see any technical announcements they might have made or a new feature they might have made for their product. This is great a starting point for any technical questions you might have.
You want to learn as much as you can about the product or services the company is offering. That will help with your research. Some questions you might want to ask could be able the biggest challenges they had so far or why they chose the language or framework that they did. One of the questions I'm going to use in future interviews that Code Newbie recommends is "what does success look like in this role?" because these kind of questions communicate a lot of information in one answer.
You will really need to do your homework to help figure out these questions so don't skip on the research step in your prep. Interviewers can tell if you did research.
Business questions
Business questions look at how technology impacts the company. These questions help show the interviewer you want to help them work towards the business goals. While some candidates are going to be focused on the field they are interested in (i.e. tech), Code Newbie thinks it is important to still ask a business question since you are thinking about their goals and helping them get their goals accomplished.
These questions will be about any products or services their employees are building or maintaining. You can ask questions about the features they are offering and what they will do for the customers. You can ask how these features will be fixing any issues their customers are having.
These questions will help you learn more about the pain points their customers have and what features companies you want to work for will resolve them. These questions will help you show you are team-player and how you are thinking ahead about being part of the team. Keep in mind that companies are basically big teams where everyone is working towards a common goal.
Personal questions
These are the questions that help you build a connection with the interviewer. Hiring experts emphasize connections in posts and podcasts for this reason. These questions help you "stay top of mind" with the interviewer depending on what personal questions you ask.
Figure out who you will be speaking to on the day of the interview. If you are able to figure out who, do some research on them. Google and LinkedIn will be your friends here. Their profiles and posts will give you ideas of what kind of questions to ask.
Don't know who you are speaking to? Ask them how they got started at the company. You can ask them how they got their way to where they are now. Code Newbie says this is a great way to get some career advice out of your interview too.
The Night Before the Interview
Your interview is the next day. You've got your answers and questions ready to go. Now you can turn your attention to some other details to help you get ready for tomorrow.
Select your interview outfit.
The way you present yourself shapes the impression people have about you. You want to create the best possible impression you can for the person you are interviewing. Code Newbie has a little checklist of items you can use to pick out the right interview for both in-person and virtual interviews. Some might apply to only certain situations or repeat advice from the mission about informational interviews, but they are good things to keep in mind when picking the right look.
- Is it clean?
- Does it need to be steamed or ironed?
- Do you have matching shoes?
- Does the outfit match the place you're going to? Your outfit will look different for a job at a financial institution versus a start-up so keeping consistent with that vibe will help you during your interview However, I think it is never a bad idea to dress as professionally as you can for any job interview. Especially if you aren't sure what the tone of the place you're going to is like.
Figure out where you are going.
This part of your prep is about planning ahead and this includes getting to the interview location. Virtual interviews might have less to do since everything is online, but you still want to do this step by making sure you know what software is being used for the interview (i.e. Zoom, Microsoft Team) and having everything updated. If you are using a background on Zoom, make sure it is professional-looking.
Virtual interviews are best in a quiet place. Interviewers understand that it won't be completely distraction-free and have gotten used to different things being heard during virtual interviews throughout the COVID pandemic (i.e. kids appearing on screen, sirens near a busy road, pets making noises). However, you still want a space where it is mostly quiet, has good lighting, and good wifi. Your goal here is plan ahead and focus on the things you can control.
In-person interviews will depend on the location the interviewer wants the interview to take place. Once you know where you are going, you will need to figure out how to get there. It might be tempting to skip this step if you already know the area, but you still want to take a few minutes to plan ahead just in case any surprises do pop up (i.e. traffic, car accidents or car trouble)
Google Maps is going to help with this step. Put the location of the interview in and see what the distance is from your home. Look for traffic patterns. This will give you an idea what to expect for tomorrow and how much time you should plan ahead. It is always a good idea to plan ahead extra time before an interview so you have a little bit of wiggle room in case something unexpected does happen.
Get your laptop ready!
Virtual interview candidates will already be working on this step as part of figuring out where they need to go. In-person interview candidates still want to update their laptops though. Interviewers might want you to use your laptop to do technical questions or review your portfolio so it is best to be prepared for anything that could come your way.
Regardless of what type of interview you do have, you still want to double-check your desktop and your browser. If there are any windows open in your browser, make sure they are closed. Don't forget to have your charge your laptop or have your charger with you.
In-person interview candidates need to take a look at their laptops. You want to clean your keyboards and screens. If you have stickers on your laptop, make sure they are appropriate for a workplace and remove any that might give a bad impression to potential employers.
Get everything organized and together.
Once you have your outfit picked and your laptop ready to go, put them in a spot so you can find everything for tomorrow. Have your location's address already put into your GPS. You will also need a notebook and a pen you can use for taking notes.
Inside your notebook you can write down some bullet points of your top skills, top projects, and your 3 questions for your interviewer. I like to jot some down some notes I've taken about the company or the interview to look at during interviews.
Interview Day
You finally got to the day of the interview! Right before your interview (in-person or virtual), you can take some deep breaths. People have different job search routines they like to do before an interview so some of the self care corner tips can help during this step of the interview process. I like affirmations and always listen to the first few minutes of this video before I do an interview and listen to music.
When you get to the place of the interview, you will need to wait a bit before the interviewer is ready. While you are waiting, Code Newbie recommends folding your hands on your lap so you don't fidget around. However, we live in a digital world now so you can still use your phone as you wait. Just don't play loud videos or games.
When I was in high school, my American History teacher once talked about how important a good handshake was during an interview and had us each practice shaking his hand before class started. So when you meet your interviewer, shake their hand with a firm shake and use eye contact This shows confidence and that appeals to everyone.
During the actual interview, Code Newbie advices participants to sit tall and relax their shoulders. Drawing a blank on a question? Don't be afraid to ask for clarification. You can let the interviewer you need a moment to think too by saying something along the lines of "I need a moment to think about that" then look down to think about your answer.
It isn't a race and you aren't being timed to give your answers so take your time then try again. When the interviewer asks if you have any questions, ask the 3 questions you came up. At the end of the interview, make sure you thank the interviewer for their time and give another firm handshake.
Post Interview
You made it through the interview! Woo hoo! Now you are in the home stretch.
After the interview is over, first you want to decompress a bit so use some of the tips from the Self Care Corner sections to help you. Next, you want to take more notes. These notes are just for you to remind yourself of everything you learned about the job and what you took from the entire experience.
Finally, it is time for the follow up email or thank you email. This email thanks the interviewer for taking the time to meet you. Interviewers do read and appreciate the thank you messages they get from job candidates so don't skip this step regardless how the interview went.
Code Newbie has some tips to help participants write a good thank you email. If your interview was good, keep it simple by just saying thank you for their time. If you didn't feel like it went well as you wanted, you can use the email to address potential concerns and provide evidence to support your case or just clear up any confusion.
Don't have the interviewer's email? You can ask your contact at the company for that information or find it on LinkedIn. During your interview, you can always ask your interviewer for their information later.
Code Newbie Tip: Watch your self-talk!
Code Newbie warns participants to be careful of their self-talk during this part of the process. They encourage participants to think of this part as connecting the dots between their skills and their needs instead of a test they need to pass to prove themselves and their value. You already proven your value with your resume and portfolio. Your job now is show the interview how you can help the company reach its mission and goals.
Self Care Corner
Staying healthy is important no matter wha so it is important to take care of yourself. This mission's tip is all about vitamins because they help you stay healthy by making sure you get all the vitamins and minerals you might be missing from your diet. There are lots of different vitamins and even services that create vitamin packs depending on what you need, but you will want to consult with your doctor on what vitamins would work best for you before you start any.
Are you on a special diet? Vitamins and minerals can fill in for areas you might get from animal products. For example, vegetarians and vegan diets might use B12 vitamins to get the benefits found in animal products.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have finished your first interview. Interviews are tough, but treat them as way to practice. Interviewing is a skill after all and it takes time and practice to get better at it.
We are at the final mission in the CNC2018 Get a Job challenge. The last part of the job search process is the outcome. The final mission will look at how to handle rejection and what to do if you do get offered a job. You'll get tips on how to handle both outcomes as well as your final self-care tip.
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