Are you considering applying to tech jobs? Or do you already have a technical interview coming up? Let’s face it, technical interviews can be overwhelming even for the most experienced candidates. Many organizations take applicants through several rounds of interviews, each with a different focus.
How should you prepare before the tech interview? And what are the factors most tech companies look for during the interview process?
In this article, we walk you through the process of preparing for technical job interviews. We also share a few proven interview tips that will help you land the job.
What Is a Technical Interview?
A tech interview is common for companies that are hiring candidates for technical roles in science, engineering, IT, or software development. During a technical interview, a recruiter or employer aims to evaluate your technical ability for the position, as well as the breadth and depth of your knowledge in your selected field.
Along with your tech skills, a technical interview is also designed to evaluate your soft skills, such as communication, time management, problem-solving, and your capability to think and work under pressure. For instance, an employer may give you a challenge to solve just to see how you’d solve a real-world problem on the job.
How Is a Technical Interview Different?
Although technical and non-technical interviews are both as serious and structured as every other aspect of the hiring process, the latter focuses on gauging the non-technical skills of a candidate.
For example, the interviewer may ask situational and behavioral questions, or give role-playing scenarios to ensure they’re recruiting applicants with the soft skills they’ll need once they join. On the other hand, tech interviews exist to evaluate your technical skills, usually specific to the position you are applying for.
Generally, the interview process is quite similar, regardless of the role you are interviewing for. The only difference is that tech roles will have some kind of technical challenge.
What to Expect in a Technical Interview
As mentioned earlier, tech companies are mostly looking for candidates with strong technical knowledge specific to the job role itself. They also gauge candidates in terms of how eager they are to learn more about relevant technologies and the tech industry. Along with that, you can expect to be assessed for your reasoning and analytical skills, ability to handle pressure, and troubleshooting expertise.
Here are a few types of technical interview questions that you can expect:
- Questions to determine your understanding of the company’s extensive technical activities
- Questions related to your knowledge about a particular topic, process, or product
- Questions to determine your understanding of the technical work necessary
- Questions that show your desire to continue learning and increasing technical knowledge
- Questions about modules in your degree course (if relevant to the organization)
- Examples of technical problems that would exist in your day-to-day responsibilities at the workplace
- Questions that demonstrate your passion, self-motivation, and enthusiasm when discussing technical topics
- Examples from previous jobs that can help an employer evaluate your experience level
Tips to Prepare for a Technical Interview
Here are a few tips to help you nail your tech interview:
