We strive to connect talented individuals like yourself with excellent opportunities, beginning with an interview. Once a potential fit is found, we'll contact you to meet with the client. This is an ideal time to improve your interview skills, make a positive first impression, and secure the desired role.
Interview Preparation Guide
- Review and update Andela and LinkedIn profiles: Prepare to explain and elaborate on your past roles and skills.
- Showcase skills through Andela Qualify: Andela Qualify provides an extra layer of verification that makes you a stand-out candidate. Passing Andela Qualify tests is an excellent talking point for you to leverage during interviews. Log into the Andela Talent Cloud to view a complete list of available skills tests.
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Sync with the engagement matcher: A matcher can provide a wealth of information to help you prepare. Ask for details on:
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- The type of interview to be conducted (technical, coding challenge, cultural, etc.)
- Requirements of the role
- Name and role of the interviewer(s)
- Names of other engineers on the engagement
- Any preparations to be made for the interview
- Questions to practice answering for the interview
- Review the role requirements
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Read and understand the job description: When preparing for an interview, it's crucial to understand the job description thoroughly.
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- You can start by carefully reading and highlighting key phrases and qualifications.
- Research the company's culture to align your responses during the interview.
- Prepare concrete examples demonstrating relevant skills and accomplishments that make you the ideal candidate.
- Example: If you're applying for a full-stack engineer position, it's essential to highlight your skills in both front-end and back-end development, even if your recent work has been focused on one area. If your most recent experience has been more back-end focused, take the opportunity to elaborate on any front-end experience you have.
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- Research, research, research: Researching the interviewer and the company will help you ask informed and impressive questions.
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Prepare a good introduction about yourself:
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- Start with a brief greeting and introduce yourself.
- Mention your relevant IT job experience, including your most recent position and notable projects.
- Highlight your technical skills, certifications, and experience with specific software or systems mentioned in the job description.
- Share your passion for IT and any personal projects showcasing your field dedication.
- Conclude by expressing excitement for the interview opportunity and willingness to answer further questions.
- Keep your introduction concise and focused, and practice delivering it confidently within three minutes or less.
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Prepare answers to common interview questions: These can include questions about yourself, your skills, team and cultural fits, and technical experience. Some common questions include:
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- What would you do if asked to perform a task you’ve never done before?
- Share an example of when you motivated others.
- Tell me about a time when you failed a task.
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Prepare questions for the interviewer: During an interview, remember that it is a two-way conversation. Prepare 5-7 well-thought-out questions to demonstrate your initiative, enthusiasm, and long-term commitment to the role. Focus on topics such as the role, the team, the company, the technology, and the challenges you may encounter. Examples of questions to ask your interviewer are:
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- What challenges should I expect in this role?
- Will you please describe the team's communication style?
- What would you like to see me accomplish in the first 30, 60, and 90 days of this role?
- What has your experience been like working for this company?
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- Practice via mock interviews: Practice makes perfect! Whether interviewing yourself in a mirror or working with a colleague, mock interviews allow you to improve your skills while gathering constructive feedback. You can even use apps like Gweek to become a more confident and professional speaker!
- Prepare your environment. Even the best candidates can have a bad interview due to technical glitches or environmental factors. You can test your internet connection, choose a quiet location, and present yourself professionally.
- Practice technical challenges. Use a powerful practice tool like Codewars to ace your technical interview! Codewars offers thousands of coding challenges and supports 58 programming languages, so there’s ample opportunity to hone each of your unique skills.
If you'd like more resources on this topic, access Best interview practices to land the job to gain additional knowledge and enhance your interview skills.