• When the interviewer says “so tell me about yourself”, PRACTICE this response so you can have an elevator speech about yourself in less than 90 seconds.

  • This first question is a big opportunity to impress your hiring team, so don’t blow it off. You can use this question to your advantage by giving off a positive first impression and introducing ideas that you want interviewers to ask you about.

  • With that all being said, remember, any response over 90 seconds means you’re talking too long and likely not making the first impression you want.  

• Know your resume.

  • You should know your resume like the back of your hand so when employers ask you specifics about a past role you are not fumbling.  

• Do your homework on the interviewers.

  • You can always ask the recruiter for the names of your interviewers. Leading to the next point,  

• Leverage the recruiter.

  • Ask the recruiter about interview format, typical topics, and even more information on the job description.  

• ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS at the end of all interviews

  • Rule of thumb: Keep questions to 1-2 per interviewer for panels. If it’s 1 on 1 ask about 3-5 questions.

  • This plays back to #2. Research your interviewers so you can ask unique pointed questions that only they can answer. It makes a huge impression.

    • Example: If one of your interviewers is a recent college grad but also holds a supervisory position a great question would be “I see you are a recent college graduate of [insert college here] but hold a supervisory role. Do you have any advice of how you achieved and maintained so much success this early on and how you gained the respect of those in similar positions with more experience?”  

• Do your homework on the interview.

  • Big tech companies usually have unique interviews. A quick google search can yield awesome results. Other resources include:  

    • LinkedIn > Jobs > [On the left panel] Interview Prep (LI premium) 

    • YouTube 

    • Blind App 

• Become VERY comfortable with behavioral interview questions.

  • Knock these out of the park so even if there is a knowledge gap, employers are more likely to not hold that against you. Hiring managers are looking for people they want to work with, not necessarily the next Elon Musk. 

• PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

  • Practice talking to a computer screen (as most interviews are virtual now).

  • Ask mentors interviewing tips and for mock interviews. 

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Examples of Questions to have prepared:  

• Name a time you experienced conflict in the workplace? How did you resolve it?  

• Name a project you are most proud of. What was it and why are you most proud of it?  

• Name the most difficult project you have been assigned? Why was it the most challenging?  

• Name a time you had to work with a difficult coworker and how did you overcome this?  

• Name a time you had to overcome adversity in the workplace and how you overcame that barrier?