Hiring an IT professional is the biggest investment a company can make. Therefore, it’s expected they will explore all aspects of a candidate before making a decision.
An interview is much more than an IT skills evaluation. It’s your chance to demonstrate why you are a good fit for the company. You’ll need to rely on more than technical aptitude to prove it. In today’s workforce, companies are placing more value on company culture—and are looking for the right candidates to match it.
You’ll need to showcase soft skills, such as your ability to collaborate with others and how well you adapt to change. In this article, you will learn ways to prepare for an upcoming interview to give you the best shot of landing your dream job.
Highlight Your Soft Skills
Relying on technical skills alone doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job. You need soft skills to complement your technical aptitude.
Your future boss wants to ensure they can trust you to interact well with peers, suppliers, and clients. Employers want to see if you mesh well with the company culture. You will be working with your colleagues daily, so managers need to know you have the interpersonal skills to collaborate. Emphasize how you have worked with others towards a common goal.
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are the character traits that influence how you interact with others. Unlike technical skills, soft skills are intangible and difficult to measure. These skills help you build relationships.
Soft skills include:
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Decision-making
- Time Management
- Stress Management
- Accountability
- Creativity
Important Soft Skills for IT Professionals
All soft skills are vital for an IT professional. Yet, some are more important than others for IT professionals to highlight.
Soft skills for IT professionals include:
- Ingenuity: Companies are in the midst of a digital transformation—innovation is key! Employers value candidates who can conjure innovative solutions.
- Client Communication and Negotiation: IT professionals must interact with clients. The ability to explain technical concepts in everyday language and negotiate requirements is invaluable.
- Adaptability: Customer requirements, evolving technology, and arising problems are inevitable. Managers want to know you can embrace change.
- Problem Solving: The technical field is full of challenges. IT professionals must use critical thinking skills to deploy solutions on the fly.
Guide the conversation – but don’t overdo it
Rather than heading a strict IT skills evaluation, employers use the interview to get to know you and determine if your personality and work habits are a fit for the organization. Use the interview time to humanize yourself; be thoughtful, optimistic, inquisitive, interested, and most of all, yourself!
Here are a few helpful tips:
- Don’t Rush the Small Talk: Avoid letting the conversation become a rigid Q&A session. Use the interview as a chance to show a bit of your personality. Be relatable and approachable.
- Be Positive: Keep the conversation positive. Avoid saying negative things about previous employers or colleagues. Focus on highlighting stories that demonstrate positive interactions with others.
- Ask Questions: Do your due diligence! Research the company and the role specifics, and come prepared with a list of questions to ask. This shows your interest in contributing to corporate goals. It also helps you see if the company is a good fit for you.
It’s okay to look like a Geek
As an IT professional, it never hurts to ‘geek out’ by showcasing your expertise in your specialty. Yet, be careful not to overdo it. You don’t want your confidence to come across as bragging.
The technical interview
Coding interviews are the most dreaded part of the process. But, following a few tactics can help tackle them with confidence.
- Talk Through The Solution: Remember, the process is more important than the answer. Interviewers want to see how you approach a challenge—don’t rush! Take your time and think through different solutions. Verbalize them aloud to show your process. Explain how you evaluated the problem. All of these tactics show critical thinking skills.
- Be Engaging: The coding interview is sometimes a team interview. That’s because the interviewer wants to see how well you interact with the team. They want to see how comfortable you are asking questions to clarify the problem. They also want to see how you respond to feedback.
Share your achievements as an IT Professional
Showcasing your accomplishments the right way isn’t bragging. As long as you follow these tips, you’ll present your accomplishments in the right light. The first step is to make a list of your accomplishments. Do so by selecting accomplishments that highlight your abilities to excel in the position. Have specific facts and figures ready, and be prepared to explain how you achieved those results.
Prepare your questions for the end of the interview
“Do you have any questions for me?” is among the most common interview questions, yet also the one that tends to catch candidates by surprise. Not asking questions makes you look unprepared and disinterested. Competition for the best talent is fierce. Asking questions shows your interest in making a difference.
Here are a few questions to ask:
- How would you describe the responsibilities of the position?
- What are you looking for in a candidate?
- What are the biggest challenges a person in this role would face?
- How would you describe the company’s culture and values?
- Do you have any reservations about my ability to do the job?
Nail your IT interview
More companies are looking for soft skills when evaluating IT professionals for a job. Skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and adaptability are essential. Furthermore, remember the interview is a chance to ask questions, showcase your skills, and sell yourself as the great fit that you are.
As a human-centered company, Growin places a huge emphasis on developing the people who, in turn, develop technologies. Our developers are carefully selected for the right mix of soft skills and technical expertise. We only deploy professional developers who are the best fit for your technical and cultural background.
Contact Growin and learn more about how our software development services can help grow your company, today!