Ultimate Guide To Interviewing
User Manual:
Open the PDF directly: View PDF 
.
Page Count: 48
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 1
The Ultimate Guide to
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 2
You just opened one of those emails, the kind
that makes your heart race and your hand reach
compulsively to text your mom. You got an interview!!
And then comes the delayed reaction. ::Gulp:: I got an
interview?
Putting your skills (and dreams) on display for a
potential employer is hard enough, but if you just
learned new tech skills and are going into your very
rst tech job interview? Well, that comes with its own
set of worries: What if I don’t know enough yet? What
are they going to ask me to do in the interview? How
am I going to explain my history as an HR manager?!
Fear not! In this guide, you’re going to learn EXACTLY
how to ace the entire process of interviewing for your
rst tech job.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE INTERVIEW
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE INTERVIEW
HOW TO ACT DURING THE INTERVIEW
WHAT TO DO AFTER THE INTERVIEW
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS
ULTIMATE GUIDE:
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 3
WHAT TO EXPECT IN
INTERVIEW
your
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 4
TECH BUSINESS TERMS TO KNOW
A style of product development and project management that divides work
up into small, manageable chunks, so it’s easy to reevaluate and readjust
frequently.
Example: Have you ever worked on an agile product development team?
Translation: Have you ever worked on a team that works collaboratively and at
a fast pace, and schedules frequent check-ins to reevaluate the strategy?
Testing, reevaluating, and changing the plan frequently throughout a project.
Example: We like to constantly reevaluate and reiterate our projects.
Translation: We like to check out how well a project is doing and then change
the plan on the y. That way we don’t invest a ton of hours and money into
something only to nd out it doesn’t work or our users didn’t want it!
A term often used for startups that involves testing products early and being
strategic about growth so that a company can start making money before it
runs out of money.
Example: Have you ever worked on a lean startup team?
Translation: Do you know how to work on a fast-paced team that evolves quickly
and on a tight budget?
AGILE
LEAN
ITERATION
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 5
Someone with a stake or interest in a company or project.
Example: We need to nd a way to communicate this plan to our key
stakeholders.
Translation: Bob is spending $20,000 on this site and expected it would be done
Thursday. We better tell him we’re going to change the release date to next week.
The measure of whether a practice or system will be eective if a company
grows.
Example: I just don’t think this is a good plan in terms of scalability.
Translation: This solution works now, but as our company (and this project)
grows, it won’t be sustainable. We need a longterm solution.
The size of a project in terms of cost, hours, and resources invested.
Example: Scope creep is the stu of my nightmares.
Translation: I dread situations where a project seems like it will take a certain
amount of hours and resources and it turns out to grow and grow into a
monster Godzilla project that drains the life out of me!
SCOPE
STAKEHOLDER
SCALABILITY
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 6
Quality assurance, or quality control.
Example: Can you send this to Audrey for QA?
Translation: Can you get Audrey to check that this is all up to our standards,
working correctly, and free of glitches and bugs?
Minimum Viable Product: The most basic, trimmed down version of a product
needed to test if it’s going to pay o.
Example: Let’s get an MVP nished so we can start user testing.
Translation: Let’s create a basic, barebones version of this website so we can see
if our users even like the idea before spending $$$ building it out.
The dicult-to-measure concept of how well an idea or business is taking o.
Example: It’s only been 2 weeks and we’re noticing some really great
traction!
Translation: Our startup is growing exponentially! Sales are still climbing and
our email subscribership is up 35% since Tuesday.
MVP
TRACTION
QA
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 7
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS TO
EXPECT
Most tech job interviews will include one or more of
these questions. (Inside secret: they’re all getting their
questions from Google!) Here’s an outline of what to
expect, and some hints on how to provide the best
answers.
WHAT LANGUAGES / DESIGN TOOLS DO YOU KNOW?
This one is pretty straightforward. Start with what you’re most comfortable with and
then describe skills you’re learning now.
WHAT IS YOUR DEVELOPMENT / DESIGN PROCESS?
Don’t let this one scare you! There’s no wrong answer. The interviewer wants to
know that you think through problems in advance and have a systematic, yet
exible method of working through a project. Be sure to emphasize how you would
adapt to a team environment.
WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS HAVE YOU WORKED ON LATELY?
Don’t just say what the project is—describe all the work you put into it.
Q
Q
Q
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 8
WHAT KIND OF TEAMS HAVE YOU WORKED ON?
WHAT’S YOUR ROLE BEEN IN THE TEAM?
Stay positive! Talk about a great trick you’ve found for collaborating with others or the
specic role you played that helped others do their jobs. If you’ve never worked on a
team, talk about what you’re excited about!
WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN THIS JOB?
It’s easy to start gushing about how much you want to take control of your career
and make more money in an exciting eld. Instead, put the focus on the employer.
What about the company’s values, goals, or products makes you so attracted to
the position? What makes you especially suited to help the company reach its goals?
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOU DIFFERENT THAN
OTHER CANDIDATES?
This is a great place to make your past experience an asset rather than a hindrance.
Talk about the special expertise you got in other positions and the fresh-faced
excitement you have about tech.
WHAT ARE YOUR SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM
CAREER GOALS?
Now isn’t the time to be timid. Share your biggest dreams and show how you can
grow at the company and help the company grow too. Often, hiring managers will
value your potential more than they will your specic skills.
Q
Q
Q
Q
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 9
WHAT CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENT ARE YOU MOST
PROUD OF? WHY?
Take this time to emphasize a tech project and really spell out what made it such a
milestone for you.
HOW WOULD YOUR CURRENT COLLEAGUES AND
SUPERVISORS DESCRIBE YOU?
What are you a go-to person for? These don’t have to be tech-specic. If you earned
a reputation for putting out res as an insurance adjustor, play it up!
HOW DO YOU STAY ON TOP OF THE LATEST TRENDS AND
NEWS IN YOUR INDUSTRY?
Don’t just say, “I check Twitter.” Mention specic magazines, blogs, newsletters, and
industry leaders.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
Let your quirkiness shine through!
Q
Q
Q
Q
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 10
WHAT KIND OF CODE TESTS OR
EXERCISES TO EXPECT
For a lot of junior developers, the prospect of a code
test is one of the scariest things about interviewing
for a tech job.
And let’s be real: just like taking the SAT or auditioning
for band is a nerve wracking experience, putting your
code skills on display can be intimidating.
In other words, it’s okay to be nervous about the code test.
But know this. A code test serves several important
functions:
It shows the interviewers if your skills on paper match
up with reality.
The code test is gut check for you and the
employer. Being slightly out of your comfort zone
is a good thing, but it’s still a good idea to take
things one step at a time rather than leaping from,
say, coding in HTML to building a database from
scratch.
It shows the interviewers how you work through
problems and what you do if you get stuck.
If you get stuck in the code test, don’t give up! Ask
questions for clarication, and ask if it’s okay to
use Google, which is a method you would use in
real life to solve a tough code problem.
And it gives you an opportunity to learn something.
And it’s good practice to view a code test as a
learning experience. Every interview you go on
teaches you *that much* more about the eld of
tech and makes you more qualied for the next
interview.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 11
COMMON CODE TESTS AND
CHALLENGES
Here are some examples of the kinds of challenges or
tasks you should be prepared for, depending on your
skill set:
• Review or QA a website design
• Design a website element (like a
navigation menu or layout)
• Design a web page
• Show your skills with a tool like
Photoshop or Omnigrae
• De-bug HTML or CSS code
• Code a website element (like
a menu or a button)
• Create or re-create a simple
web page
• De-bug JavaScript or jQuery code
• Analyze JavaScript code and
determine its output
• Create objects, methods, or arrays
• Refactor some code
• Solve problems like FizzBuzz
or the Fibonacci sequence
• De-bug Ruby or Ruby on Rails
code
• Solve problems like those on
Project Euler or Code Katas
• Create simple Ruby or Ruby
on Rails apps
DESIGN
JAVASCRIPT & JQUERY RUBY OR RUBY ON RAILS
HTML & CSS
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 12
HOW TO RESPOND WHEN YOU
DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER
Remain calm. Do NOT panic. You can do this! Those
should be the rst thoughts running through your
head if the code test looks confusing. By starting with
a deep breath and reassuring yourself, you’ll seem
calm and collected—traits that any boss would like to
see in a potential employee.
Once you’re ready to tackle the test, start by
conrming that you understand the instructions. You
can say something like, “So, the question is…” or “I
want to make sure I understand what you’re looking
for…” And don’t hesitate to ask for more details or
information, especially if you can explain how it
would aect your approach to the challenge.
Then, don’t silently contemplate it in your mind or
scribble solutions on the whiteboard. SPEAK UP! The
interviewer is as interested in (or maybe even more
interested in) how you come up with answers than
whether or not you get it right. They want to know
how you approach problems and work through them.
And, even if you feel totally stumped by the problem,
you need to at least try to solve it. Employers want
patient and persistent workers, NOT ones that throw
their hands up in despair at the rst sign of trouble.
So, forget the phrase “I don’t know” and replace it
with “Let me think,” followed by the steps above.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 13
HOW TO PREPARE FOR
your INTERVIEW
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 14
WHAT TO DO THE WEEK BEFORE
Research the company.
Figure out exactly what their mission is and how you
can make their lives easier.
Research the interviewer and the supervisors and
employees.
Now’s not the time to be shy about a little social
media stalking. Find out as much as you can about the
employer and your potential team.
Review the job description and mark any areas for
clarication.
Now that you landed the interview, take a look back at
the original job listing and make sure you know exactly
what the company is looking for.
Make sure your personal website and portfolio are in
tiptop shape.
Make sure all your projects are prominently displayed
in your portfolio, and check that your site looks great
on dierent screens and devices and is free from
glitches or missing links.
Review common tech business terms.
Review industry lingo before jumping into the hotseat,
and give yourself a week to let it all sink in!
Complete the Pre-Interview Prep Worksheet
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 15
Make sure you have business cards and resumés
printed.
You never know if the company you’re applying at is
fully digital or would prefer physical copies of your
business card and resumé. Bring some just in case.
Also, designers, check ahead of time about whether
you should bring a physical portfolio (if you have one!).
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 16
WHAT TO DO THE DAY BEFORE
Iron out your transportation details!
Don’t waste time and energy panicking about train
transfers the day of the interview.
Get your clothes ready.
Make sure your outt of choice is clean and crisp!
Charge your laptop and clean up your desktop.
You don’t want to open up your laptop only to have
your interviewer see the 34 tabs you had open about
Beyoncé’s vegan diet plan, or a desktop lled to the
brim with screenshots and other digital detritus.
Read some interesting tech news.
It will give you something to talk about during any lulls
at the interview and show that you’re on top of tech
industry news.
Code something simple.
In case your interviewer asks you about a recent
project, why not make sure it’s fresh in your mind?
Eat something healthy and get some good rest!
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 17
WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
Resumés
Business cards
Physical portfolio (if applicable)
Your laptop and charger
A notepad and pen or pencil for jotting quick notes
Small water bottle (optional)
Mints (optional)
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 18
WHAT TO WEAR
Maybe one day, when remote jobs are the norm,
we won’t have to worry about what to wear to the
interview. These days, your outt still communicates a
lot about who you are.
The trouble is, in tech, it can be especially tough
to gauge what’s appropriate. In an industry where
Converse sneakers and skinny jeans are acceptable
oce attire, what do you wear to the interview? The
answer is that it depends. :P
Research the company to get an idea of the
appropriate dress
Follow The Muse’s advice and spend some of that
company “research” time stalking the company’s
social media pages. What do they wear to the
oce? Showing up in a silk cravat or decked out in
a suit and slingbacks might harm your cause if the
oce is more casual. Show that you have a good
concept of the company culture.
Wear what makes you comfortable and condent
All that said, wear what you feel condent in. If the
stereotypical developer’s plaid button-down feels
all wrong, don’t try to t into what you think you
have to be. Rather, wear your version of polished
but comfortable attire.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 19
HOW TO ACT DURING
INTERVIEW
your
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 20
HOW TO TALK ABOUT YOUR PAST
EXPERIENCE (OUTSIDE OF TECH)
Companies don’t expect you to have decades of
experience in tech. In fact, they might actually prefer
it if you have experience from other areas and
industries. A fresh or innovative perspective could be
exactly what they’re looking for.
So be proud of your past! And rather than just giving
a rundown of what you did in your “former life,” show
how your experience will be useful in this new role.
For example, if you used to be in customer service
but are now getting into web design, you can talk
about how your client-focus helps you create better
user personas or listen more carefully when user
testing.
Also remember to emphasize your “soft skills.”
Collaboration, communication, and hard work are
critical in tech too, so think of ways you can bring up
how you gained or used those talents in your past
jobs. And don’t forget the power of a unique example
or an interesting story.
Example:
I’ve spent the last 5 years listening to customers and learning to
understand and solve their problems rst hand. Because of that keen
attention to user experience, I’m thorough when it comes to planning
websites that are tied to real users at every stage.
I’ve also honed the ability to take user feedback into account and make
changes during a project and at a fast pace. That requires communicating
with everyone from the product developers and designers to the
customers themselves.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 21
HOW TO TALK ABOUT YOUR
TRAINING
Are you a self-taught coder? Did you get a degree
in graphic design and then learn web design in an
online course? Did you complete a Skillcrush Career
Blueprint?
However you got your skills, you need to be ready to
talk about your education. This is the time to make
sure you reference all those tech terms that were
listed as must-haves in the job ad. You know: HTML,
CSS, wireframes, Git, command line, etc.
And be prepared to give details about the courses
you’ve done—Where? How long? What topics? What
kind of projects? Talking through everything you’ve
learned can take the emphasis away from the fact
that you’re entering a new eld and onto the hard
work you’ve already done to make the switch.
Example:
In my Skillcrush Career Blueprint, I took 3 classes.
In the rst class, I worked on user experience and design theories and got
really good at taking a vague idea of a brand or product and translating
that into something that appeals to actual users. I used tools like
Photoshop to create wireframes, moodboards, and typography pairings.
In my second class, I gured out how to get into Sublime and turn all of
that into clean, organized code and use FTP to launch a website built with
HTML + CSS.
Then in my third class, I learned to make a site interactive by incorporating
vanilla JavaScript and jQuery plugins. By the end of the blueprint, I had
several small projects to showcase, as well as a personal website.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 22
THINGS TO ASK
Phew! You survived the Q&A and all the design or
code challenges. Now it’s YOUR turn to do some
interviewing. That’s right—interviewers expect you
to have some questions for them. After all, if you
really want the job, you should be eager for more
information about the position, the team, and the
company.
Here are 10 questions you can have at the ready
for your interview (if they’re not already answered
in the job ad, on the company website, or in Google
searches you do beforehand):
What projects or products will I be working on?
What tools will I be using?
Who will I be working on the same team with?
How will my work be evaluated?
How would you describe the company culture?
What’s a typical working day like for this position?
Where could I expect to see myself in one year
( 3-5 years) in this company?
What are the biggest challenges the company is
facing right now?
What are the biggest opportunities for the
company right now?
Are there any concerns you have about my
qualications?
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 23
EXUDING CONFIDENCE
No matter what comes up during the interview, stay
strong and stay sure of yourself. You might not turn
out to be a t for this job, but, in any case, you DO
have valuable skills and qualities, and you WILL nd
that job you’re dreaming of.
To boost your condence before or after an interview
and remind yourself of the awesomeness that is you,
take a look at advice from women in tech who’ve
overcome their doubts in the How to Stop Second
Guessing Yourself IMMEDIATELY article on the
Skillcrush blog. And download the FREE Emergency
Checklist for Stopping Self-Doubt FAST for those
times when you need an extra boost.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 24
WHAT TO DO AFTER
your INTERVIEW
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 25
WHEN YOU GET HOME
POST-INTERVIEW WORKSHEET
NEXT DAY
THANK YOU EMAIL
IF REJECTED
FEEDBACK EMAIL
NEXT WEEK
FOLLOW-UP EMAIL
2
Send a quick note thanking
the interviewer for thinking of
you, and feel free to ask any
questions, share any information
or projects, or ll in any gaps that
were left after the interview.
Send a follow-up email saying
you’re still excited about the job,
and let them know about any
relevant projects you’ve worked
on, or (even better) solutions or
ideas you’ve come up with for
the company.
If you don’t get the job, send an
email asking for feedback. What
did they like about you? What could
you have done better? What skills
did they want you to have?
Make sure to ll out the post-
interview worksheet as soon as
you get home, when everything is
still fresh in your mind.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 26
NEED SKILLS?
CHECK OUT THE SKILLCRUSH
BLUEPRINTS!
more
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 27
Are you infatuated with the idea of being a digital
designer but you don’t have the tech chops? Or maybe
you love the idea of being an online educator or
customer service rep but the idea of using HTML + CSS
on the daily sounds a little foreign. Our Skillcrush Web
Designer Blueprint has your name all over it.
The Web Designer Blueprint is a three-month long online
course that includes everything you need to get started in
web design: structured lessons, useful exercises, master
classes with industry experts, killer cheatsheets and
sample les and instructors there to help guide you every
step of the way! Find out more at skillcrush.com/blueprint/
web-designer!
YOU’LL LEARN:
To Design & Code Your Very Own Website
Photoshop for Web Design
To Design for Your Users
WEB DESIGNER
BLUEPRINT
Your Blueprint is structured around three core classes:
UX AND WEB
DESIGN
HTML AND CSS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
What Are You
Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.
SIGN UP NOW
WEB DESIGNER
APPRENTICESHIP
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 28
Product design sounds like a pretty cool gig, huh?
Getting paid to invent cool products all the livelong
day? Yes, please! If you are stoked to start creating
but you’re lacking some of the necessaries – like
knowledge of a programming language like Ruby or
JavaScript – Skillcrush is here to guide you. Check
out the Skillcrush Web Developer Blueprint and get
tinkering.
The Web Developer Blueprint is a 3-month long Blueprint
that includes everything you could possibly need to get
started the right way: structured lessons, useful exercises,
master classes with experts, killer cheatsheets and
instructors there at every step along the way! Find out
more at skillcrush.com/blueprint/web-developer!
YOU’LL LEARN:
To Build Websites from Scratch
To Translate Designs into Code
To Launch Your Very Own App
WEB DEVELOPER
BLUEPRINT
Your Blueprint is structured around three core classes:
HTML AND CSS JAVASCRIPT,
JQUERY AND APIS RUBY, GIT AND
SINATRA
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
What Are You
Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.
SIGN UP NOW
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 29
If you are already comfortable using HTML and CSS, or
if you are already o to a great start when it comes to
web design and development, you might be ready to
dive into one of our advanced blueprints:
Are you ready to learn one of the most marketable
skills on the planet? Do you want to land a side project
that pays more than your monthly salary? Are you sick
of being dependent on expensive templates that aren’t
QUITE right, or having to call your developer every
single time you need to make even a tiny tweak? Then,
my friend, it’s time for you to learn WordPress.
Freelance WordPress
Developer
AVERAGE SALARY: $85,000
YOU'LL LEARN:
To Code and Launch Custom WordPress Sites
Plugins for SEO, Analytics and More
To Pitch and Land Your First Paying Client
ADVANCED BLUEPRINTS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
What Are You
Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.
SIGN UP NOW
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 30
FIND OUT WHEN THE NEXT ENROLLMENT BEGINS
Learn More
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
Ruby on Rails Developer
Ask any industry pro what technology you should learn
to build custom web applications and they will all say the
same thing: Ruby on Rails. What makes Rails so special
is that it is both incredibly complex and unbelievably
simple, making it the perfect choice for beginners and
experts alike. If you want to get hired full-time at a major
tech company (or start your own tech company), this is
the technology you must learn.
AVERAGE SALARY: $108,000
YOU'LL LEARN:
To Build Complex Web Applications
To Work On An Existing Ruby on Rails Project
How Tech Companies Use Rails
What Are You
Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.
SIGN UP NOW
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 31
If you’ve ever built a website, chances are, you’ve heard
the question, “Is it mobile friendly?” With more and more
users accessing the Internet from mobile devices, creating
responsive websites has never been more important.
If you are a smartphone addict and are obsessed with
streamlining the mobile experience, then Responsive
Web Design and Development is for you. And if you want
to get hired to do frontend design or development at a
tech company (or meet the demands of freelance clients),
responsive design skills are a must.
Mobile Web Designer
Blueprint
AVERAGE SALARY: $92,000
YOU'LL LEARN:
To design and build mobile-friendly sites
To optimize designs for the mobile web
To create interactive, adaptive user experiences
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
SOME HEADLINE
SOME HEADLINE
#3b3b3b
R: 59
G: 59
B: 59
#2b2b2b
R: 42
G: 42
B: 42
ICONS I USED FOR PLACEHOLDERS
What Are You
Waiting For?
Invest In Yourself,
Invest In Your Future.
SIGN UP NOW
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 32
PRE-INTERVIEW WORKSHEET
THINGS TO BE SURE TO TELL ABOUT YOURSELF
What are your tech skills?
What are your non-tech skills?
What kind of work are you most excited about?
What projects have you worked on lately?
What would you like to build/work on next?
In what areas do you want to grow?
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 33
COMPANY RESEARCH
What kind of work does the company do?
How old is the company and what can you tell
about it’s history?
What kind of clients to they have?
How big is their team?
Who will you be working with (as far as you can tell)?
What is the company culture or attitude like?
What kind of community or volunteer work do they do?
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 34
MAKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS YOU HAVE
FOR THE COMPANY
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 35
PRACTICE ANSWERING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
What languages / design tools do you know?
What is your development / design process?
What kind of projects have you worked on lately?
What kind of teams have you worked on? What’s your role been in the team?
Why are you interested in this job?
What do you think makes you dierent than other candidates?
What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 36
What career accomplishment are you most proud of? Why?
How would your current colleagues and supervisors describe you?
How do you stay on top of the latest trends and news in your industry?
What do you like to do in your free time?
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
And check out these more specic lists of job interview
questions to prepare for:
For developers: How to Nail Your First Developer
Interview and Land a Lucrative New Gig
For designers: The Most Common Interview Questions
for Web Designers
For remote jobs: 18 Remote Job Interview
Questions
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 37
POST-INTERVIEW WORKSHEET
Who would you be working with?
What kind of projects would you work on?
Was there room for growth/moving up?
What went well?
What didn’t go well?
What tech skills did you nd out you need?
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
JOT DOWN INFORMATION ABOUT THE JOB, TEAM,
AND COMPANY THAT YOU LEARNED:
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 38
What did you like about the job, team, and company?
What did you not like about the job, team, and company?
What would you do dierently in your next interview?
What information do you wish you’d found out?
Is there any small project or idea you can esh out and send over to the interviewer to
show you’re still thinking about their company and their goals? For example, did they say
they needed a plugin for their website? Take a go at it and send it over!
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Your Answer
Other notes
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 39
You’ve landed the interview of your dreams. It’s for
a remote job that pays more than you ever thought
you could make working part-time (or maybe it’s for
that international gig you’ve been daydreaming of). In
short, you are over the moon!
But the interview is over Skype and you are petried.
Of course, you’ll try to look natural and you’ll
rehearse what you should say. But what if there is a
terrible echo? Is it okay to join the interview sitting
in bed in your room? (Where else will you nd a
background that hides your messy apartment!?)
You’ve got this. Read on for a list of absolutely
everything to do, from your tech setup to “designing
your set,” to making sure you look and sound
fantastic on your video interview.
AND WHAT IF THIS IS A DIGITAL
INTERVIEW?
Check out our
blog post:
11 Tech Tips for a
Stress-Free Video
Interview
Original article by Leslie Zaikis
CLICK HERE
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 40
1. GET HEADPHONES
If you do nothing else to prepare for a video chat,
do this one thing: use headphones. An echo ruins a
video chat, fast. And lags in connection and internet
blips can easily create an echo, delay, or other sound
disruption that can be lessened with headphones.
People will forgive your video quality, but they won’t
forgive your sound. If the person on the other end
can’t understand what you are saying, you’re in
trouble!
So, dig up those headphones that came with your
rst iPhone, or buy a pair of cheap headphones with
a mic. (For example, Skullcandy makes a pair for
$20.) Your sound will be crisper, the risk of echo will
be reduced drastically, and those sirens and dogs
barking in the background won’t get in the way of the
great impression you’re making on screen!
2. DOWNLOAD THE NECESSARY TECH
Most video chat systems require time to download
either an application or a plugin. Do a quick search of
the technology that your video interview is using, and
see what you need to prepare.
Two common (and free!) platforms to use are Google
Hangout and Skype. There is a quick plugin for Google
Hangout that requires a browser restart (download
here), and an easy application download for Skype
(nd your version here). There are hundreds of other
video platforms that you could use, such as Cisco
WebEx and GoToMeeting, so setting aside 15 minutes
before your interview to make sure you have the right
tech downloaded will ensure you are prepared!
Note: even if you don’t
have headphones
with a mic, regular old
headphones will work to
reduce the echo as well. A
sketchy set of headphones
is better than no set of
headphones.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 41
3. TEST YOUR INTERNET
Being on a video chat requires solid, fast internet
speed. Starbucks Free WiFi just isn’t gunna cut it.
Test the internet speed at the location where you are
going to be joining the video interview by running a
free test at speedtest.net. Google recommends an
upload and download speed of at least 4 Mbps for a
solid video connection.
Also, wireless internet signal can fade in and out. If
you have an ethernet cable handy (they usually come
free with your internet router or you can purchase
one on Amazon for less than $10), plug it in to ensure
you have a steady connection.
4. CHECK YOUR SOUND INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Do a quick check of your sound settings to make
sure everything is set correctly. Every video chat
system has slightly dierent settings, but most will
default to “built-in audio,” which means the speakers
and microphone on your computer. If you are using
headphones and there is an option to set to your
headphone audio (and microphone) instead, click it!
On Skype, you can try speaking and watch the audio
bar rise and fall with your volume.
Skype sound settings video interview
If you are using Google Hangout, try playing a
test sound to make sure you can hear in your
headphones.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 42
5. PLUG IN YOUR CHARGER
Video drains your battery more than nearly any other
program you can run on your computer. If you are
taking your video interview using a laptop or tablet,
charging it to 100% is a great idea. An even better
idea is to have your laptop plugged in! Sort through
your closets and nd an extension cord if you need
it so that you can be in the best position and not run
out of juice in the middle of your call.
6. DESIGN YOUR “SET”
Actively think about setting up what is behind you
in the shot for your video interview. As executive
recruiter Jennifer Johnson shared, being in a big
room and having too much depth behind you can
be distracting. It’s best to position yourself a few
feet from a wall, and have one or two tasteful decor
components in the background. For example, a
painting, a plant, or an organized bookshelf. Imagine
meeting with the CEO of a huge company, and think
about what how their desk is positioned: try to create
the same setup for yourself. A white wall absolutely
works, but if you have the time to “design” your set, it
can certainly boost the impression you make!
7. BRING YOUR CAMERA TO EYE LEVEL
“It looks like I have a double chin!” That was Laura
Belgray’s reaction when we started to set her up for
her fantastic Skillcrush webinar. You know what she’s
talking about: you look down at your laptop, while
your chair has you perched up high, and the camera
hits you at possibly the least-attering angle of your
neck you’ve ever seen.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 43
Prop your laptop up so that you are looking at the
camera at eye level, instead of down. Use a few
textbooks, a pile of magazines, or even a rectangular
tissue box to set your laptop up a few inches on your
desk. It makes you look relaxed and composed, is
a more attering angle, and saves you from neck
cramps.
Prop your laptop up so that you are looking at the
camera at eye level, instead of down. Use a few
textbooks, a pile of magazines, or even a rectangular
tissue box to set your laptop up a few inches on your
desk. It makes you look relaxed and composed, is
a more attering angle, and saves you from neck
cramps.
8. LIGHT FROM THE FRONT
A cardinal mistake of newbies on video interviews is to
have light shining from the background. If you have a
big window with a view, why not show it o?
Doh! You want the (spot)light on your face, not on the
background! Think about getting your school pictures
taken (I know, I know, terrible memories of braces. But
bear with me on the analogy…). Where did that huge,
blinding ash come from? Directly in front of you! So
when you setup your video interview or chat, think
about your school pictures and place your lighting in
the front.
Natural lighting is best, so face towards a window if
you can. If you are in a darker room, or you are getting
on video chat in the evening, nd a lamp that you can
plugin and place about a foot in front of your laptop to
give you some good lighting. (Just relying on the lighting
from your laptop might give an eerily creepy glow…) If
you have the time, take the extra step and take away,
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 44
turn down, or turn o the lights behind you, as well.
9. CHECK YOURSELF OUT
Before you go live, make sure to check that your
video camera works and that you look great on
screen! But, you don’t want to login to your interview
while you’re checking your setup. Instead, use
another program to see how you look before going
live.
The easiest way to test how you look is the audio/
video settings in Skype. Once you open up Skype,
click “Preferences” from the menu and open up the
Audio/Video tab. Your camera will turn on and you
will see yourself!
If you don’t have access to Skype, there’s a great
workaround for testing out how you look on Google
Hangout. Pop into Google Calendar and open
up a meeting invite. There is an option to join by
Video Call (see the bottom eld in the screenshot
below). Click that, and you’ll open up a Hangout with
yourself.
10. DO A TEST CHAT
The best way to know that everything will work
correctly is to do a test run! Try out the technology
you are using in a test call before your interview or
chat starts. Setup everything as close to the way you
will do it on interview day to make sure you have all
variables under control.
Quick tip: haven’t talked to your roommate from
college in a while? Instead of giving her a call by
phone, see if she’s up for jumping on a video chat!
You get to test your sound and audio so you feel
condent that it works, and catch up with a great
Quick tip: haven’t
talked to your roommate
from college in a while?
Instead of giving her a call
by phone, see if she’s up
for jumping on a video
chat! You get to test your
sound and audio so you
feel condent that it works,
and catch up with a great
friend while you’re at it.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 45
friend while you’re at it.
11. THINK SOLID + BRIGHT
Bright colors look amazing on video. Avoid wearing
stripes, paisley, and the like, as the detail can come
across as fuzzy and distracting on video. (Ever notice
how the best dressed at Hollywood awards shows
are usually the solid, bold colored dresses, and the
outts that crash and burn are often patterns?).
Particularly outstanding colors for camera include
scarlet red, emerald green, and royal blue. Pick your
favorite!
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 46
HAVE YOU JOINED CLUB?
Find more on our blog
If you found this resource (and the ones listed here)
helpful, there’s even more to discover on the Skillcrush
blog.
We share top career advice, inside tech tips, real-life
stories of getting into tech, and tons of FREE guides,
worksheets, and resources.
Sign up for our newsletter now so you won’t miss a
post. Each week, we send you 2 researched, detailed,
easy-to-read articles to help you harness the power of
tech and get the career you deserve.
Join thousands of happy readers! Here’s what a few of
them have to say:
“I read a blog post every day and learn something new. The resources you
give us are priceless!”
SARA EVANS
“I have been on your mailing list now for 8 months and in that time alone
I saw the platform grow so much. Seriously, in the online education space
you guys have some of the best content marketing. (Some online learning
platforms neglect it entirely, while others only post articles about latest
updates or course oerings, which is a bore.) Skillcrush actually generates
valuable content for readers.“
LAURENCE BRADFORD
the
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 47
WHAT are YOU WAITING FOR?
?
SIGN UP NOW
“The 99 Tech Terms You Need to Know When You’re New to Tech has been
a big help! I love materials that cover the basics.”
APRIL HARRIS
“Skillcrush, Thank you for oering such a great newsletter to your
subscribers. The content that you send out is always helpful and something
that I can refer back to as I improve my coding skills. I especially love your
PDF quicksource guides.”
JUBILEE GRACE
“Your email newsletters, videos and articles are so inspiring, I really look
forward to them and I love your attitude, all of you, and the great images.
You make me feel included in a world where it seems everyone is an
expert, and I wanted to say thanks.”
ATTY CRONIN
“I love your blog posts! They always end up being my lunchtime reads at work!”
CAROLINE KIM
Sign up to our newsletter now so you won’t miss a post.
INTERVIEWING
FOR YOUR FIRST
TECH JOB
The Ultimate Guide to Interviewing For Your First Tech Job 48
THANKS FOR
JOINING US.
Feel free to email us with any questions at
hello@skillcrush.com
