No one loves a job interview: looking for a new job is so stressful it has given rise to what's known as job hunting anxiety. A survey by background check company JDP found that 93% of people have experienced anxiety over job interviews.
Interviews are, for most candidates, a high stakes activity. The pressure and anticipation can lead to nerves and anxiety. One reason is because it's not an easy process to get a new job, Forbes finding that on average, 118 people will apply for a single job.
Experts also say it can take up to 10 applications for 47% of job seekers to receive an invitation to one or two job interviews. And there are also 38.3% of applicants who don't get invited to an interview at all – even after 10 attempts. No wonder job hunters are stressed.
Recruiter screening
Most tech and knowledge workers will be aware of – and will likely have participated in – at least one recruiter screening call or interview in the course of their career. It is easy to assume that this is an informal check-in, but for a recruiter or hiring manager, it is the first step of the whole process and it needs to be taken seriously by candidates.
Your performance on this call can significantly impact your chances of getting a second interview.
Happily, there are things you can do to help move things forward. One of these is to anticipate the kind of questions you'll be asked, which allows you to prep and practice your answers in advance. A recent report has highlighted three key things tech candidates should be asked at a screening interview. The first is that old chestnut, "tell me about yourself."
This question has the potential to tie interviewees up in knots – should they talk about their hobbies or their personal life – but what the interviewer actually wants from you here is a succinct summation of your career to date, as it relates to the job you are going for. You can leave out your college bar job, but definitely include all and any professional experience that will make you stand out.
Secondly, your interviewer will want to get a sense of whether you've got the right skills for the role. Review the job description and make sure that your answer tallies with what the company is looking for. Highlight the skills you use most often, as opposed to ones you may be rusty on.
And lastly, to help your interviewer understand that you'll be a good culture fit, if you are asked what your career goals are, your answer matters. You might want this job so that you can progress your own skill set, build a long-term career path or make a move towards a less technical route into management.
It's good to let your interviewer know that you see the role as a long-term prospect; if they think this is just a stepping stone for you, your candidacy may not be quite as attractive.
Looking for a new job now? The TechSpot Job Board is the perfect place to start your search. It features thousands of jobs, like the three below.
Senior .Net Engineer, Alliance Inspection Management, LLC, Farmington Hills
As a Software Development Engineer, you enjoy working across the full stack and with multiple technologies. You will also provide APIs for all of AiM's integrated services. You'll write and deliver functional products in a full stack (frontend, API/service, and backend) development environment, will define the roadmap for the team by working closely with product and/or technology partners, and have the ability to create, design, code, and unit test technical solutions using best practices and standards.
You will also design a platform framework that can be reused by other AiM products/services.To apply, you'll need seven to 10 years' of software engineering experience, demonstrable experience with Agile processes (Kanban, Scrum, Scrumban), experience with Microservices/APIs, as well as hands-on experience in developing ASP.NET Core/ ASP .NET MVC applications. Find out more here.
Data Analyst/Data Engineer, ENSCO, Inc., Fort Washington
ENSCO Mission Systems Group (MSG) is recruiting a Data Analyst/Data Engineer who will interface with functional and technical experts and support the modernization, alignment, and integration of Combatant Command (CCMD) intelligence capabilities using mission-driven analysis based on the development of sound, and validated architectures.
Active DOD TS/SCI clearance is required, and you'll need a Bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, computer science, data analytics, or another scientific or technical discipline, plus five years' of relevant experience. Apply here.
Senior Director, Infrastructure & Cloud Services Intake & Demand Management, The Travelers Companies, Inc., Hartford
As the Senior Director, ICS Intake & Demand Management lead, you will be responsible for the strategy and execution of a scalable, centralized intake and demand management and prioritization framework, leveraging strategic technologies and best practices.
You will establish and manage a view, and necessary reporting, of the ICS portfolio of demand across work archetypes, providing key insights on the flow of work through intake and demand, resource and capacity, and dependencies and risks. You should have a Bachelor's degree in a related field plus seven years' of project management experience. See the full list of requirements.
https://www.techspot.com/news/99744-3-questions-youll-definitely-asked-tech-interview.html
