- Be prepared (for everything)
- Show your skills
- Check your English
Be prepared (for everything)
The first thing you should do is research. Read all about the company you applied to - its services and products, its history, the core values it professes, and other relevant information, which will help you know more about your potential employer and your team.
It is helpful also to check the company’s social media channels:
- LinkedIn to learn a little more about the company in terms of its business: current projects, plans for the future, or other activities it does. It will give you an overall picture of the company’s direction and whether it is developing. It is an excellent hint for you on how does the company prospers and whether it has clients,
- Take a look at the company’s Facebook and Instagram profiles to know more about its social life. Posts and pictures from off-sites or other integration events will tell you more about the atmosphere and relationships between people in the team and whether the company does not spare any expense on internal employer branding.
Show your skills
Remember to read the job posting once again before the meeting - most of the questions you will hear will be connected with the requirements posted in the job offer.
Check the job requirements with your CV. Think about what kind of examples you can recall proving your skills. You can be sure that the recruiter will ask you about the projects you worked on, your role in the team, and the tasks you were responsible for. Be prepared to say something more about the technology and methodology you use on a daily basis. You can also be asked about the differences between tools or methods. Everything that can confirm your skills will be a plus.
When you are a developer, especially in a junior position, you can also prove your skills differently: by preparing programming projects on Github to show you code writing style on living proof. These examples can tell the recruiter more than any CV—worth considering.
Check your English
If you have a concrete plan for your career, care about working in a dynamic and international environment, and participating in large projects with market leaders, remember: English is a must! In general, these days, it is essential, and you can be sure that there will be a question to examine your English speaking skills during the interview. If you have not used Shakespeare’s language for a long time, you should recall the vocabulary so that you can freely relate your experience in a foreign language. If the company you applied to considers expansion abroad or has foreign clients, the short conversation in English is more than sure.
Why research and examples of your achievements are that important? You can impress the interviewer by preparing for the meeting and proving that you are an experienced candidate. Show you care about this job, and you are always bravely preparing for the tasks entrusted to you. That will give you an advantage over the competition and allow you to move to the next stage of the recruitment process. Trust us ;)
