HR Interview — Jr. SE

Do you get nervous with anticipation waiting for that first phone call form HR? It’s completely normal! I hope to ease some of those nerves by outlining some of the trends that I’ve noticed in a lot of my intro calls in the tech industry. I assure you that you will hear all of these questions in your next interview so read on and be prepared!

Tell me about yourself.

Now this almost feels like a freebie considering that almost any job interview will ask you this question but I want you to remember a couple of things. Whether you’re coming into the job search with computer science degree or coming out of a bootcamp, be sure to mention what got you into coding. Also, don’t just tell them what you did but why you did it. What are some of your motivations behind learning your tech skills. This question gives you the perfect opportunity to do that so remember to really show your passion.

What got you interested in our company?

Here is where you need to get specific AND meaningful. You want to really show the interviewer that you know what their company is about. You want to avoid saying things like, “I just want to get my foot in the door”, or “I really want my first job” because this can send a message that you would take any opportunity that presents itself. This doesn’t show your true interest in the company which will be a strike in the recruiters mind. Your goal should be to connect your past experiences and strengths to what the company does. This is a good opportunity to reference to something you mentioned in your elevator speech and connect it to the desired role. You want to present yourself in an authentic and consistent way instead of just saying what you think the interviewer wants to hear.

What languages/frameworks are you familiar with?

Great opportunity to show your passion here. Don’t just say, “I know Ruby, Javascript, React and Python. Elaborate. Go into which one you like working with most (bonus points if it’s part of their tech stack) and why. What are the advantages of the languages you mentioned versus similar tech? Go into detail! If you love React, talk about the benefits of the component structure and the different ways of managing state. Which one do you prefer? Do you use class components and Redux or functional and hooks? Talk about why you. prefer either one. Don’t be afraid to get technical. Even if the recruiter isn’t familiar with the tech they will see that you have a good grasp on what you’re talking about.This will show them once again that you don’t just know the tech but actually enjoy working with it. In a case where you aren’t familiar with some of the languages the company uses, it’s always a good strategy to at least be able to discuss it a high level and express interest in learning it.

Tell me about one of your projects.

This is a great way to flex some of your tech muscles. Pick one of your favorite projects and talk about what you built and why. This is something that you should practice the same way as your elevator speech. You might want to adjust how technical you get in your explanation but I think it’s better to say too much than too little. Mention things like whether you built out the front end, back end or a full stack app. Talk about things like authentication, interesting features and overall user experience as that is something any tech company would love to hear you focused on. Being able to explain your project to people with varying programming knowledge will showcase your ability to clearly communicate complex ideas which is critical when working on any team. Most importantly, show your enthusiasm! This is your number one project you’re talking about which should make it easy to portray your passion for coding.

Have these three questions prepped and ready to go. By being ready in advance you will boost your confidence and kill that interview! The next step will be some type of technical assessment. It’s a good idea to review commonly asked spoken questions as well as algorithm problems. Definitely get practice with algos like FizzBuzz, isPrime, isFactorial etc. Good luck!