4 Tips To Crack Your First Technical Interview

A technical interview includes all the aspects of a regular interview and then goes beyond. The applicants are tested on technical aspects related to the position they have applied for. 

Hence, the candidate needs to train for the general questions and answers as well as get ready to showcase their technical acumen.

Unlike the common job interview questions, the question in a technical interview is a bit tricky. So, if you are appearing for the first time, prepare thoroughly. Your recruiters will question your skills and give you complex coding assignments to work on. 

You may have to solve riddles and come up with solutions to real technical challenges that you will face later in the job.

What can You Do to Crack Your First Technical Interview?

You can ace your first technical interview with ease if you prepare well for the coding interview and whiteboarding challenges. 

These rounds may be conducted in person or remotely, depending on the location of both parties. Here are some tips to help you do your best. 

1. Research the Company 

You should research the company and the position you are applying for. While this is important for any interview, it is even more so for a technical interview. 

For example, a technical interview for a software development company will be very different from that of handling the tech team of an e-commerce website. The requirements are different, and the companies will have different goals. You must be thorough in your research about the kind of work that will be expected of you. 

At the same time, you must also upgrade yourself to the latest developments in the tech industry. From using artificial intelligence to robotics to using new project management tools that can aid your work, comprehensive knowledge about your technical job will be a bonus. 

Depending on what kind of technology your new employers deal with, you can stand apart from the other candidates by showcasing your additional knowledge. 

2. Know Your Computer Languages

Be prepared for DSA-based questions and to solve coding problems in your first technical interview. JavaScript, C++, Ruby, Python, and PHP are some of the most common programming languages you are expected to know about. 

You should also know about their various applications to complete coding challenges on the spot. Try to get a measure of the multiple assignments candidates are told to solve while conducting your research. 

One of the best ways of preparing is to talk up mock-coding assignments and talk to a mentor about various applications.

3. Summarize Your Skills

Since you have no idea how long the interview may last, you must work on making an impression as quickly as possible. This is especially true if several candidates are lined up and you appear for the first round of interviews, which is usually a screening round. 

Hence, you will have to assume that you will not get much time to explain your skill in detail. So a good way to demonstrate your skills is to summarize them methodically. 

Later, you can elaborate on the ones that the employers ask you about. This will show you have a good grasp of a wide range of technical tools when employers ask you about the extent of your knowledge. 

4. Do not Second Guess Yourself

Technical interviews can be very rigorous, having multiple solutions to complex challenges. Combined with the ambiance of an interview in progress, you may even feel overwhelmed. It can sometimes become confusing to come up with the perfect solution instantly. 

However, never second-guess yourself during the interview. Take some time to answer when faced with a difficult question, but give consistent answers. 

If there are two or more ways of handling the problem, then mention that and discuss the different approaches. The employers will not just see whether you can answer the questions correctly. They will also see how confident you are while doing so; handling complex projects is an essential quality. 

Conclusion 

It might seem that technical interviews are very difficult to handle, but they are not. The only thing you need to do is to be thorough with your subjects and other technical aspects of preparation. 

On the other hand, besides technical skills, you also need to practice staying calm. 

This will come in useful if you have to face time-bound assignments. If you know you have covered all the bases, you will meet your interviewers confidently and will surely do well.