February 25th, 2011 by lewis
One of my clients is interviewing for product management roles at several top companies. This video reminded me of our most recent session, “Lewis, I told my interviewer that I’m responsible for everything. However, the interviewer’s skeptical. He thinks what I’ve described is more appropriate for a vice president rather than a director.”
Enjoy the clip, and have a happy Friday.
February 24th, 2011 by lewis
At a job interview, you may be asked any one of the following oddball questions such as “If you could be any superhero, who would it be?” or “If you could be an animal, which one would you choose?”
Oddball questions will unnerve any interview candidate. Unfortunately, clarifying questions won’t help here. If you ask, “What’s the point of this question?” you may come across as challenging the interviewer. If you ask, “Is the goal of this question to test my creativity?” you’ll ruin the fun, lighthearted, spontaneous nature of the question. (And yes, the definition of “fun” is in the eye of the interviewer!)
How do you come up with a winning response? A successful response is less about your choice and more about how you explain your choice. Justin Bieber recently received an oddball question:
Interviewer: What’s the top possession that you can’t live without?
Bieber (digging a phone out of his pocket): My iPhone.
At that moment, the interviewer, along with the audience, let out a sigh of disappointment. They expected him to name something sentimental. Instead, his response was quick and ordinary.
But he quickly erased the letdown. Bieber continued:
Bieber: If I didn’t have my phone, I can’t keep in touch with friends back home. And my friends mean everything to me.
And that’s when the audience flashed a smile. Bieber, a superstar musician, cherishes his childhood friends the most, and all he wants to do is spend time with them. Bieber had just delivered the subtle and lasting conclusion: he’s likable, friendly, and most importantly, he’s one of us.
Next time you get an oddball question, think about the conclusion you’d like to leave with the interviewer. It could be a message about your capabilities, personality, or your character. Whatever superhero or animal you choose, don’t forget to explain how the choice relates to the important message of who you are.
February 22nd, 2011 by lewis
I got an email from a job seeker who told me that he’s getting interviews, but he’s not getting offers. If you’re qualified and have the skills to do the job, but you can’t seem to ace those software engineering interviews, then take our upcoming How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview class. One of our top instructors, Jon, will be teaching the class. Here’s an email I received yesterday about Jon’s interview preparation skills:
I’m very impressed with Jon as an interview coach. This has been a terrific service, and I’m very happy with the results.
We still have slots available for tomorrow’s class. For more information and registration information, refer to our How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview class description.
February 13th, 2011 by lewis
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. If you’re applying for jobs at Google, how do you standout from the 75,000 people who apply to Google Jobs every week? Be one of the few who will join Google this year. If you want to be Google’s Valentine, here are five clever ways to win any Google interviewer’s heart.
Create your own job audition
Actions speak louder than words. Why talk about how would you do the job when you can show how you’ve already done the job. For instance, if you’re a developer, there’s nothing that says “I love Google” than spending your free time building new applications using the Google API. If you’re a sales or marketing person, take some time to build a pitch deck for your favorite Google product. This will be a great way to showcase your work in an actual project situation. And the interviewer will be impressed by your passion, enthusiasm, and excitement.
Read distinctively
Most candidates do their research and read about the companies they’re interviewing at. But the best candidates, they read distinctively. That is, the read materials that give them an unique insight edge. For example, if you’re a product manager, get familiar with Google’s user experience principles. If you’re a developer, you should read technical papers of Google’s top technologies, such as MapReduce and the Google File System. If you’re a business person, learn about Google’s strategic challenges by reading Google’s annual report.
Visit the Google office
If you have friends who work at Google, visit the Google office to get a glimpse of what Google is and who they are. You’ll get a chance to ask questions and see the Google culture.
Talk to Google employees and alums
At the job interview, you’ll likely encounter questions such as “Why do you want to work for Google?” and “Why are you interested in this position?” To answer effectively, you need to learn more about the positions. In addition to the Google jobs website, talk to Google employees. They can cover any unanswered questions and give you an insider’s perspective. Former Google employees are more likely to speak frankly about what they like and don’t like about the company. LinkedIn is a great way to find Google contacts.
Use and understand Google products creatively
For a product focused company, Google loves candidates who know Google’s products well. Take time to use and understand them. Not only find out what they are, but also understand what the benefits are. Have a perspective on what you like and don’t like about the products. And if you’re truly committed, find a creative way to use Google products like the video below.
For more resources on how to get ready for the Google interview, visit the links below:
Photo credit: MoToMo, Creative Commons licensed photo
February 13th, 2011 by lewis
The Financial Times reports that Google is improving its hiring process. Earlier, Google announced that it will hire at least 6,000 workers in 2011, increasing its ranks to more than 30,000 employees. Google added 4,565 employees in 2010.
The proposed hiring changes include:
Google is currently receiving 75,000 applications a week.
February 7th, 2011 by lewis
Seattle Interview Coach now offers a 3 hour class called How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview. If you need a refresher on computer science fundamentals or if you are nervous about coding interviews, this class is for you.
Dates (choose one)
February 23, 2011
March 9, 2011
March 23, 2011
April 6, 2011
Time 6pm to 9 pm Pacific Time Zone (for all four class dates)
Location Online class
Cost $150
During this class, the instructor will cover the following:
The instructor will also cover general interview tips and tricks at the end of the class.
Jon, one of our top technical interview coaches, will be the instructor for the class. Here’s what our clients say about Jon:
For more details, read the class syllabus below. All registrations before February 16th will receive a $25 discount. To register, choose a class date and click on the payment link below. For any other questions, email lewis@impactinterview.com.
| Choose class date |
Course Syllabus for How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview
Computer Science Fundamentals
The basis of any technical interview is going to be probing how deeply you know the basics. This is the foundation off of which the entire technical interview will be based. Have you ever considered saying, “I haven’t done that since college” during an interview? If so, I’ll break it down so you never again have to worry about not knowing how to implement a red-black tree.
Coding Questions
We’ll cover a wide range of topics here from how to ask the right clarifying questions, learning how to identify the tricks within the questions, and, yes, of course some simple techniques for dominating recursive problems.
Object Oriented Design
Object Oriented Design in a skill that takes years to master. We’ll cover some of the best techniques for decomposing these problems down to their root elements and building a design that will impress your your interviewer.
System Design
These are the dreaded open ended design questions that can head off in to obscurity if not managed correctly. We’ll go over ways to maintain control of the question’s direction while still showing depth of understanding. We’ll cover modern web architectures, caching, concurrency topics, and more.
Behavioral Questions
This is the free throw of the technical interview. I’ll let you know how to prepare for these questions and wow the interviewers with only a couple hours of practice at home.
Interview Tips and Tricks
To close out, I’ll share with you what people on the other side of the table are really looking for and how to give it to them. I’ll teach you how to identify different types of interviewers and how to optimize your answers for their interviewing style.
This course will lay out what you need to know and how to effectively apply it during an interview so that you can put yourself in the bet light and maximize your chances of landing your dream job.
February 2nd, 2011 by lewis
The most recent Kellogg alumni newsletter featured helpful negotiation tips. I thought they serve as good reminders, so I’ve posted them here.
January 31st, 2011 by lewis
For this week’s cover story, Businsess Week profiled Google’s top product leaders:
For those of you with upcoming Google interviews, I’d highly recommend reading this article. It gives an inside look on the Google corporate culture and provides an excellent overview on their top product concerns.
December 1st, 2010 by lewis
November 22nd, 2010 by lewis
Reuters found that Google has over 2,000 job openings on its website. Compared to 2009, this is a six-fold increase in job listings. This news comes after Google announced a 10% across the board pay raise for its current employees.