🤝The Introduction Meeting
During the introduction meeting, the company wants to get to know you and your motivations, see how you communicate technical and non-technical matters, and see for themselves if you really fit into their company’s culture. This interview usually feels more like a conversation than an actual skills test as the interviewer will try to answer a few basic questions about you just like:
Are you a nice, likeable person?
Would you work well inside the existing team?
Do you seem to be passionate about technology?
Do you seem to be passionate about their company, products and/or services?
Do you seem smart and can you communicate well?
Do you have the right mindset for a junior developer?
Up to what degree can you work independently?
While the interviewer could ask you these (or other) questions directly, they will most likely ask proxy questions to try to discover the answers for themselves. As a Junior developer, the extent to which you are curious and excited about technology and the company you are interviewing at is a good predictor of whether you would be a good fit for the company. For a successful introduction meeting, It’s important to prepare as much as possible. To help you do just that, here the 8 most important tips:
1. Go armed with knowledge 2. Be friendly, curious, and conversational 3. Be honest...always! 4. Prepare for the most common interview questions 5. Prepare some STAR stories 6. Prepare great questions 7. Practice, practice, practice! 8. Send a thank-you email
With no further due, let's get started!
1. Go armed with knowledge 🏋️♂️
Besides the pre-research already shared here, make sure to research the industry the company is in and also for bonus points find out who their competitors are and create informed opinions about both. Remember that all the information you might need is just a few search queries away.
2. Be friendly, curious, and conversational 🖖
The introduction meeting is your opportunity to demonstrate a passion for what you do. The one thing Junior Developers will never have an excuse for is not having any passion for the job. Explain to the interview why you need to be working in this field and show the energy you can bring to the company. While the interviewer knows you are not an expert with decades of experience, they do want to see that you are eager to learn, that you know how to voice your opinion in constructive ways and that you are flexible enough to work well in an environment where everyone else most likely knows a bit (or possibly a lot) more about the job than you do.
We strongly recommend that you read “What does a great software engineer look like?” and prepare a few examples of how you showed some of those qualities in the past.
3. Be honest...always! 😇
Junior Developers are almost never hired based on their domain knowledge, it is taken as a given that they don't have much of that yet so don't worry about what you don't know. If you don't know about a particular subject or technology or how to answer a question, say you don’t know. It’s also good practice to indicate that you would love to learn about that in the future or that you would get back to them on that point later in time (point 8 will give you some tips for that).
4. Prepare for the most common interview questions 🍳
The Internet is flooded with great resources on how to prepare for the most common interview questions. Besides our guide with “The Most Common Non-Technical Questions” you should also read “Top 10 Job Interview Questions and Best Answers” and “10 Common Behavioral Interview Questions”.
5. Prepare STAR stories ⭐️
The STAR interview technique offers a straightforward format you can use to answer behavioral interview questions—those prompts that ask you to provide a real-life example of how you handled a certain kind of situation at work in the past.
In short, it is very important that during the interview you backup all of your statements with specific evidence. Give at least one, but preferably two arguments to support every answer. So, if you are asked about your strengths, provide the interviewer with at least two strengths.
Subsequently, you need to provide examples and details to back up your arguments. For instance:
Example 1: ”I think I am a good developer because I constantly keep on learning new things. For instance, while studying at ReDI I was not only revising the fundamentals of Javascript and React daily and working on assignments, but I was also studying English to be ready for a job as soon as possible. Also since I graduated, I’ve been redoing my most challenging ReDI assignments but this time in Vue.js instead of React. I like to challenge myself and always learn new things!”
Example 2: ”I think I could be a great fit for [add company name]. Besides being very passionate about payments as my background in finance shows, I am a strong believer in honest and efficient collaboration. As the [add company name] formula states, “Winning is more important than ego” and that is exactly the way I love to work. For instance, when developing our graduation project at ReDI my team and I [give a relevant example here].”
6. Prepare great questions 🎤
It's very likely that at the end of the interview the recruiter will ask if you have any questions for them. If they don’t ask you that, be sure to ask that yourself! It is more than acceptable if you ask: “Can I please ask a few further questions about the company and the job before ending the interview?” This is your chance to show how much you researched for the interview and how motivated you are for the job.
Be sure to prepare these questions in advance and that they are well informed! Asking about their tech stack when that is already mentioned on the job description or where the office is located will give the interviewer the impression you didn’t do your research and that will most likely play against you. Also, be sure to not only ask questions about the technical part of the job but also about the company’s culture, processes and maybe even about the interviewers opinion on the company. Here some good examples:
Example 1: “I saw in the Adyen website that you work as a team across cultures and time zones. This is super cool! Are the teams Agile or they follow Waterfall methodology?”
Example 2: “As a junior developer, I find feedback on my work quite crucial as it really helps me improve my skills. This was crucial during my time at ReDI. Do you know how developers on your team give each other feedback about their code and how often?”
7. Practice, practice, practice! 🏃♂️
After reading and watching all the content above, start practicing. Here some ideas on how you can do just that:
Write down the answer to all the most common interview questions. The idea here is not that you memorise the answers, but to think on how to best answer the questions and which examples you can give to illustrate your answers.
Film yourself answering those questions and evaluate them after. How well did you do? Can you improve any of the answers? You can also ask a colleague or friend to practice with you.
While the introduction meeting usually doesn’t dig deep in technical matters, it can happen that the recruiter or hiring manager asks you some technical questions to gauge your level and be sure your fundamentals are sharp. Be sure to always revise the most common technical questions before any interview though if you studied them well during the course you should be ready to go!
Know that there’s a very big chance that your interview will be done online. Interviewing via a Zoom or Google Hangout is a lot different than meeting in person, but is also something you can prepare for. To help your next video interview go as smoothly as possible, read this tips on How to Ace an Online Job Interview!
8. Send a thank-you email 💌
Writing a thank-you email immediately after an employment interview is a must. It's critical that you take a moment to write a simple note of appreciation to those who interviewed you as this will let the employer know that you appreciate being considered for the job. It also reiterates your interest in the position and can be used to:
Provide additional information on your qualifications
Answer (or re answer) a question that you couldn't (fully) explain during the interview.
Show that you are polite, professional and know how to communicate well.
Here an example:
Now don’t be shy and send the best possible thank-you email after your interview! It will definitely help out!
How to Prepare your Pitch 🎸
Preparing to pitch yourself to an interviewer involves several key steps to ensure you present yourself effectively and confidently. Here are some strategies to help you prepare:
Research the Company: Understand the company’s mission, values, culture, and recent achievements. This knowledge allows you to tailor your pitch to align with what the company is looking for in a candidate.
Understand the Job Description: Analyse the job requirements and responsibilities. Identify the key skills and experiences the employer is seeking and think about how your background aligns with these requirements.
Identify Your Unique Selling Points: Reflect on your strengths, achievements, and experiences that make you a strong candidate for the position. Think about what sets you apart from other candidates.
Craft Your Personal Story: Develop a concise and compelling narrative that connects your past experiences, skills, and accomplishments to the job you are applying for. Make sure your story highlights your passion for the field and your career aspirations.
Practice Your Pitch: Rehearse your pitch multiple times to ensure you can deliver it smoothly and confidently. Practice in front of a mirror, record yourself, or perform in front of a friend or family member to get feedback.
Prepare for Common Questions: Anticipate questions the interviewer might ask and prepare responses that incorporate elements of your pitch. This helps you stay consistent and reinforces your key messages.
Develop an Elevator Pitch: Create a short, 30-60 second summary of who you are, what you do, and what you are looking for. This is useful for the beginning of the interview or networking situations.
Highlight Relevant Examples: Be ready to provide specific examples of past work that demonstrate your skills and achievements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.
Prepare Questions for the Interviewer: Show your interest and engagement by preparing thoughtful questions about the company, team, and role. This can also provide additional opportunities to highlight your strengths.
Dress Appropriately: Ensure you look professional and suitable for the company’s culture. First impressions matter, and your appearance can influence how your pitch is received.
Stay Positive and Confident: Confidence is key. Believe in your abilities and convey enthusiasm for the role. A positive attitude can leave a lasting impression on the interviewer.
Get Feedback: After practicing, seek feedback from mentors, friends, or career advisors to refine your pitch and address any weaknesses.
By following these steps, you can develop a compelling pitch that effectively communicates your qualifications and enthusiasm for the role, making a strong impression on your interviewer.
Extra Resources 📚
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