In the previous blog post (“How to become a Frontend Developer at Aspire?” Part 1 and Part 2) I focused mainly on the CV. This time I would like to focus on the technical conversation, which is the next stage of the recruitment process. It applies not only to internship candidates, but to all developers.
With the process of learning and sending off the resume behind us, the next stage of recruitment is the interview. Because it is not known who we will talk to, this is one of the biggest problems for both job seekers and the technical recruiter. Usually, though, it turns out to be not so bad. The conversation can be both professional and fun. The most important thing is to keep your cool.
Despite the enormous stress, each conversation gives an overview of what recruitment in the industry looks like and the more it will be carried out, the easier it is to get used to it. It becomes very interesting at some point because people’s reactions and behaviour is different. Personally, I think that there is no ideal model for a recruitment interview, and everything is based on good communication. As long as you are able to maintain the conversation, you will gain in the eyes of the recruiter.
During the conversation with the candidate, particular attention is the logic of speech. This is not about the richness of technical language but about making sure of ones intentions. Do they contradict themselves in subsequent sentences? No employer wants to have an insincere employee.
Pretending that you care about the position, when in fact you have the ‘I’m here only for a moment’, can be quickly picked up during the conversation. So I insist: be truthful in your answers and do not hide your plans. I can understand that people might be unsure what they want to do in the future and might want to try different opportunities – there is nothing wrong with that – but I encourage you to be honest about this during the interview.
Among the developers there are countless rumours about the uniqueness of some technical discussions. I can not tell you exactly how it looks in Aspire, but in order to satisfy your curiosity, I will give you some examples from other great companies whose names I do not mention. Candidates during technical discussions received the following questions or tasks:
Example 1. How many windows are there in New York?
Example 2. You have three rectangles drawn in front of you, differently separated from each other and arranged in a triangle. Combine them with one straight line.
Example 3. How many kilograms of sand are on the beach on Easter Island?
These are the urban legends from a series of IT puzzles that are not completely myths, because you can get a very similar question. Of course, after shaking off many people, the first thing to think about is ‘what the hell ?!’ and there are those who will start to imagine how they leave the room. But remember! It’s the IT world, everything is possible here. Such seemingly absurd question during recruitment satirically depicts reality when a client comes and wishes for a willow pear on his website. You can not send him back with a receipt, you can not tell him that it is impossible, so you have to think seriously and figure out how to bring his order to the customer. Apart from solutions of this kind of puzzles, the recruiters check the candidate’s behaviour. How will he cope with severe stress with such a difficult task? Will he start asking for other requirements? There are no good or bad answers, but will they fall at all?
Candidates for the position of a trainee or a junior usually come with little technical knowledge. After all, they want to develop, learn about programming and the business. For this reason, asking questions during recruitment is well regarded. It is not about admitting ignorance, but about showing a willingness to fill this gap, to avoid mistakes in the future.
Before the conversation, be sure to read not only the expectations of the company, but also with the current trends in technologies. It reinforces your image of a person full of interest and desiring to develop, and as we already know, it is really well seen. In order to know what is currently happening in the frontend and what is on top, it’s a good idea to read blogs and articles or watch streams on a regular basis. Google Trends can help with this, demonstrating changes in the popularity of various technologies over the years.
At the end of the recruitment, you have every right to expect information from the employer. At Aspire, there is a widely developed feedback culture and you will definitely get tips and advice from us for the future.
What you hear after the recruitment interview will be a binary ‘yes’ or ‘no’, ‘welcome aboard’ or ‘we will see you next year’. Let me stress the idea that the negative answer doesn’t end your career in a given company. I know from my own experience. Just because you didn’t get your dream position doesn’t mean you were unfit for it. ‘No’ does not mean that it’s over.