Upcoming Interview Advice for a total noob

Hey folks,

Just looking for some tips or advice for a noobie that’s been at it for roughly 5 months. I have an entry level front end interview coming up. First one is a phone screening on Monday.

The company I am interviewing with does a lot of government work and there’s a lot of background check stuff(like $30,000 worth) you have to go through to work for them, with that said I’ve already done that for my current job so I am good to go there, I also kinda work for their clients already and am familiar with various mapping software, they do a lot of that too. I honestly think that’s the only way I got the interview, that honest and super enthusiastic cover letter along with some experience on my resume.

I applied to some QA spots that seemed promising as places to learn/ get my foot in the door no word back yet but I really was kinda caught off guard when I heard from these people. Hyped and nervous all at the same time. With all that said what kind of stuff should I expect if I make it to a technical interview for a basic entry level job like this?

I mean like I said I was honest in my cover letter that I have been learning, and on my resume it clearly said I have been doing this stuff for less than a year. I know I could figure out a take home problem but idk about a white board. I know I can pitch myself as a super enthusiastic hungry candidate cause I am. I just don’t have enough knowledge yet I feel like solve stuff without being able trouble shoot and seek out answers on the internet.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Tossing this here too if anyone is interested, the job isn’t up anymore otherwise I’d link to it.

  • Entry-level software development support.
  • Applies fundamental concepts, processes, practices, and procedures on technical assignments.
  • Designs, develops, enhances, debugs, and implements software.
  • Troubleshoots production problems related to software applications.
  • Researches, tests, builds, and coordinates the conversion, and/or integration of new products based on client requirements.
  • Designs and develops new software products or major enhancements to existing software.
  • Addresses problems of systems integration, compatibility, and multiple platforms.
  • Consults with project teams and end users to identify application requirements.
  • Performs feasibility analysis on potential future projects to management.
  • Assists in the evaluation and recommendation of application software packages, application integration, and testing tools.
  • Resolves problems with software and responds to suggestions for improvements and enhancements.
  • Participates in development of software user manuals.

Jump to “And now for the advice”.

Good luck in your interview!

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My last minute advice is to relax and be confident. Have a sense of humor. You want to sound like someone they want to sit next to for 8 hours a day.

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Thank you I’ll give that a look over!

Definitely am just gotta make that known. I have a pretty stable boring job currently. They even pay me to exercise 3 days a week. I am willing to leave it to basically start from scratch, and do something I am waaaaaay more passionate about. Thanks for the advice!

Passion is important. Make it clear that you’re eager to learn and easy to get along with. You may have to admit that you don’t know something, but you can still express interest in learning about it.

Learn everything you can about the company. Learn everything you can about their tech stack. If there is something you don’t know, at least get familiar with what it is. Look for twitter and blog post by their engineers.

And lastly, at the risk of sounding depressing, statistically speaking, you are probably not going to get the job. That is the reality - if 10 people apply for a position, 9 will be let down. That is OK. If you keep at it, you will eventually get something. Let this be liberating - it takes the pressure off. If you don’t get this one, it is practice for the next one - you’ll keep getting better.

Another tip - at the end of the interview, they often ask if you have any questions. Among other things I often like to ask them what they think I could have done better. It shows them that I am open to criticism and want to improve. If it’s a technical interview, I’ll ask them what they think my technical weaknesses are. People want to work with people that want to work on their flaws and can hear constructive criticism.

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I also once wrote a doc on my advice on getting a job in general.

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I’ll scope that as well, thanks for the help!

for whiteboard questions, or questions for which they expect an answer right there, talk to them through all of your reasoning

also, “I think I can use this method, but I would need to look it up” is a reasonable thing to say
and also, a way to do it with basic features like if/else statements and loop is also totally fine and would avoid the need for research

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Thanks for the help!

For some reason I missed that post the other day, I will let yall know what happens with it. I have been researching the company a lot and I think my chances are pretty good coming from where I am at and a similar slower pace with lots of training since a lot of it is gov work. We will see how it goes I guess.

Just wanted to reach out with an update. I’m stacked up against one other person that’s got more experience than me but I’d bet they aren’t as motivated. I asked how I did on the first interview and they said really well. We will see what happens.

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Cool. And like I said, don’t let a defeat get you down. Most of us have to go through several of these before we get there. But each one is a learning opportunity. But I hope you get it.

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Awesome!
Keep us posted.

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Will do, currently still waiting to hear back.

Yup that’s the tough part. Sometimes you get a a quick answer. Sometimes it’s a wait.

Don’t let the wait discourage you. Sometimes they just need time to mull things over or consider other candidates. Sometimes they have other priorities - I know this is a huge thing to you/us, but to them it is another day at the office.

And unfortunately, a lot of companies ghost people. It sucks, but it happens a lot. Stay strong and keep your search going. Each interview you do makes you a little better at the process.

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Thanks for all the encouragement and help man, its much appreciated. Giving it my all and I’ll keep on till I get something. Tossing this on here too, not to important but just got a house, I have been helping my wife start up her small business, and if I don’t land something before mid August I am going to have to go to sea for work til mid October. Lots of motivation over here to make moves so I really do appreciate the encouragement. Not trying to go to sea and leave my wife in these weird times man.

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Update, No go on the Job. They were super hyped on me but basically said more training certifications with stuff like angular, vue, sql, or a bootcamp with flatiron school is what they are looking for. They sent me a list with tons of feed back and I made a good connection with the recruiter (who really liked me). So not a total loss. Guess I am brining a laptop with me and gonna figure out a way to do Javascript on a boat with no internet connection and 10ft waves lmao.

Cool. Yeah, just keep at it. Odds are you’re going to get rejected at least a few more times, maybe more. But each one is a learning opportunity. Learn from them and come back stronger. Remember not to feel bad - you don’t have to get every job, you just have to get one job. Once you have that, the rejections are just funny stories.

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Thanks man I’ll keep after, it considering applying for some wordpress stuff too but idk how I feel about that or how the pay is.