Step 1: Get the Guide

I get it.

Interviewing is one of the most stressful, confusing things you ever have to go through.

That’s why I put together a complete, stress-reducing guide to the entire process.

So if you’re feeling freaked out about the prospect of interviewing at your dream company, grab the guide first.

And then read on for some highlights.

Step 2: Understand Your Interviewers

I used to think interviewing was like taking a test. Either you got the right answer or you “flunked” the interview.

Boy was I wrong!

Now, having conducted hundreds of interviews of my own, I’ve come to realize that interviewing isn’t about being right - it’s about being perceived as the right candidate.

That’s because the latest research on how humans evaluate each other shows that our judgements really boil down to two things:

Do you seem competent? (i.e., Can you do the job?)
Do you seem warm? (i.e., Would I want to do the job with you?)

And so your preparation should focus on projecting the right perception, not cramming for the “right” answer.

Optimize your preparation for how humans actually judge each other - not some magical Interview Scantron machine… :) — Optimize your preparation for how humans *actually* judge each other - not some magical Interview Scantron machine… :)

For a bullet on the job description that says "Work cross-functionally with developers to solve customer problems,” a response like this both echoes the insider language and frames it with expert logic. — For a bullet on the job description that says "Work cross-functionally with developers to solve customer problems,” a response like this both echoes the *insider language* and frames it with *expert logic*.

Step 3: Learn to Project Competence

There are two main ways that interviews quickly and subconsciously assess a candidate’s competence:

Do they talk like an insider?
Do they talk like an expert?

To talk like an insider (even if you’re brand-new to a field), just use the language from the inside. Specifically, take the bullet points from the job description and build out stories using that exact same language.

And then, to talk like an expert, build out your stories with expert frameworks: Problem -> Solution -> Result.

By using the organization’s own language and by speaking logically and clearly, you’ll be projecting competence loud and clear!

Step 4: Learn to Project Warmth

Perceptions of warmth usually boil down to a couple of considerations:

Does the candidate seem passionate?
Does the candidate seem friendly?

Passion is typically demonstrated through a combination of facial gestures (a genuine Duchenne smile), body language (leaning in to the table vs. sitting back with your arms crossed), and vocal dynamics (varying your tone and pacing to convey excitement).

Friendliness can be implied by the above but often requires a few other techniques:

Short answers - Answers over 2-3 minutes begin to suggest you may be more of a narcissist than a team player
Self-deprecation - While you definitely need to show off your best stuff, undercut perceptions of diva-dom with a few well-timed jokes at your own expense

In a lot of ways, we look for colleagues the same way we looked for friends as a kid - are they excited about the same things as us and do they seem genuinely nice? — In a lot of ways, **we look for colleagues the same way we looked for friends as a kid** - are they excited about the same things as us and do they seem genuinely nice?

Resist the temptation to try to do everything before your interview. Instead, focus on the few things that will actually matter to your interviewer. — Resist the temptation to try to do everything before your interview. Instead, **focus on the few things that will actually matter to your interviewer**.

Step 5: Prepare for your interview

OK, now that you know what matters, let’s put it all together into a preparation plan:

For every bullet on the job description, come up with a relevant story that’s framed in a logical manner. This will get you thinking and talking like an expert insider.
Next, imagine that you’ve been offered the job and need to put together a 100 Day Action Plan. This will force you to become an insider on the company/product and get you talking passionately about the role.
Finally, check out all of your interviewers on LinkedIn and try to imagine what they care about most. This will help you start thinking like an insider AND a potential new friend to these future colleagues.

Step 6: Practice your Interview Skills

Like any muscle, your interview skills only get honed through deliberate practice - which means focusing on:

Targeted Repetitions
Specific Feedback

Luckily, you don’t need a fancy career coach to facilitate this practice. Any really good friend who’s not afraid to give you candid feedback will do.

Here’s how to make your practice time count:

Have your friend ask you the most common interview questions - the exact question is less important than the fact that they should vary each time (since you can never prep for every question, it’s important to get used to curveballs)
After each response, they should rate you on these two counts:
1. Do you seem to know what you’re talking about? (Competence)
2. Would I want to work with you? (Warmth)
And then they should give you the specific reason for their rating - e.g., “I wouldn’t want to work with you because it seemed like you would never stop talking!”
Then take this feedback back to the drawing board as you prepare your stories for the next practice.
And don’t stop practicing until you’re consistently getting “Yes!” to both key questions.

Approach interview preparation the same way you learned to ride a bike - lots of practice with lots of immediate feedback, no matter how painful. Albeit with fewer trips to the ER, hopefully… :) — Approach interview preparation the same way you learned to ride a bike - **lots of practice with lots of immediate feedback, no matter how painful**. Albeit with fewer trips to the ER, hopefully… :)

Bonus step: Take the Course

If you want to really maximize your chances of winning interviews, check out my online course.

It’s got a step-by-step process to prepare for every part of a tech interview:

Win the first five minutes of every interview - when 50% of interviewers make up their minds

Ace those behavioral/”Tell me about a time when…” questions with a proven 1-2-3 framework
Stay cool in the face of case and estimation questions, even if you’ve never tried to guess how many golf balls could fit in the Empire State Building… :)