Avoid These Mistakes and Ace Your Technical Interview

In my previous posts, I outlined some highly effective techniques for acing a technical interview. However, even if you follow all of my tips you could still be eliminated if you commit one of these critical mistakes.

Giving Up
Don’t give up too fast or too easily if you get stuck. The problems are meant to be difficult, so don’t worry or freeze up if you struggle. Ask for hints and keep iterating through more examples or ask the interviewer if you can solve a similar problem that uses comparable skills. Remember, it’s better to offer a partial answer than no answer at all.

“Faking It”
If you have no idea how to solve a problem, don’t try to fake it. Admit it and spin a negative situation into a learning experience by asking the interviewer to walk you through the solution.

Writing “Sloppy” Code
Your code should be clean, well-structured and maintainable even under simulated conditions. Break up your code into different logical units or subroutines and design data structures to link appropriate data. The interviewer will be paying attention to the quality of your work and detail orientation, so be sure to follow important best practices when you create code during a test or an interview.

Not Being Open to New Ideas
Tech pros love to debate the merits of various technical solutions, tools or methodologies. However, engaging in heated discussions can be disastrous during an interview. So even if you think your solution is correct be open to other ideas, stay cool and if push comes to shove, agree to disagree.

Forgetting to Test and Debug Your Code
When you finish writing your code, be sure to review and test it. Or use continuous testing if you’re given a complicated problem to solve. Again, showcase your ability to write clean, workable code by running, testing and debugging it.

Failing to Summarize and Close
Don’t ruin a great interview performance by forgetting to ask for the job. The interviewer may assume that you’re not interested in the position unless you ask questions and show enthusiasm for the company and the position. Summarize your qualifications, explain why you’re a great fit and then seal the deal by asking for the job.