Preparing for Job Interviews

After hiring 2,000+ people over 20 years in business, I’ve come to one undeniable conclusion: You’ve got to stop trying to hire the “smartest” people, and look for people with these 8 traits instead: Hiring the brainy candidate with a shiny CV, stellar IQ might feel like the way to go. But I’ve learned the hard way that someone’s character and qualities - that certain traits - are much better predictors of fit… and therefore success. Plus, business is never static. So you need individuals who can go beyond what they’re hired for. It all starts with having a growth mindset. The kind that can help you tackle challenges head-on. I’ll take someone who gets a kick out of trying new and unfamiliar things over the so-called expert, just about any day. I want an ambitious team of autonomous people that think for themselves. Not an assembly line of machines that do what they are told to do. I look for and celebrate people who thrive in adversity, because life rarely goes to plan. Proactive and resourceful thinkers. These are the people that consistently deliver. Energy is important for me, too. Trust me when I say you want people on your team that positively energize those around them. It makes creating together infinitely more rewarding. And then there’s infallibility…nothing kills trust faster than an infallible team member. You want a culture where mistakes aren’t punished, but also one where those who make them don’t deny responsibility. Otherwise, you don’t learn your lessons, nothing gets fixed, and growth stagnates. I often tell my team: “It’s okay to be wrong… and you won’t know unless you try.” During the interview process I also like to observe how convincingly candidates can convey their ideas… and note how intently they listen to feedback and how quickly they adjust. It helps me evaluate critical things like… • Can they communicate well with others? • Will they understand and support their teammates? • Can they drop their agenda and contribute to a common goal? Finally, every job will entail doing things that you don’t like. Do they still approach those tasks with the same passion and integrity? Can they leave aside personal likes and dislikes to do what’s best for the team? As Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, once said: “No task is beneath me.” So in summary, perhaps it’s not that you shouldn’t hire “the smartest people” per se... but rather that you should look for people with these traits. Because they, in fact, ARE “the smartest people”. --- If this resonated, repost to your network. And follow Eric Partaker for more. Want a high-res PDF of this infographic? Try my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dF-VwKqi You’ll also get 60+ high-value resources on business, leadership & peak performance for free.

I've interviewed 100s of people for 6-figure roles. (Here's what nobody tells you...) It's not the most qualified candidate who gets the job. It's the best prepared for the interview. How to prep like the top 1%: 1. Research the company like you already work there. ↳ Know their challenges, victories, and latest news. 2. Practice your answers out loud. ↳ What sounds good in your head may not when spoken. 3. Prepare 3 specific stories that showcase your skills. ↳ Focus on your adaptability and leadership. 4. Study the job description. Find the top 3 skills they want. ↳ Then craft examples proving you have them. 5. Do a mock interview with a trusted person. ↳ Someone who will give you honest feedback. 💡 And 7 questions to ask that make YOU stand out: 99% of candidates ask basic questions at the end. Don't waste this opportunity to impress! Ask these instead: ➟ What does success look like in the first 90 days? ➟ What are the biggest challenges facing the team that I could help solve? ➟ How would you describe the management style of the person I'd be reporting to? ➟ What distinguishes your top performers from everyone else? ➟ How does the company support professional development and growth? ➟ What made YOU decide to join this company, and what keeps you here? ➟ What do new employees find surprising after they start? The best candidates don't just answer questions. They create meaningful conversations. Remember: Interviews are a two-way street. You're evaluating them just as much as they are you. You spend 90,000 hours of your life at work. Choose a company and manager that support your growth. Your career will thank you. P.S. What's your best tip for nailing your interview? Share in the comments to help others prepare. ♻️ Valuable? Repost to share with your network. 🔖 Follow Justin Wright for more on career success. Want my 80 best cheat sheets? Get them here for free: BrillianceBrief.com   

When I interviewed at Google, they asked me: “How many soccer balls fit in a school bus?” Here’s what went through my brain: "WHAT did this guy just ask me?! … I think I’m going to barf… No, Sarah, you can do this.  Wait - what’s the area of a circle? π r²? No, that’s not it. ... How big is a school bus? Does it have seats? Are there kids in it? … This is such a dumb question. WHY are they asking me this?! ... They’re trying to see if I’ll squirm. I actually might barf. SAY SOMETHING, ANYTHING!!." 👉 Don’t be like me. Don’t freeze and spiral in your inner dialogue. So, how’d I handle it? I took a breath, forced a laugh, and said, “Hm. Great question!” - trying to buy myself a few extra seconds. Back to my inner dialogue: “F*ck. AH! Okay, take a step back - What are they *really* asking? Why would *anyone* NEED to fit lots of soccer balls in a school bus? 💡 Oh - that’s a good place to start. Maybe if I understand the problem, I can make a plan.” So, with all the fake confidence I could muster, I said, “Well, to get started, I’ll need to know why we’re putting soccer balls in a school bus; What's the end goal?" The interviewer nodded. I was on the right track. Now that I’ve trained Google interviewers and analyzed thousands of interview feedback reports, I know the right way to answer.  When you get hit with a curveball question that seems totally unrelated to the job, here’s what they want you to do: ✅ Ask clarifying questions to understand the end goal & business needs.  Who’s involved, why, what are the timelines & budgets? Has this been done before?  ✅ Take notes to organize your thoughts. ✅ Make your assumptions explicit. To solve hypothetical problems, you’ll likely have to make assumptions.   ✅ Think out loud. ✅ Don’t rush into solutioning. ✅ Consider alternate approaches. ✅ Address risks & dependencies. At the end of the day, your thought process matters more than the answer. You’ve got this!! Drop the wildest interview Q you've been asked in the comments section & follow me, Sarah Goose, for job search strategies that actually work. ♻️ Repost to help your network.

After taking 75 Software Engineer interviews at Google in < 7 months, I’ve seen a range of mistakes all of us make in coding interviews. Here’s a compiled list to help you (and me) avoid these pitfalls in our future interviews! 1️⃣ Not Clarifying Requirements > Many candidates jump straight into coding. Often without fully understanding the problem. This can waste time and lead to errors. Tip: Always ask clarifying questions. To ensure you get the requirements. Confirm edge cases and input constraints early on. 2️⃣ Overcomplicating Solutions > In the heat of the moment, it is easy to overthink a problem. And this complicates the solution, both for you and your interviewer. Tip: Start with a brute-force approach (just explain it), then iterate towards optimization (code it up). Easy-to-understand solutions get bonus points. 3️⃣ Under-Communication > Interviews are not just about coding. They’re also about conveying your thought process. Silence takes away the only help you have during the interview—your interviewer. Tip: Think out loud! Explain your reasoning and approach as you code. This helps the interviewers understand you and even guide you if needed. 4️⃣ Ignoring Edge Cases > Many candidates create a working solution. But fail to consider edge cases. This can lead to catastrophic failures. Tip: After arriving at a solution, always discuss potential edge cases. Explain how your code handles them. This shows your thoroughness. 5️⃣ Neglecting to Optimize > Even if your solution works, failing to consider optimization can cost you points. Tip: After solving the problem, re-read your solution and discuss ways to improve time and space complexity. No micro-optimizations. Interviewers appreciate candidates who think about efficiency in big-oh notation. 6️⃣ Skipping Dry Runs > 80%+ candidates skip the dry run of their code, leading to overlooked mistakes. Tip: Walk through your code with sample inputs. This helps catch errors early and makes you look proactive. 7️⃣ Getting Flustered > Interviews are stressful. And it is easy to panic if you hit a roadblock. Tip: If you’re stuck, ask for a minute or 2 to gather your thoughts. Ask for hints if necessary—interviewers appreciate candidates who are willing to seek help. Those were my 2 cents on how to tackle coding interviews. But believe it or not, the best way to realize your interview mistakes would be to start taking interviews (even mock ones). After conducting so many interviews at Google, I realized how I often fell into the same traps as everyone. Like going completely silent or forgetting to do a dry run for the interviewer. Taking interviews altered my perspective, and now I advise everyone preparing for interviews to take a couple of them first. Total game changer! #codingInterviews #jobPrep #softwareEngineering #Google #interviewTips

Nailing a job interview isn’t luck. It’s preparation. 12 proven answers to stand out from the competition: 1/ What sets you apart from other candidates? Ex: "My blend of creativity and analytical skills allows me to solve problems in unique ways, like when I increased campaign ROI by 25% with a data-driven strategy." 2/ Tell me about a time you exceeded expectations. Ex: "In my last role, I spotted a process inefficiency and introduced a new workflow that saved the team 10 hours per week." 3/ How do you make tough decisions? Ex: "I break the problem into smaller parts, consider risks and rewards, and consult stakeholders for input before moving forward." 4/ How do you handle workplace conflicts? Ex: "I focus on understanding the other person’s perspective and finding a collaborative solution to move forward as a team." 5/ What’s your greatest career accomplishment? Ex: "Leading a team to deliver a project ahead of schedule while staying under budget was a proud moment." 6/ How do you stay current in your industry? Ex: "I regularly attend webinars, read industry blogs, and recently completed a certification in AI applications." 7/ When have you had to say no at work? Ex: "I declined taking on a new project to focus on completing a high-priority deliverable that needed my full attention." 8/ How do you handle uncertainty at work? Ex: "I focus on the immediate next steps, set short-term goals, and adapt as more clarity emerges." 9/ How have you turned mistakes into lessons? Ex: "I misjudged a timeline once, but I revamped my planning process to improve project estimates moving forward." 10/ How do you ensure clear communication? Ex: "I tailor my message to the audience and use tools like visual aids or summaries to confirm alignment." 11/ What do you value about teamwork? Ex: "Collaboration allows us to combine strengths, like when I worked with colleagues to resolve a challenging client issue." 12/ What are you looking for in your next role? Ex: "A culture that values innovation and teamwork, where I can grow while contributing to impactful projects." Preparation is key. Use these answers to inspire your own. Nail that interview. You’ve got this. --- ♻️ If this resonates, repost it to help others too. ➕ Follow Lukas Stangl for more. _________________________________ Want to stop feeling tired and unfocused? 🔓 Secure your free waitlist spot: https://lnkd.in/dzaxnpiK _________________________________ 👇 Want free PDFs of all my cheat sheets? 👇 Go here: LukasStangl.com

“Design Whatsapp.” “Design Uber.” “Design Netflix.” How to actually approach these high level design problems in an interview? You’ve to think clearly, step by step. Here’s how I approached my Design rounds- ✅ Clarify the problem first. Ask basic questions: – Who are the users? – How many users? – What are the must-have features? Don’t assume anything. Understand the need properly. ✅ Define the scale. Rough numbers like daily active users, QPS (queries per second), storage needed — they’ll guide your design choices. ✅ Sketch the basic building blocks. Clients → APIs → Application Servers → Databases → Caches → Queues. Start simple. You can add complexity later if needed. ✅ Walk through the data flow. Explain how a request travels in your system. Where it goes, how it’s processed, and how the response comes back. ✅ Think about scalability and reliability. Talk about load balancing, replication, database sharding, caching strategies. Show how your system will survive real-world traffic. ✅ Discuss bottlenecks and trade-offs. No design is perfect. Acknowledge what might break and how you can fix or improve it later. You don’t have to build the “perfect” system in 45 minutes. You just need to show a clear thought process and adapt as you discuss. That’s what good interviews look for — not perfection, but how you think. All the best!❤️

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking—but the right prep can help you stand out. The best candidates don’t just answer questions—they tell compelling stories, showcase impact, and align their skills with the role. Here’s how: ✅ 1. Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Clearly This answer should be concise (90-120 sec) but detailed enough to showcase your career journey. 📌 Present: What you do now & key skills 📌 Past: Relevant experience & accomplishments 📌 Future: Why this role excites you 💡 Example (~2 min): "I’m a Digital Marketing Manager at [Company], leading paid media & SEO. I helped increase conversions by 40% and improve engagement by 25%. Before that, I developed a segmentation strategy at [Previous Company] that boosted email engagement by 30%. I’m excited about this role because I see [Company] scaling its digital strategy, and I’d love to contribute my expertise." 🚀 Tip: Practice out loud to ensure a smooth, confident delivery. ✅ 2. Use STAR for Behavioral Questions For “Tell me about a time when…”, structure answers with STAR: ✔ Situation – Context of the challenge ✔ Task – What you needed to accomplish ✔ Action – Steps you took ✔ Result – Impact & measurable outcomes 💡 Example: "At [Company], our email engagement was dropping. I redesigned the email strategy (A), ran A/B tests (A), and increased open rates by 25% (R)." ✅ 3. “Why Should We Hire You?” → Sell Your Value 📌 Formula: What they need → How you fit → A past success 💬 Example: "You’re looking for someone to optimize ad performance. At [Company], I boosted ROI by 40% in six months. I’d love to bring that expertise to your team." ✅ 4. Be Ready for Salary Discussions ❌ Mistake: Giving a number too early. ✅ Better: Deflect until you know more. 📌 Example Response: "I’d love to learn more about the role before discussing numbers. What’s the budgeted range for this position?" 🔥 Final Thoughts: Preparation = Confidence ✔ Use Present-Past-Future for introductions ✔ Answer behavioral questions with STAR ✔ Align your skills with the company’s needs ✔ Handle salary talks strategically 👉 Found this helpful? Reshare to help others ace their interviews! 🔥

If I had a system design interview tomorrow at Google, this is exactly how I’d approach it.   (This framework helped me crack 3 FAANG+ companies in the past, including Amazon.)  Most engineers fail system design interviews not because they lack knowledge but because they lack structure.  You don’t need to memorize 100 architectures. You need a structured and easy-to-apply approach that works every time.  Here’s how I break it down:   1/ Clarify the Problem Before Writing Anything   - System design interviews aren’t about throwing buzzwords—they’re about trade-offs.   - Start with scoping → Are we designing just one feature or the entire system?   - Ask constraints upfront → How many users? Read/write ratio? Latency requirements?   - Define success criteria → What matters most? Scalability? Cost? Low-latency?  Most candidates assume things and jump into solutions.   I make sure I know what we’re solving before I even start.   2/ Define Functional & Non-Functional Requirements Clearly   - Functional: What features does the system need?   - Non-functional: What are the performance expectations?   - What’s the biggest technical challenge? (This helps guide the discussion.)  Example: If we’re designing YouTube, is the focus on video uploads, recommendations, or live streaming?   Each has a different set of constraints.   3/ Estimate the Scale & Plan Capacity Like an Engineer   - Users per second? Requests per second?   - Storage needs? If we store 10MB per user and have 100M users, what does that mean?   - Throughput? Can a single database handle the load, or do we need sharding?  Most candidates throw random numbers.   I do quick, back-of-the-envelope calculations to validate my assumptions.   4/ Break the System into Core Components (High-Level Design)   - Define the major building blocks → API Gateway, Load Balancer, Service Layers, Databases.   - Don’t overcomplicate. Simple and scalable always wins.   - Clearly define the interactions between services.  If I’m designing a messaging app, I break it down into:   — User Service (auth, profiles)   — Messaging Service (storing chats)   — Notification Service (real-time updates)   — Media Storage (for images, videos)  Each has different constraints, so I build around what’s most important.  Continued Here: https://lnkd.in/eiHQs-qT P.S. If you’re preparing for tech interviews or appearing soon for one as a SWE. Check out my book Awesome Tech Interviews. It will help you: — Learn techniques to win behavioral interviews — Learn DSA with a detailed 6-month roadmap — Build your foundations of System Design - all in one place. Along with 300+ free online resources. Digital copy: https://lnkd.in/efc7u85w Paperback (Available on Amazon internationally): https://lnkd.in/ePWCr74g

Dear Job Seekers, At the end of an interview, the interviewers will ask if you have any questions, don’t ever say “NO.” Here are some questions you can consider asking👇👇 1. Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this role? 2. What does success look like in this position, both in the short-term and long-term? 3. Can you describe the company culture and how it supports employee growth and development? 4. What opportunities are there for professional development and advancement within the company? 5. How does the company foster collaboration and teamwork among employees? 6. Can you provide insight into the team dynamics and the type of people I will be working with? 7. What are the biggest challenges facing the team/department/company right now, and how does this role contribute to addressing those challenges? 8. How does the company measure and evaluate employee performance? 9. Can you walk me through the onboarding process for this role? 10. Based on this interview, do you have any concerns about my ability to perform this role? 11. What are the potential challenges for this position?

Applied For ➝ 29 Companies Interviewed in ➝ 17 of Them Selected for ➝ 3 Good Offers… Job interviews can feel like walking a tightrope, right? But what if you had a cheat sheet filled with real, practical insights that go beyond the usual "dress professionally" advice? Having been on both sides of the interview table, I've seen firsthand what truly makes a candidate shine (and what makes them stumble). 1} Your "Why" Goes Deeper Than You Think ➥It's not just about needing a job. ~Articulate your genuine interest in the company's mission, values, and how your specific skills align with their goals. ~Research recent company news and connect your aspirations to their current trajectory. 2} Enthusiasm is Contagious (or Lack Thereof) ➥Your energy speaks volumes. ~Show genuine excitement for the opportunity. A flat demeanor can be a silent "no." ~Practice conveying your passion in your tone and body language. 3} Questions Aren't Just for Them ➥Asking thoughtful, insightful questions demonstrates engagement and intelligence. ~Generic questions show a lack of deeper interest. ~Prepare 2-3 questions that go beyond basic job descriptions and show you've done your homework. 4} Storytelling > Just Listing Skills ➥Instead of just stating your qualifications, weave compelling stories that showcase your abilities in action and highlight your impact. ~Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. ~Show Result Metrics with Percentage. 5} Listen More Than You Talk (Seriously!) ➥Interviews are a two-way street. ~Pay close attention to the interviewer's questions and cues. ~Rushing to answer or interrupting can be a major turn-off. ~Take a brief pause to process the question before responding thoughtfully. 6} Authenticity Trumps Perfection ➥Don't try to be someone you're not. ~Hiring managers are looking for genuine individuals who will fit into their team culture. ~Be yourself and let your personality shine through (while remaining professional, of course!). 7} Follow-Up is NOT Optional ➥A prompt and personalized thank-you note reinforces your interest and professionalism. ~A generic one feels like an afterthought. ~Send a thank-you email within 24 hours, referencing specific points discussed during the interview. 8} Body Language Speaks Volumes (Even Virtually) ➥Maintain eye contact (even on video!), sit upright, and have an open posture. ~Non-verbal cues can convey confidence and engagement. ~Practice your virtual presence in a mirror or with a friend. 9} Every "Mistake" is a Learning Opportunity ➥Don't dwell on past interview blunders. ~Instead, reflect on what you could have done differently. ~After each interview, jot down key takeaways and areas for growth. Job interviews are about more than just your qualifications on paper. What are some of the most unexpected things you've learned from job interviews? Follow Pranav Gupta For More ✅️