Interviewing Tip #2 - Don't be a Commodity

Never forget that the interview process is no different than any other sales process. You are selling your goods to the interviewer and trying to convince them that you are the best candidate for the job. If you read the last tip then you know that you are also a consumer in this process, looking for the best career opportunity. The selling goes both ways, but for now, we'll focus on what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate.

In these times, it's a given that there are a number of viable candidates. It is inevitable that many of the competition will adequately answer the technically focused questions that are thrown at you. The fact that you know Spring, NHibernate, Cucumber, or MVC does not separate you from the competition. Ok, well if you know Cucumber it probably does, but what are the odds that you'll get questioned about it? My point is that Java developers who know Spring and Hibernate are commodities. Candidates need to articulate the other, softer skills that they bring to the table because they stand out.

Separate yourself from the pack by showing your passion for software development. The fact that you are learning Erlang in your own time may not be applicable to my immediate project need, but it surely shows that you are honing your skills in your own time. Furthermore it shows that you are trying to get better at what you do and that you have some ability to learn independently. Employees like that are assets in any organization.

Covering the technologies used on your past projects doesn't have nearly as much impact as communicating how you stepped into the QA role on the project because there was a resource gap. Or how you were able to reduce the time spent in system testing by setting up a CI server to eliminate defects. Or how you worked over the weekend to fix an issue with the production system that had plagued the company for years. These instances tell a story that your technical responses never do.

Leadership, passion, independence, and drive are the factors that sway decision makers. Don't let yourself get continually attacked with technical questions. Answer them accurately and succinctly, but steer the interview towards the softer skills and show where you've gone beyond your role to ensure success on your projects. That is where you'll separate yourself from the commodity and win the job!