Tech Interviews – Survive, Impress, and Get Hired

Ah, the tech interview, where your fate is decided by a mix of whiteboard puzzles, awkward silences, and your ability to pretend you’re not sweating. Whether you’re in Manchester, Leeds, or Newcastle, cracking the Northern tech scene means acing the interview process. Here’s how to walk in like a junior and leave with a senior-sized pay check (or at least a second-round interview).

 

Step 1: Know Your Stuff (or Fake It Well)

Recruiters have seen it all. If you list “Python expert” on your CV but panic when asked about dictionaries, you’re getting a polite rejection email. Brush up on algorithms, cloud tech, and whatever fancy JavaScript framework is trendy this week.

Step 2: Survive the Technical Test

Yes, it’s coming. Maybe it’s a take-home task, maybe it’s live coding with a dev who judges every misplaced semicolon. Either way, read the instructions, keep your code readable, and comment like your future self will have to debug it. Bonus tip: Don’t Google “how to reverse a linked list” mid-interview unless you want side-eye from the hiring manager.

Step 3: Soft Skills Matter (Yes, Even Here)

Tech teams love collaboration (and tea breaks). Be friendly, show enthusiasm, and for the love of Greggs, don’t call Agile a “waste of time” unless you want to trigger the entire engineering team. If you can communicate clearly and don’t sound like a robot reading from a script, you’re already ahead.

Step 4: Ask Smart Questions (Not Just About Salary)

When they say, “Do you have any questions?” don’t just mumble, “Uh, nope.” Ask about the tech stack, team culture, and how often people break production (trust me, their reaction will tell you everything). If the job offers ‘unlimited holidays,’ clarify whether that means ‘take as much as you want’ or ‘nobody ever dares take time off.’

Step 5: The Follow-Up – Do It

Think sending a thank-you email is pointless? Wrong. Drop a quick message saying you enjoyed the chat (even if you blacked out during half of it). It shows professionalism and keeps you fresh in their minds, especially if they’re debating between you and someone who ghosted them.

The Future: You’ve Got This

Tech interviews don’t have to be a horror story. Prepare well, stay calm, and remember: if it all goes wrong, there’s always another role – and at least one pub nearby where you can drown your sorrows in a pint. Now go smash that interview!