Bri: Thanks for making the time, Steven…as
Steven: N-no, no, that’s fine. I am really honoured to be here today.
Bri: Alright. As the second part of this series of interviews, you would play the part of an interviewee seeking to get employed at Bright Technologies, a startup based in San Fransico, as a senior software developer.
Steven: Yes, yes, that’s alright.
Bri: So, before we continue.
Steven: umnh hmmm (affirmative)
Bri: I am going to give you a brief introduction to the company, just to get a glimpse of the history of the organization and some of their recent projects so that you can see what you would capture in the interview.
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Steven: Yeah, sure
Bri: Alright, so Bright Technology is a web development company that focuses on building software that makes it easy for other developers to build their website
Steven: Oh, like a no-code platform
Bri: Yeah, yeah, that’s right. It empowers web designers to build custom-made websites that look professional without any code.
Steven: That sounds amazing. I mean, I want to get into this interview already, because I want to work for that company [laughs]
Bri: [laughs] Sure, sure… So, let’s start
Steven: ok
Bri: so um, where do we start? Oh, yeah, yeah, so tell me more about yourself.
Steven: Thanks again for having me. Hi, my name is Steven Bruce, a junior software developer with four years of experience.
Bri: Uh-huh
Steven: Well, I have been in the technology industry for over three years, partially working as an intern in some of the technology companies in California while primarily working as a junior software developer with Webflow, a web design company.
Bri: So, what were your roles in the company?
Steven: I was inducted to develop, test and implement new software programs that…
Bri: so-sorry to cut you off. What kind of software programs were you dealing with?
Steven: Its ok, primarily, I worked under the supervision of a senior developer, where we worked with client projects, especially e-commerce and corporate websites
Bri: So, what of internal projects?
Steven: Yes, sure we did, especially on one commercial software that was released by the company last year that was responsible for tracking inventory
Bri: That sounds great
Steven: Yes it was
Bri: So continue, you were talking of your roles as a developer in the company
Steven: yeah, yeah, sure…ummhh, so as I was saying, I was responsible for developing, testing, and implementing software in the company.
Bri: yes, go on…
Steven: Other than that, I worked with other team members in the development team to design and update the software database. Activities under these roles were kind of random
Bri: What do you mean by kind of random?
Steven: By this, I mean, umm, I would partner with designers to design software applications, websites, and data communication processes that enhanced user experience
Bri: So, do you have any experience in design?
Steven: No, no, no, that’s not what I meant. I mean, I worked with other designers to develop user experience designs based on their sketches and we would review the program to the desired outcome
Bri: Oooh, I get it now, go on
Steven: so other activities included installation, customization and integration of commercial software packages, facilitating the analysis of root cause issues, and identifying ideas to improve system performance.
Bri: That sounds great, so for how long have you been working in the company?
Steven: About 2 years now, until last month
Bri: So what happened? Why did you get laid off?
Steven: On the verge of the Coronavirus pandemic, businesses went down, and the company was not able to sustain client projects because of lack of finances and…
Bri: Oh, yeah, I understand, sorry, go on
Steven: and the company closed indefinitely.
Bri: Sorry about that…
Steven: Its ok,
Bri: So what do you love about our company?
Steven: based on what you’ve told me and some assumptions about the company, I believe that the company is focused on improving efficiency by empowering designers to build professional websites without worrying about code, and that inspires me a lot.
Bri: That’s really great. Thank you so much, Steven. We will contact you once I discuss this interview with the other panel
Steven: Sure, thanks.
Interview Reflection
Whether one is seeking a new job or looking to hold a different position with a new employer, employees are bound to hold an interview. To some, the experience might be nerve-racking, while to others, it might be another opportunity to expose themselves to the potential employer. Regardless of the situation, every employee should show their strengths in the interview to increase their chances of being inducted. In the interview between Steven and Bri, whereby Bri is the interviewer, there are several interview skills indicated in the case study. First, the interview exhibited a compelling story, clarity of interview questions, and use of the leverage of the company’s knowledge, among others. While these are not the only skills to improve the chances of being hired, they are critical in almost all interviews that an interviewee might attend.
First, even though question clarification was exhibited on the Bri, the interviewer’s point of view, interviewees should not be afraid of asking clarity in unclear questions. When Steven was explaining about his previous experience as a designer, Bri interrupted to get clarification of whether Steven has some experience in design. Maybe the skills were an added advantage in the job position, and clarification of the point increased the chances of the interviewer to know more about Steve. Secondly, Steven told a compelling story, which was another skill used in the interview. He explained further his previous experiences as a developer and what projects he worked on. Additionally, he leveraged the little knowledge he got from the interviewer to explain his interests in the company and projects he would love to tackle. Therefore, for a successful interview, an interviewee should conduct sufficient background research about a company, review their resume and prepare for standard questions to increase their chances of induction.
