Soft Skill Tips for the Hardcore Engineer

Interviews – the necessary evil of the job hunt

Interviews are like taxes, while we don’t enjoy them, we do know they are required. It is what it is, however, we can also modify our current interview techniques to match the current  competitive job market. It’s a sellers market right now and employers are more interested in intangible soft skills that can’t be matched due to the amount of talent in abundance. 

Shift Your Perspective

First off, this isn’t your fault, try to avoid blaming yourself for not getting a call back or a follow up interview. Let's start by relieving you of any unnecessary self-blame. It's not you, it's the game. Interviews are like a dance, and sometimes the rhythm just doesn't sync. A negative mindset can lead down a slippery slope of self deprecation and self fulfilling prophecy. You’re not getting calls back which makes you feel like you’re of less value, thus you represent yourself as lesser value because…and so on.

I’ve interviewed and coached hundreds of engineers in my career in large, medium and small companies. I have also had the pleasure of being in the hot seat several times for technical interviews and panels.

If you’ve ever gotten up from your seat post interview and thought “whut jus happnd?” you’re not alone. But fear not, understanding the why behind the questions is your secret weapon. Let’s dive into the intricacies of what makes interviewers tick and align your responses accordingly.

Tips & Advice

Here are some quick practical tips for the hard coded engineer to showcase their soft skills:

• Ask clarifying questions

• Think in terms of a “correct” answer as well as a “best” answer

• Asking questions will get you to the best answer much faster

• Some questions are asked broadly to purposely see if you know how to discover solutions

• Don’t believe me? Read this: https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/interview-tips/

• Understand what and why the interviewer is asking the question

• Use the clarifying questions above to understand the what

• Connect to one of the below for the why:

• Adaptability

• Communication

• Creative Thinking

• Collaboration

• Leadership 

• Prioritization

• Time Management

• Be relatable to the interview panel

• Include details in your stories (both technical and otherwise)

• These details serve as relation points to connect you with your audience

• Modify your story to speak at the level of your audience and

• Ask the interviewer questions during the interview

• Make sure you are answering the question correctly

• “Does that answer your question?” after your answer will go a long way

• Questions during the interview show engaged listening, curiosity and most of all confidence because most candidates will wait until the end, which is often times too late

• Think BIG picture

• When explaining your story, include how what you’re doing affects the business

• Think of how can you improve upon the process or task you’re discussing?

• What did you learn from this experience? 

Think Beyond Just The Problem

What tends to happen for engineers is that the focus is solely on being “correct”. In this field you can be correct and still wrong at the same time. 

Example:

“How would you go about deploying an application?”

A talented engineer may start with

• “I would use ArgoCD, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions…” 

A talented engineer that interviews well and understands the broadness of a question like this might start with 

• “Am I to assume this is a micro services application?”

• “What are the developer’s requirements?”

While you might know the right answer, it’s important to always search for the best answer for that really hits the core of the client’s or in this case, interviewers need. Showcasing your technical prowess without highlighting other important soft skills mentioned above is an easy way to be labeled as a “lone wolf”. Instead of only solving the problem, think of the business solution that your problem also solves and how that can be beneficial for everyone.

After all, the company you’re interviewing for only gets paid if they have businesses to sell to and selling to a failing business is a model for disaster. Understanding how YOUR technical contributions ultimately help the customer’s business win which ties back to your potential employers growth, is how you win the interview and set yourself levels above other candidates.

Soft skills are your superhero cape in this game. Inject life into your responses by weaving narratives that showcase adaptability, communication, and leadership. Remember, it's not just about what you say but how you say it. Lastly, don't be a wallflower in the interview room. Ask questions, seek clarification, and show genuine interest. Your active participation not only demonstrates confidence but also leaves a lasting impression.

Conclusion

In today's job market, technical skills will only take you so far. It's the fusion of technical prowess and soft skills that propels you to new heights. So, my fellow job seekers, let's embark on this journey together, armed with the wisdom to conquer any interview that comes our way.

Now, over to you! Share your top interview tips in the comments below and let's build a community of empowered job seekers ready to seize their dream roles. Together, we'll unlock doors to success and claim the jobs we truly deserve! 🚀💼 #InterviewGoals #SoftSkillsMatter