What Interviewer Wants: What Are They Actually Doing?

Job hunting and interviews have been always something I get really excited about. In the beginning of my career there was also a lot of anxiety, stress, nervousness and other common things one could go through while applying to new job. In some point it really changed for me, they are still exciting, but more like that I actually really enjoy that process. If I get to the phone, I know I have a high success rate getting also to the interview and from that I'll get another round on interview process. It's of course challenging, but let's say it this way - I like to talk and I know what they are looking for. Going for interviews is like a fun game for me nowadays.

Interviewer is a Human being

Eventhough it's a pretty common to stress about going to the interview and meeting the interviewer, you can always try to reason it to yourself: Why I'm stressing out so much on this, I am just going to meet another person. A human being. They are not really that much above you even if you are just about starting your career. They are also people who must wake up early to go the work, pay bills, eat, sleep, repeat. They have good days and bad days. They are not that special as you might think when you are having anxiety and stressing out how it will go.

What Would You Do in Their Shoes

Let's switch places for a minute. You are not trying to get a job or convince anyone to hire you, now you are the one asking questions and making decisions. What would you do in the interview meeting. What are you trying to achieve here, how would you know if the applicant is a good fit for the role, or not? What things wouldn't matter that much, because you have interviewed so many people and you know that some things are same almost for every applicant in the first interview. Most likely the things you thought reading this chapter are somewhat same as your next interviewer will think.

Shall we continue this a little bit? Okay, but bear with me. Remember, you are still the interviewer. Would you think it's a bad thing if the applicant seems nervous, tangle in speech, or doesn't know how to answer and is really talkative. Maybe as an experienced interviewer you know that usually applicants are nervous - at least if this event matters to them.

Is it better to be silent, give short answers and be shy, or to be open and ask with more than one word, maybe even have a two-way discussion while giving the answer.

Maybe you got the point. You are not first one being nervous about the interview and about the one interviwieving you.

It's just that you are not used to going to interviews, situations where you are going to be evaluated by another person.

Another Side of The Table

I have been also on the another side of the table. I have been interviewing dozens of people for developer roles. Believe me, being nervous isn't really that huge thing. Here is a short list what kind of things I was looking for an answer during the interviews I had:

• how does this person handle stress
• is this person a team player
• can this person answer honestly if doesn't know the answer
• will this person fit in to our team and work culture
• how experienced this person is, but more likely how willing this person is to learn new things
• does this person actually wanna work for us, or what is the motive here
• what kind of problem solver this person is
• and last but not least: what does my gut feeling say about this person

So basicly I am just getting to know to the applicant, looking for red flags, and evaluating if the applicant would like to be working for us in the long run and how it would affect to our team.

For example: unexperienced, but eager to learn young applicant with good people skills could easily beat a cynical and arrogant more experienced applicant.

It's not rocket science, more like common sense - believe in yourself and take a chance, send that application already!

ps: the interviewer, even an experienced one, can also feel stressed by the interview situation and meeting you