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Are you a recent graduate? In 5 minutes or less, view this helpful presentation full of  tips as you look for a job.

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The Three Types of Questions in Your Technical Interview

 How much easier would debugging my code be with a help button?  I can't decide if it would actually be useful or be about as helpful as the old Microsoft Word paperclip guy.

A little over a month ago, I gave you all some tips to behavior interviews.  However, for those of us in technical fields, technical interviews are just as important to be prepare for.  So let's continue onward!

As a computer science major going into her senior year, I've had my fair share of technical interviews.  From those interviews, I've noticed three types of questions that tend to come up:


Knowledge Questions

 This is the nitty gritty of the interview where your potential employers are checking if you know what your resume claims you know.  These questions mostly consist of explaining concepts and coding questions.

The best way to prepare for these is to study it up the nights leading up to your interview and make sure you've brushed up on those topics you haven't touched in a while.  There are plenty of online and book sources to turn to.  As a computer science major, my favorite book for knowledge review is Programming Interviews Exposed.  It covers all the basics and gives you example problems to think through.

While on the topic of example problems, make sure you actually step through them yourself instead of just reading and nodding your head along.  Trying to come up with the answer yourself is a better practice than just being told the answer.

Along side straight up studying, try explaining some of the topics to your non-technical friends and see if you talk clearly enough for them to understand.  While your interviewer is testing your knowledge, he or she is also testing your ability to explain your thoughts, which is important for any career where you work with others (which is nearly every job).

Just remember- review, review, review!


Problem Solving Questions

Problem solving questions are about thinking outside the box.  They can be anything from "why is a tennis ball yellow?", to graph theory, to estimating how many elementary school teachers there are in the country.

When it comes to these types of questions, your interviewer is less concerned in you getting the right answer and more interested in how you go about solving the question.  Of course, don't take that as a go ahead to BS your way through the question.  Actually try to solve it.  Just don't get too flustered if you don't get the exact answer.

Most importantly, make sure to vocalize your entire thought process as you go about solving the problem.  Your interviewer can't read your mind, so you need to make your thoughts heard!  Even if you think you might be working in the wrong direction., keep going and keep vocalizing.  You might just find that off of your wrong path, you find a side trail that heads in the right direction.

There are tons of examples online for you to practice, so Google "problem solving interview questions" and be on your way!  While there are more questions than you could ever practice, getting into the right mindset is half the battle.


Design Questions
This last type of question will mostly be for careers and internships that have a focus on, well, design.  Software development and project management  are the best examples for this.  When these questions are thrown at you, you'll usually be given a very vague objective such as "design a parking lot for me" and then be told to have at it.

The point of design questions is to get you to ask questions.  A lot of questions.  Whatever you do, do not just start jumping into the design phase.  If you're asked to design a parking lot, ask about the surrounding buildings, roads, and natural landmarks.  How much traffic is expected?  Does the client want any reserved spots?

While you do want to get plenty of "customer" input before you start designing, make sure you feel in charge once you are designing.  The interviewer might try to make you question your choices, so make sure you have a good stance behind every decision you make.

If you want to practice design questions beforehand, try thinking about designs you do and do not like and why.  What could you improve about your phone interface?  What's your favorite feature on your social networking sites?  Remember- you don't have to remake the wheel to be creative.



That about covers it!  Technical interviews for other majors might differ slightly, but this is still a great starting point.  Good luck at your next interview!

Take 5 to Be a Pro at Work

In a recent Society for Human Resource Management survey (see this post), employers shared their largest concern: recent graduates’ professional skills were lacking. How can you be a pro at work? Take five and follow these tips to be a pro.

Be kind. Support staff in your office can make or break you. For example, our receptionist controls my calendar. If I’m rude to her, guess who might get the next challenging student on her schedule? Me! Want to know the office scoop? Support staff usually know what is going on better than anyone else in the office. Whenever I need a hand with a project, I turn to our receptionist. Be good to your support staff, and they can help you do your job.  

Be savvy with social media. Should you friend your supervisor on Facebook? Probably not—research the office culture to find out if this is acceptable at your workplace. And, if you are Facebook friends with co-workers in your office, avoid writing negative statuses about work; you don’t want to have “poster’s remorse.” Many of us use Facebook or other social media to do our work. If tweeting and updating statuses aren’t in your job description, avoid posting during work hours. Use LinkedIn to connect to your boss and other colleagues and share relevant updates about your work.

Be good to your boss. Keep your boss up to date on projects and share news that your supervisor should know. Find out what is important to your boss. When I first starting working for my supervisor, she told me she didn’t like surprises. I strive to copy her on emails and keep her in the know so she isn’t caught off guard. My husband always tells me to “be a problem solver, not a problem finder.” If your boss assigns you a project, and you discover it won’t work, research solutions so you can share them along with the bad news. Set up regular meetings with your boss; come prepared for these meetings with updates on your goals, questions you have and pen and paper to take notes.

Be social. As you are invited to work events, reply to invitations if requested; RSVP means that you should let the inviter know yes or no. For invitations with Regrets Only, you only need to let the host know if you are not attending. As you reply, be sure to thank the host for the invitation. As you attend work receptions, remember your goal is to meet people, not eat all the shrimp and drink all the free beer. Fill your plate (use a clean one!) and then move away from food tables. Introduce yourself to the host, and thank the host before you leave an event. Work on your introduction and handshake – get a friend to tell you if you need to improve them. Wear a nametag on your right shoulder so it’s easy to read as you meet people.

Be appreciative. When are the times at work when you need to say two critical words, Thank you? If your boss gives you a present, write a handwritten thank you note. If your supervisor supports your attendance at a training program, write a note of thanks upon your return.  When you receive a raise, convey your thanks to your superior. If someone goes out of their way to help you out at work, send a note of thanks. And, after interviewing for a new position, send your thanks in writing as well. Few people take the time to show their appreciation at work. You will make yourself stand out in the office if you do.

What questions do you have about being a pro at work? Share your questions with us.

Are you ready for work? Read what employers think about current grads based on results from a recent Society of Human Resource Management Survey.

Going PRO: The First 5 B’s to Get There

No, I know you’re not like Corey Fuller and Vinston Painter, two Virginia Tech football players, who got to Go PRO this year in the National Football League (NFL) when they were picked in the sixth round of the draft back in April.  But, you can still take the effort to look like a pro when you’re at work, even if you, too, are a rookie in your first full-time job, but you’re not on TV playing on Sundays for the Detroit Lions or the Denver Broncos like Corey and Vinston. What does it take to be a pro?

Be on time. If Corey and Vinston want to get playing time at their positions their first year, you better believe they will be on time for every practice and every game. And, the same thing should be true for you at your position. Respect others’ time by pacing yourself and making sure you are punctual for meetings and for arriving to work. Your punctuality or lack thereof, is an indication of your organizational skills and work ethic. And, if you are running late, text or call your supervisor.

Be dressed to impress and for success. Corey and Vinston will suit up in their uniforms every Sunday for a game. Before and after games and when they travel to games, they have dress codes to follow. What does the dress code look like where you work? Even if the code is not in writing, there is a standard – just observe what co-workers wear. If business casual is the norm for your organization, what does it mean? Find out what is acceptable for your employer. And, being dressed to impress at work is very different from how you dress to impress to go clubbin’ on Saturday night. Read more about dress here.

Be aware. As Corey and Vinston embark on their NFL careers, they will be building professional images. Even though your image may not be as public, in your rookie year, you will also leave an impression on the job. What impressions do you make? As you shake hands, work on a firm handshake, make sure you repeat a person’s name, maintain eye contact and smile. Stand up for introductions when a visitor joins a meeting. Sit forward in a chair so your energy is directed outward to those with whom you are talking. Do a hand check--avoid playing with your hair, biting your nails or fiddling with a pen.

Be in the moment. Although Corey and Vinston probably text and tweet as much as you do, they are not allowed to have their phones with them at game time. What’s your game time? Work: meetings, conversations with co-workers, lunches, dinners, conferences. At these moments, give those you are with your undivided attention. Save the tweet or text for another time. Like Corey and Vinston’s coaches, your employer expects you to bring your “A” game, and only your “A” game. If you’re reading a text, you will not be focused on the business at hand.  If your Mom is having surgery, and you are waiting to hear from the doctor, let the host of the meeting know that you are expecting a critical call prior to the start of the meeting.

Be polite. Unlike Corey and Vinston, whose main “office” is a football locker room which can get really crazy and loud, your work environment requires some courteous behaviors. Be mindful of co-workers’ time by asking if they have a minute and knocking (even if their door is open) before you barge into an office. If you are having a loud conversation, close the office door, and watch your volume in public areas, like at a reception desk or lobby. Ask before you remove items from someone’s office. Avoid being too comfortable at work by keeping your feet on the floor and your shoes on; even if you work for a really laid back company, don’t start out putting your feet on your desk.

Dale Carnegie, author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, once said,

“There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: What we do, how we look, what we say and how we say it."

Do these 5 B’s to reach your own pro status like Corey and Vinston. Check back next week where we’ll tackle 5 more B’s for going pro.

P.S. Corey and Vinston, can’t wait to see you “be a pro” on Sundays!

Great tip for your next salary negotiation!

Stay away from round numbers! Read more here.