7 tips to ace an offline job interview


Did you obtained an offline interview for a tech job? You only have a few minutes to introduce yourself, make a good impression and promote your achievements. It's time to prepare for the meeting with the potential employer, and the tips we have prepared for you in the lines below could make a difference in your experience.

Most of the time, being a good engineer or programmer is not enough to ace interviews in the field. To be considered a productive programmer or engineer, you need to be able to solve complex problems over weeks or even months. However, during the offline interview, each task required must be solved in less than an hour. n case we forgot to mention, we remind you now: the hiring process for tech positions can have several stages, including a coding task or a design challenge.


1. Show your enthusiasm


If you manage to show your enthusiasm for the position you are applying for, you are already one step closer to getting the job offered by the company.

The best approach is to prepare even before the interview some questions about the company that include aspects that you find interesting and challenging and that you can discuss during the offline interview. Thus, you will also show that you have researched more information about the future job and that you are really interested in the company.


2.   Choose the right outfit for you


Fortunately, the days when it was "necessary" to show up to an interview dressed business, in a white shirt and pants are gone. Of course, this does not mean that you can show up in sportswear.

Whether the interview takes place in a coffee shop or at the company's headquarters in an office building, choose something that you feel comfortable in, but that isn't too visually loaded. We recommend you to use simple, neutral, warm colors.


3. Maintain eye contact


Maintaining eye contact is a real task in online interviews. You can read about them and find out more details here.

In the case of offline interviews, eye contact is made much easier.


4.   Help may be right in front of you


Although it is not a general rule, most of the time interviewers help candidates. They offer clues, answer questions, and lead the discussion. To get an idea of what your interviewer is trying to say, keep in mind the following tips:

  • Ask questions even if you're pretty sure you know the answers;

  • After you are asked a question, make sure you understand it;

  • Clarify any ambiguity;

  • Describe the solutions you are thinking of.


If you offering solutions to the problems that have been exposed to you, ask the interviewer if they would like you to implement them. Only at the end, after you both agree that you have a good solution, should you move on to actually writing the code.


5. List the certifications you have


The question about your experience is inevitable. Even if you haven't worked in a technical field before, talk about the credentials and certifications you have. Did you take various courses? Tell them. Did you attend a faculty with a technological profile? Mention this aspect.


6.   Highlight the results you have had so far


Another indispensable question in a job interview is related to professional experience. To get a "white ball" for this question as well, we recommend that you choose to talk about a project that produced concrete results.

Tip: Prepare ahead of time for this question. Have you made a game that has 50,000 downloads? Talk about him. Have you created a well-known website that has high sales? Tell about it. Have you designed components for a famous car model? Don't forget to mention this.

Selecting a project where you met or even exceeded your performance indicators communicates to the interviewer that you are focused on the actual work and that you are results-oriented.


7.   List all known tools


Employers often look for candidates who have experience in multiple technologies and programming languages. So, talk about the programming languages and programs you're familiar with:

  • Python;

  • Java;

  • .NET;

  • C/C++;

  • Android Java;

  • DevOps;

  • CATIA;

  • NewPDM;

  • SolidWorks;

  • Matlab / Simulink;

  • HIL.


And because we want this article to be an important resource for you, we're sharing some of the possible questions that may come up in an interview:

  • „What is the biggest difficulty you have encountered in a project and how did you handle it?”;

  • „How would you explain a technical problem to a business person or a person unfamiliar with project technologies?”;

  • „Give an example of a situation where you delivered a project with a very tight deadline”;

  • „What do you think about new trends or the emerging ones?”

  • „What attracts you to the presented opportunity? What makes you want a role of ...*” (*aici completează tu cu funcția pentru care aplici).


Here's how to score high on offline job interviews in a nutshell:

  • Find out what stages the interview has and prepare ahead of time for each interview;

  • Present the interviewer your involvement in previous projects and highlight the technology you are proficient in;

  • Show to the interviewer that you are open to learn and that you are passionate about new technologies;

  • An engineer does not have the ability to succeed alone. Recruiters are looking for people who can perform in teams, so we recommend you talk about the importance of communication and collaboration with all the people involved in the projects.


Speaking of codes, decoding interviews can seem difficult. But, as I said in the previous lines, you can get better at them with a little practice. By following the steps outlined above, you will definitely improve your skills and be one step closer to get the much-desired job.

If you will also have an online interview, we invite you to find out some tips and tricks in the following article: 8 tips to successfully pass an online job interview.

Access the website careers.altenromania.ro, find out more about ALTEN Romania's team & about our available roles and maybe the next interview will be with us.