From Polina Giralt
@polina_giralt
After finding a job and some reflecting, I felt compelled to write this post. Why? Because almost everyone I know stresses out during the interview process.
The short list of reasons why interviews suck
Feelings of imposture syndrome and insecurities… fear of rejection?
Time commitment and bending to other people’s scheduling constraints/inabilities
Distracting financial situations, if not already working
LinkedIn and obnoxious recruiters
Lack of control during the process
The long list of definitive benefits of interviewing
Whiteboard problems, pair programing, take home challenges = new puzzles each day!
Communication: learning how to market yourself
Skills introspection: understanding strengths and weaknesses
Catalyst for growth, pushing one’s boundaries applying for stretch roles
Someone wants to pay for coffee/lunch and hear about your projects? Boohoo
Validation that while explaining previous hacks/projects, people are genuinely impressed
Check out the cool offices of growing companies
Learn more about current initiatives and culture in the startup world
That feeling of taking ownership of one’s career
Swag!
Financial opportunity in the new job
The feeling of focus to find a job with continuous learning, mentors and new friends
Answer thought-provoking questions that shake and form one’s sense of identity
Opportunities to ask them questions such as…
“how do you show employees that they’re valued?”
“if you could have access to anything, what data set would you want?”
“what would I be working on during my first week?”
My advice to anyone who’s suffered though tech interviews, don’t think of it as a burden. It’s a sort of a privilege. Even if every interview leads to rejection, there is always something to learn from the experience to be stronger for the future. Focus on the good stuff.
Posted on 12/06/2014 at 12:00 AM