In today’s hiring landscape, a great skill set and a winning personality can certainly help a candidate stand out. However, the way an applicant conducts themselves and the details that emerge during the actual interview will almost always be the deciding factors on whether they’re offered the job.
This is especially true in the tech field, where so many candidates have specialized skills and qualifications, and interviewers are looking for stand-out qualities. If you’re applying for a developer position, you’ll want to impress your potential employer by nailing the interview process. According to Forbes Technology Council members, the following factors can make—or break—a potential tech hire’s chances during the interview.
1. Their Professional Network
A robust network of peers is the biggest thing I look for—especially as it relates to technical subject matter experts. It’s critical to maintain active dialogue and participation with that peer group, demonstrating higher emotional intelligence. - Sultan Meghji, Virtova
2. Shared Goals And Values
There is often far greater variability in the aspirations, goals and values of candidates than in their level of skill. Yet most employers neglect to ask prospective employees what they want or expect out of the job. When hiring, I’ve always looked for employees who are not only capable, but also have personal goals that are aligned with those of my team. - Ran Zilca, Happify
3. Directness
If a candidate is direct about knowing what I need them to do and then providing something that proves that they can do that, it becomes a tough decision for me to not give them the job—and that’s honestly the kind of position you want to be in as a hiring manager. If they can’t talk the talk or walk the walk that shows me they’re cut out for the job, then I’m already on to the next one. - Arnie Gordon, Arlyn Scales
4. Demonstrable Passion
I believe truly outstanding performers in any field or endeavor are those who demonstrate a real passion for the job. Those people bring a certain energy to the job. They quickly assimilate into an organization and quickly demonstrate success. - Gregory John Turner, MTM Technologies
5. A Knowledge Of My Business
I always like to hear from candidates what they know about my business. I don’t expect them to be experts, but how they respond tells me if they at least put in the effort to understand my industry, solutions, competitors, etc. If they simply don’t know, that tells me that they don’t care enough to put in the research, and if they don’t care now, they likely won’t care as an employee. - Brian Contos, Verodin Inc.
6. Humility
I look for talented developers who are also humble about their work. We have a “no-jerk” policy at our company, so finding individuals who are down-to-earth and kind is right up there with their ability to code well. Some things that are red flags are coming across as arrogant or as a know-it-all. I know in tech we can get lost in logic, but it’s important to show your human side as well. - Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
7. Willingness To Push Back
“I’ll do whatever makes the boss happy” is a phrase that is an immediate deal breaker during an interview. Building a technology team is not about ensuring a manager is always happy or right but is about having an environment where ideas are challenged with the collective goal of reaching the best solution. - James Kupernik, VidMob
8. The Questions They Ask
I am always on the lookout for a candidate to ask questions. For someone to fit properly into the existing team, they will need to be enthusiastic. The most important part of an interview can be, “Do you have any questions?” Here, devs can express themselves by asking questions about things like current projects or organizational structure. - Artem Petrov, Reinvently
9. Their Résumé Details
A résumé is not only a candidate’s introduction, it’s also the first work product presented to their potential employer. A well-written, well-designed résumé shows me that they are taking the process seriously. Misspellings and other errors demonstrate a lack of attention to detail, and attention to detail is imperative for developers. - Tammy Cohen, InfoMart Inc.
10. Problem-Solving Skills
One of the things I look for is what happens when a developer doesn’t know the answer to a problem. I look for how they tend to solve it and how their mind works. From this, you can extract humbleness, honesty, personality and emotion under terms that may happen more than we like in reality. The developer must admit that they do not know everything, versus stumbling across problems to solve. - Waije Coler, InfoTracer
11. An Experience Match
The most critical piece of information on a résumé is the skills and qualifications that match the job description. Most importantly, the keywords in the experience summary must match the job requirements. If these don’t align in the interview, it’s a deal breaker. - Xinwen Zhang, Hiretual
12. Whether They’ve Built Something From The Ground Up
Attempting to build a product, business or technology from idea to tangibility makes a developer for me. Whether it failed or not, attempting to build something and executing it from nothing is extremely challenging and shows ambition and determination that’s difficult to teach. In my opinion, innovators and entrepreneurs learn invaluable lessons that translate well into tech company cultures. - Alexandro Pando, Xyrupt Technologies
13. A History Of Growth And Loyalty
I want to see candidates who show growth in their positions. I want to see how they grew from junior to senior devs. On the other side, a deal breaker is when I see candidates who switch jobs every three to six months. This a sign they are in constant pursuit of a higher salary, and all we are for them is a quick stepping stone—or it could be a sign of a person who is very hard to work with. - Dzenis Softic, Clickbooth
14. Their Impact On The Industry
When it comes to recruiting talent, I look at a few core indicators. First is an understanding of what type of impact they’ve created to date. Next is an analysis of the cultural fit, making sure the candidate would perform well in our cross-functional, collaborative organization. We don’t put emphasis on educational background; instead, we focus on a potential hire’s ability to deliver positive results. - Marc Fischer, Dogtown Media LLC
