Applying for positions at tech companies can be challenging. New technologies, numerous stages and multiple types of interviews can sometimes be intimidating. However, if it’s your goal to work at a tech company, there are some simple steps that could help you be successful. In this article, we suggest some tips on the preparation process so you can achieve your professional goals.

First step: applying for the position

You want to search for another opportunity now that you have more experience and have worked with more technologies and different tools. Depending on your area of expertise, you can find many job openings through LinkedIn. If you want to find out more information about how to boost your profile on this social media platform,check out this article. Since you are always trying to improve your skills and this is reflected in the information you share about yourself, job opportunities may even find you.

Job recruiters want to analyze how you feel about getting to know more about the company, what you are probably going to work with and what your expected salary range is and they may initiate the conversation even if you haven't applied for the position yet. If the recruiters haven't reached out, you can apply for the job postings and submit your resume. Remember that you might be very proud of some of your accomplishments, but not all of them have to be written down if they don't add any value to the specific job you're applying for. Also, choosing a company that works with an interesting product and has values that you appreciate is something important for you to have a great interview and later on, a great job.

Second step: Phone/ video interview

If you got to this point, it means that your resume fits the position and the company is interested in getting to know more about you. When the recruiter schedules the interview, you already know what you have to be prepared for: study the company values, the product(s), and the people you know that work there. This first moment is just for you to talk a little about yourself and your experiences and why you would be a good fit for this position.

Generally, these interviews don't take longer than 15 minutes and sometimes they are conducted by the HR employee. Try to organize some of your best projects and some good examples of your work. A good way to practice for this part of the interview is to practice your answers in front of the mirror. It may sound strange, but it will definitely help you learn how to show your best self when presenting to the interviewer. If you succeed in the step, you can get to the next one: the technical interview.

Third step: technical interview

Companies' processes vary a lot. Some companies have many steps before hiring someone, while some other ones don't have so many elements to hire a new employee. You are going to learn more if you research about the company first and understand more about their hiring process.

Technical interviews are generally more intimidating, because the preparation can be more challenging. These types of interviews also vary a lot, as some companies do it in a video call and others send you a test with a specific time or deadline. In some cases, the interview can be conducted by more than one person, and they are going to pay attention to how you think about the solutions, so communication is very important. Talk during the process, explain your thought process and make sure they understand how you came up with the solution. If you have problems, keep in mind that it's normal, but try to stay focused on doing your best. To help you out further, here are seven mistakes to avoid in your technical interviews.

Fourth step: Behavioral interview

Some companies work with this type of interview as another important step of the hiring process. So, what is a behavioral interview? The objective for the behavioral interview is to identify how the interviewee acted in some of their past work situations. The idea of this moment is to analyze how the employee behaved in the past to understand how this person may behave in the future.

Some companies give you a manual with some possible questions for you to prepare. It doesn't mean that you need to have examples for all the questions you've received, but you should think about a way you would deal with those situations. Before getting to this part of the process, study the questions, remember the situations you've faced in your past jobs, and be ready to demonstrate your ability to adapt and adjust.

The questions in the behavioral interview are generally more specific than the ones in traditional interviews. If you’re applying for a remote job with a company based in the United States, make sure to consider any cultural differences when practicing your responses. You can expect to be asked some of these questions during a behavioral interview process:

• Think about an example of a goal you achieved and how you could manage to do it.
• Explain how you behaved when handling a difficult situation with a coworker.
• Mention a moment when you had to give an unpopular opinion about a decision your team needed to make.
• Give an example when your point of view helped your team to solve a problem.
• Explain how you onboard a new team member to your current project.
• Give an example when you helped a coworker solve a problem and explain how you did it.
• Give an example when your insights were fundamental to the success of a project.
• How do you behave when you realize you have made a mistake?
• Give an example of a time when you had to be a leader and motivate your team to do a certain activity.

Fifth step: onsite interview

This is generally the last part of the interview process, but remember that it also depends on the company. This is the moment when you are going to meet the people and the environment you will probably be working in and it can be at a company location, or virtually, depending on the type of job you're applying to.

If you got to this part of the process, you are probably a strong candidate for the position, but the company still needs to check whether you are the right fit for that job or not. Sometimes, companies take multiple days to finish the process and at an onsite interview, you could meet some of the leaders and coworkers you could be working with. What is very important is that you research the company's process and learn more about their steps.

After reading this material, we hope you feel more confident to start applying for job positions that seem interesting to you. No matter how confident you are, preparing is always the key to a better interview. Also, knowing that many other applicants are candidates for that same position can also be another element of nervousness. But focusing on the above tips will help you improve your performance.

Remember, interviews can also be an important way of learning new things and practicing new skills. So, trust the process to achieve your goals. If your goal involves working for a tech company based in the USA, sign up for Higlobe when you start getting paid so that you can keep more of your hard earned money. Use Higlobe to get paid in US dollars with an authentic USD bank account while enjoying unlimited international transactions for a low, monthly fee!

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