Interview Coaching

Session
Self-Introduction
1. State your profession with a smile.
“I am a software developer with over 5 years of experience specializing in [area of specialization]”

2. Highlight your skills and qualifications that make you a good fit for the role.
“My skills include __________ . I am proficient in __________ .”

3. Briefly highlight your previous job experiences as you start from the latest. Be specific about recent projects
and achievements. If you worked with a team, state your contributions as a developer.

4. State you hobbies and interests briefly.

5. Express your interest in becoming an essential asset for the client.

“I am looking forward to growing professionally with your team as I help you reach your goals through the
projects that I will be doing.”
Soft Skills Interview
Soft Skills Interview
a. “How do you handle pressure at work?”

· Being reactive rather than being stressed

· Embracing pressure to stay motivated to work
· Pressure harnesses creativity

“I see pressure as an advantage because it keeps me motivated and dedicated to my work.

When there is pressure I can harness my creativity and arrive solutions to problems.
Rather than to be stressed, I embrace pressure and take it to my advantage.”

b. “How was your relationship with your colleagues and boss?”

· Making good friends while maintaining professionalism at work

“I have made a lot of good friends at work because of my positive attitude.

I have always maintained my professionalism though. I know how to distinguish work matters
from personal matters. I balance my tasks and my life outside of it.”

“I appreciate how my former boss helped me learn and grow as a person.

His leadership style gives a balance between friendship and being task-oriented.”
Soft Skills Interview
c. “What is your opinion of CHANGE?”

· Prototyping - learning how to adapt to situations quickly despite having an initial plan
· Importance of change for my growth

“I am not afraid to deal with change because I know it is constant. The best way to respond
to change is to bravely adapt to situations quickly no matter how uncertain the results might be,
instead of overthinking and complaining. If I won’t change, I won’t grow.”

d. “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

· Highlight strengths more than weaknesses

· Weaknesses are inevitable - BE HONEST!
· Tell the client how you are currently managing your weaknesses and flaws

“I am good at [skills that are related to the tasks].

My weakness is that sometimes I can be an introvert. I am dealing with it by hanging out
with my colleagues more often. I am also planning to join workshops focused on speaking and
interacting with my colleagues.”
Soft Skills Interview
e. Oral and written communication skills

TIP: Speak with a moderate voice.

Be careful with your pronunciation and grammar.
Speak slowly so you won’t lose your thoughts.

f. “What challenges are you looking from this job?”

“I am looking forward to those challenges that will make me think critically, learn new things,
and make me grow.”

g. What I know about the company

“Cloud Employee is an IT offshoring company dedicated to provide talented software

developers to tech businesses in the UK, other parts of Europe, USA, Canada and Australia.
Cloud Employee is a Western-managed company; our company climate and standards are
exceptional and always customer-centric.”
Technical Skills Interview
Technical Skills Interview
a. Discuss previous projects and how you completed them successfully

Follow this framework:

What was the project all about?
What were the key features of the software that you were developing?
How will you evaluate the final project?

b. Projects and obstacles you were able to identify

· BE SPECIFIC
· Clients wants to know that you are a good obstacle-finder; you can anticipate problems
and respond to them accordingly
· Proactivity is a good thing!

c. Knowledge about software development principles (Agile, Waterfall, Lean)

*depends on the client

Technical Skills Interview
d. Coding knowledge

· Programming languages applicable to cleint’s requirements

e. Client communication precedures and strategies

· How were updates, feedback and reports communicated to your previous client?
· Communication is two-way; listening to your client is essential
· Empathy is also essential to the client

f. Other technical skills assessment

· Do not be a show-off - being confident is different from being boastful

Other Tips
Be mindful of client impressions

· How you speak and use body language - SMILE and make EYE CONTACT
· How you establish rapport
· Don’t hesitate to ask client to repeat the question if you did not hear or understand

Let your client finish talking first before you speak or ask a question.

Sample questions to ask your client:

· In what manner and how often shall we do the catch-up and feedback sessions?
· What certain weaknesses do you think I need to improve for this project?
· What are the key performance indicators that you need to measure from me?
· What are the other challenges of this role that I need to prepare for?
UK OFFICE
77 New Cavendish Street,
London W1W 6XB
T: +44 20 3287 3122
AUSTRALIA OFFICE
Cloud Employee PTY Ltd., 100
Harris St., Sydney NSW 2009
T: +61 280 918078
MANILA - PHILIPPINES OFFICE
191 Zeta Building, Salcedo
Street, Makati City, Metro
Manila Philippines
T: +63 2 750 4026

Find out more at

cloudemployee.co.uk