Confessions from a Big Tech Hiring Manager: Tips for Software Engineering Interviews

Summary

In this insightful video, Gargay, a seasoned hiring manager at companies like Skyscanner and Uber, shares valuable advice for job seekers targeting big tech firms. He emphasizes that while recruiters are often your biggest allies, it's the interviewers who reflect the company culture. Gargay suggests candidates prepare thoroughly with resources like 'Cracking the Coding Interview' and 'Grokking Algorithms', and highlights the importance of treating interviews as learning opportunities rather than solely focusing on the outcome. He also stresses the significance of communication skills and curiosity, which are highly valued in big tech environments. By being fully present, asking questions, and viewing interviews as a two-way street, candidates can make a strong impression and gain valuable insights into the company.

Takeaways

• 😀 The experience with a recruiter may not fully represent the company culture, as they are part of a separate function from engineering.
• 🔎 Interviewers and hiring managers are more indicative of the company culture than recruiters, so pay attention to their behavior during the interview process.
• 🤝 Recruiters are often on the candidate's side and can be a valuable resource for advice and support throughout the hiring process.
• 📚 Preparation for big tech interviews should include studying data structures, algorithms, and possibly system design for more senior roles.
• 🛠 Practice coding and whiteboarding, even if the latter is becoming less common, as it may still be part of the interview process at some companies.
• 💡 Adopt a learning mindset for interviews, focusing on gaining knowledge and experience rather than solely on the outcome.
• 🗣️ Communication and teamwork are highly valued, so engaging in conversation with interviewers can leave a positive impression.
• 👂 Be fully present during interviews, actively listen to questions, and don't be afraid to ask for clarification or to ask questions in return.
• 🔄 Interviews are a two-way street; use them as an opportunity to assess the company and determine if it's a good fit for you.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Recognize that big tech interviews can be exhausting and may not fully represent the day-to-day work environment, but they do offer a glimpse into high-pressure situations.
• 🔄 View rejections as learning experiences that contribute to your growth and preparation for future interviews.

Q & A

What is the speaker's background and why is he qualified to give advice on hiring?

The speaker, Gargay, has been a hiring manager for about five years at companies like Skyscanner and Uber. He also communicates with many other hiring managers, which gives him a unique perspective and knowledge to share advice on the hiring process.

Why might a recruiter's experience not fully represent the company culture?

A recruiter's experience might not represent the company culture because recruitment and engineering are separate functions reporting to different departments. While companies that care about employee well-being typically invest in their hiring processes, the recruiter's role is distinct from the engineering team's, and their behavior might not reflect the day-to-day culture of the engineering team.

How can a recruiter be an advocate for a candidate during the hiring process?

A recruiter can be an advocate for a candidate by supporting them throughout the hiring process. Since recruiters have hiring targets to meet, they are often rooting for candidates to succeed. They may provide advice, preparation resources, and even advocate for the candidate during debriefs if they believe the candidate has potential.

What is the role of interviewers in reflecting the company culture during the hiring process?

Interviewers, who are typically engineers or hiring managers within the company, can give candidates a more accurate representation of the company culture. Their behavior, whether friendly and accommodating or unfriendly and rude, can indicate what it's like to work at the company.

What resources are recommended for preparing for technical interviews at big tech companies?

The speaker recommends resources like 'Cracking the Coding Interview' for foundational knowledge, 'Grokking Algorithms' for a concise and visual understanding of algorithms, and 'The System Design Interview' for more senior candidates looking to understand system design concepts.

Why is it important for candidates to treat every interview as a learning opportunity?

Treating every interview as a learning opportunity helps candidates to be more relaxed, ask more questions, and engage in a collaborative exercise with the interviewer. This mindset can lead to a better impression, as hiring managers appreciate candidates who show curiosity and a desire to learn.

How can candidates take advantage of a recruiter's role as an advocate?

Candidates can take advantage of a recruiter's advocacy by asking for advice, support, and insights. They can be honest about where they need help and request preparation resources or information about common challenges in the hiring process.

What is the recommended mindset for candidates going into big tech interviews?

The recommended mindset is to focus on learning and not on the outcome of the interview. Candidates should approach the interview with curiosity, treating it as an opportunity to learn from smart people and solve interesting problems together with the interviewers.

Why is it beneficial for candidates to ask questions during the interview process?

Asking questions during the interview process shows that candidates are curious, engaged, and unafraid to have a conversation. It also allows them to learn more about the company and how it operates, which can be valuable information if they receive an offer.

How should candidates approach behavioral interviews with hiring managers?

Candidates should approach behavioral interviews by being fully present, understanding the questions, and having a conversation with the hiring manager. They should not be afraid to clarify questions and should focus on having a meaningful dialogue rather than simply reciting prepared answers.

What is the significance of interviews being a two-way street in the context of big tech interviews?

Interviews being a two-way street means that while candidates are being evaluated, they should also evaluate the company. Candidates should ask questions to understand if they would want to work at the company, considering factors like culture, work-life balance, and opportunities for growth.

Why should candidates view interviews as valuable experiences, even if they result in rejection?

Candidates should view interviews as valuable experiences because they provide an opportunity to learn and gain expertise, regardless of the outcome. Each interview, whether successful or not, contributes to their growth and prepares them for future opportunities.

How can the stress experienced during big tech interviews relate to the stress of working at these companies?

The stress experienced during big tech interviews can be an indicator of the stress levels that might be encountered in the work environment, especially during crunch times or when meeting deadlines. However, this may not always be the case, as some teams or companies might have different stress levels.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ Hiring Manager Insights and Interview Advice

In this paragraph, the speaker, Gargay, introduces himself as a hiring manager with experience at companies like Skyscanner and Uber. He aims to provide a perspective from the other side of the interview process and offers advice for job applicants. Gargay discusses the misconception that the recruitment experience is representative of the company culture. He explains that while companies caring about employee well-being often have good hiring processes, the recruitment and engineering functions are separate, and a recruiter's performance doesn't necessarily reflect the company as a whole. He emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the interviewers and hiring managers, as their behavior is more indicative of the company culture. Gargay also reveals that recruiters are often advocates for candidates, as their performance is tied to successful hires, and advises job seekers to leverage this by asking recruiters for advice and support.

05:00

📚 Preparation and Mindset for Big Tech Interviews

The speaker focuses on how to prepare for big tech interviews, emphasizing that there's no excuse for unpreparedness given the availability of resources. He suggests books like 'Cracking the Coding Interview' and 'Grokking Algorithms' for foundational knowledge in data structures and algorithms. Gargay also recommends 'The System Design Interview' for more senior candidates. He advises candidates to practice coding and whiteboarding, and to be comfortable with their language of choice. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on mindset, suggesting candidates treat every interview as a learning opportunity and focus on the process rather than the outcome. This approach not only reduces stress but also fosters a collaborative and curious attitude, which interviewers value.

10:00

🤝 The Importance of Communication and Curiosity in Interviews

This paragraph highlights the importance of communication skills during interviews. The speaker points out that poor communicators may struggle to get offers, even if technically proficient. He encourages candidates to be curious, ask questions, and engage in a collaborative dialogue with interviewers. Gargay advises candidates to be fully present during interviews, to clarify questions when needed, and to not be afraid to ask the interviewer questions in return. This approach not only demonstrates curiosity but also helps candidates to learn more about the company and its processes. The speaker also stresses the importance of treating interviews as a two-way street, where candidates should feel empowered to interview the company to determine if it's a good fit for them.

15:02

🔄 The Exhaustive Nature of Big Tech Interviews and Their Value

The speaker discusses the exhausting nature of big tech interviews, which can involve multiple sessions and high-pressure situations. He notes that while interviews may not fully represent the day-to-day experience at big tech companies, they can provide a glimpse into the high-paced and sometimes stressful environment. Gargay also addresses the misconception that a rejection is a waste of time, arguing that every interview is an opportunity to gain valuable experience and learn. He encourages candidates to view interviews as a chance to interact with smart people and to improve their skills for future opportunities.

20:02

👍 Engaging with the Audience and Seeking Feedback

In the final paragraph, the speaker engages with the audience by inviting them to like, subscribe, and follow along for more content on software engineering and injury management topics. He expresses gratitude for the audience's interest and offers to answer questions or create more videos based on audience feedback. This paragraph serves as a call to action, encouraging viewers to participate in the channel's community and contribute to the content creation process.

Keywords

💡Hiring Manager

A hiring manager is an individual responsible for overseeing the recruitment process within a company. In the context of the video, the speaker is a hiring manager who has worked for companies like Skyscanner and Uber. The role involves making decisions about hiring and is a key point of contact for candidates. The video discusses how a candidate's experience with a recruiter may not always reflect the company culture, but the behavior of interviewers and hiring managers can be more indicative.

💡Recruiter

A recruiter is a professional who seeks out potential candidates for job positions and facilitates the hiring process. The script mentions that recruiters report to HR and are distinct from hiring managers. They are often the first point of contact for candidates and can provide support and advice throughout the application process. The video emphasizes that recruiters are typically advocates for the candidates, aiming to help them succeed in the hiring process.

💡Big Tech

Big Tech refers to large technology companies, often global in scope and having a significant influence on the industry. Examples given in the script include Uber, Lyft, Google, and Facebook. These companies are known for rigorous hiring processes and are popular destinations for software engineers and other tech professionals. The video discusses the interview process and expectations at such companies.

💡Interviewers

Interviewers are the individuals who conduct job interviews to assess a candidate's suitability for a position. In the script, it is suggested that the demeanor of interviewers, such as engineers at a company, can reflect the company culture more accurately than the experience with recruiters. Positive interactions with interviewers can provide insights into what working at the company might be like.

💡Candidate Experience

Candidate experience refers to how a job applicant perceives and feels about the recruitment process. The video mentions that companies that care about employee well-being often invest in positive candidate experiences, such as soliciting feedback on the interview process. This can be an indicator of the company's values and treatment of its employees.

💡Behavioral Interview

A behavioral interview is a type of interview that focuses on past behaviors and experiences as a predictor of future performance. In the script, the hiring manager discusses the importance of being present and engaged during such interviews, as well as the value of asking questions and having a two-way conversation.

💡Technical Interview

A technical interview is a job interview that assesses a candidate's technical skills and knowledge, often through problem-solving tasks or discussions of technical concepts. The script mentions that for software engineering roles, candidates can expect to encounter coding exercises and questions related to data structures and algorithms.

💡System Design

System design is a process that involves creating a high-level overview of a system's architecture, components, and interactions. The script suggests that more senior candidates should be prepared to discuss system design during interviews, indicating an understanding of how complex systems are built and managed.

💡Mock Interview

A mock interview is a practice session that simulates a real job interview, providing candidates with an opportunity to prepare and receive feedback. The video mentions mock interviews as a paid service for those who are not getting real interview opportunities, suggesting they can be a valuable learning experience.

💡Learning Mindset

A learning mindset refers to approaching a situation with the intention of gaining knowledge and skills, rather than solely focusing on the outcome. The video emphasizes the importance of having a learning mindset during interviews, which can lead to a more positive experience and better performance, as it encourages curiosity and engagement with the interview process.

💡Cultural Fit

Cultural fit describes how well a candidate's personal values, work style, and behaviors align with those of a company. The script suggests that a candidate's experience with interviewers can be more indicative of the company culture than their experience with recruiters. It also encourages candidates to ask questions about the company culture during interviews to ensure it aligns with their own values and expectations.

Highlights

Recruitment experience may not fully represent the company culture.

Companies that care about employee well-being invest in hiring processes.

Recruitment and engineering are separate functions with different reporting lines.

Interviewers' behavior can be more indicative of company culture than recruiters.

Recruiters are often advocates for candidates and can provide valuable insights.

Preparation resources like 'Cracking the Coding Interview' and 'Grokking Algorithms' are recommended.

For senior roles, 'The System Design Interview' book is suggested for preparation.

Practicing coding and whiteboarding is essential for technical interviews.

Treat every interview as a learning opportunity and focus on the process, not the outcome.

Being curious and asking questions during the interview can leave a positive impression.

Communication skills are crucial for getting offers at big tech companies.

Pay attention and be fully present during the interview to show engagement.

Interviews are a two-way street; candidates should also interview the company.

Asking questions during the interview shows curiosity and a desire to learn.

Interviews can be exhausting and may not fully represent the day-to-day work experience.

Rejected interviews are not wasted time; they provide valuable experience for future opportunities.

Transcripts

hey this is gargay with the pragmatic

engineer and today

i'm gonna talk about some of my

confessions as

a hiring manager i've been a hiring

manager for about five years at

skyscanner later at uber

i also know a lot of other hiring

managers who i talk with and i want to

give a bit of perspective from the other

side

and also some advice that you might find

useful when applying next one is how is

that big tech this can be from the likes

of uber

lyft all the way to google facebook and

other big tech companies

first your experience with the recruiter

themselves

it might not fully be indicative with

the experience with the company

now this is an interesting one and i've

been talking with hiring managers some

hiring managers who disagree with this

and

they say that they think the recruitment

experience will be representative of the

company which i

somewhat agree with companies who care

about employee well-being typically

invest a lot in their hiring processes

so they will measure satisfaction of

candidates going through the loop

they'll want to try to filter out

recruiters who are not doing that great

so for example if you're asked to rate

what the process was like

and you're getting reach out for

feedback that probably means that that

company

cares about their employees and also

their candidates

and companies who do this definitely

include the likes of google facebook

and some other companies as well at uber

when i was there we also started to do

reach out at least in my area

to see what candidates thought about the

process now at the same time

recruitment and entering are two

separate functions they also report

differently recruitment reports into hr

or the hr cyto world and engineering

reports into the cto or engineering

you're going to interact with the

recruiter for a lot of time during the

process

the engineering manager and the

interviewers they're going to have a

dotted line with the recruiter

they're going to talk every now and then

but if you have a recruiter who let's

say doesn't follow up

all the time or is not as responsive it

might not mean that the company is like

that

now what will be indicative of the

culture is the interviewers

so the interviewers engineers themselves

if they come across as not friendly

or rude or on the positive side if they

come across as

as nice people curious accommodating

that will be a lot more indicative of

what you can expect at the company

so i would say pay a lot more attention

to the engineers and the interviewers

and the hiring managers you talk with on

the process

than the recruiters it might have also

gone the other way you might have had a

really positive experience with a

recruiter

someone was really attentive you might

have had a really good feeling

maybe they just made you feel really

comfortable and feeling good about this

place

and when you start the team might just

be different again the recruiter doesn't

work on the engineering team

they work with the recruiting team and

their goal is to try to help candidates

as best as they can

another thing that a few people know is

after you've gone to the resume

screening

and you're talking with the recruiter

and you're going to the phone screen

interview

the recruiter will be on your side

they're going to be one of your biggest

advocates i've seen this multiple time

now this makes a lot of sense if you

understand how recruiting works

a recruiter is given numbers to hit

they're told

hey i want you to hire this many people

in this quarter it could be 10 people

20 people here's the seats i want you to

fill and every time someone is hired

it's an achievement you know as an ngo

you should features recruiters hire

people so whenever someone's in the

funnel and they think this person has a

chance

which is why they had them go through

the resume screen they're

not just rooting for them they want to

help them now the way you can take

advantage of this

is ask the recruiter for advice for

support

for insights you can be honest with them

on where you think you need help

and you can ask them for preparation

resources you can ask them for advice on

where do people usually struggle in the

process have you seen areas where you

think

it might make sense to focus on areas

where the company is a bit more tough

you can ask them about the process

the recruiter will tell you as much

about the process as they know

because it's in their interest for you

to do well i know some recruiters who i

worked with at uber

who actually coached some of the

candidates so they told them hey you

should

study this you should look into this

they also quizzed them on a couple of

questions

preparing them for the phone screen

because if you do well as a candidate

it does make the recruiter look good

this is a similar

misconception as sometimes people think

their managers might be out there to get

them

maybe they're giving them poor

performance views because they don't

like them

as a manager if people do well on your

team and people get promoted

it makes you look really good same thing

with big tech

with the recruiter if you do well it

makes your recruiter look good and

they're going to be

one of your biggest allies throughout

the process i've been on debriefs where

the panel was a bit of a maybe and the

recruiter injected themselves and they

started to advocate for this person

i'm going to say that for 80 of the time

the recruiter

will be your biggest ally throughout the

process the other 20

is when you connect with someone at the

interview it could be the hiring manager

it could be another

interviewer who really feel this

connection they feel you've done really

well on that on that specific interview

and they will fight for you but that

happens a lot more rare than the

recruiter sticking the neck out for you

alright the next topic is how to prepare

for

the big tech interview and what kind of

mindset should you go there with

so first on preparation i mean these

days i don't think there is any excuse

for you to not prepare

on what you should be expecting on the

onsite blue for any big tech and it will

be pretty similar

it'll be coding you're going to be given

exercises with data structures or

algorithms

i'm talking to journalists software

engineers if you're interviewing for

something specialist for like web or

mobile there might be

something a bit more domain specific but

for the most part

even at big tech even when we were hired

for mobile or web

at uber we would ask the journalists

questions in the phone screen

and to prepare you should probably get

something like cracking the coding

interview

i've had multiple versions of this book

it just gives you the foundation

on everything from data structures basic

algorithms

again most big tech companies will not

go too crazy into

algorithms even though a lot of

preparation focuses on that

i would focus more on just coding data

structure solving simpler problems

it's always a question on how much

should you look into i would recommend

groking algorithms which is a pretty

short book

you can cover it pretty quickly it has

very visual representations of all the

main algorithms

i don't think you're gonna need more

than this at the majority of the

interviews

just for reference when i prepare for

interviews at facebook and uber

i actually went a bit further and i got

these two

massive books the algorithm bibles if

you will

and i started to make my way through

them

i i probably made it until the the third

of it it's got a lot of maths

in it it's got good content but i would

not recommend this i have not used

any of this advanced knowledge either on

my job or on the interview

so you know if you want to spend a bunch

of money just get it

but i recommend grocking algorithms over

these two and also

content-wise you'll be better off and if

you're more senior

should probably look into some things

like system design the best book i can

recommend is the systems design

interview and insider's guide

and there's a bunch of online resources

and so on that you can look into

obviously cover the main basics make

sure that you're comfortable with the

language

of your choice at big tech you typically

can choose whatever language you want to

use

so just make sure you know that language

pretty well with the primitives what it

supports and what it doesn't support

just practice practice coding practice

whiteboard designing

interviews whiteboarding is slowly

starting to get out of style but some

places just do it

just look up for a specific company the

preparation advice

and there are some articles that will

complain about how much you need to

prepare for these interviews

i personally think you prepare once and

that knowledge sticks for you for a long

time

and by the way you can start preparing

early you don't need to wait until

you are going to go to interview for one

of these big companies the earlier you

start

the better obviously having an interview

lined up is a great motivator

but if you start inching away and

knowing your your data structures your

hash maps your hash tables

your stacks cues some of the basic

sorting algorithms etc

you'll have less preparation to do when

you decide to interview the next thing

is mindset the mindset that i've seen

work really well both for me

and for candidates who i've interviewed

is treat

every interview as a learning

opportunity and don't care about the

outcome don't even focus about the

outcome

a lot of people go into interviews and

they're focused on doing well

and they're really focused on am i going

to make it am i going to make it through

this interview

but if you turn this around and you go

into this interview you kind of feel

a bit like an underdog feeling like well

i i have so much to learn and i have the

opportunity to talk to these

smart people who are working at this

company and i'm gonna learn something i

don't know what it is but i'm gonna go

in there with an open mind and i'm just

gonna learn

first of all you're gonna get a lot more

out of it because even if you get a

rejection

you never expect it to go through or at

least you didn't really care about what

the outcome was

and you'll definitely take something

away so even if you can't finish the

interview

or you get stuck instead of you know

being stressed out

you're gonna ask the interviewer like

that's interesting so i think i'm stuck

here but do you have any ideas on where

i could go

or do you have any ideas on what i might

have missed

so you're now turning a conversation

into more of a curious one

and also it just changes the dynamics

you're going to ask a lot more questions

from interviewers which

as interviewers we love questions so

what am i interviewing i love when

people

treat it as a collaborative exercise

there's this preconception of people's

head

that you go there to interview they give

you a question you need to spit out the

perfect solution and you're done

well that gives me as an interviewer to

signal that you can solve the thing

somehow maybe you just knew the question

by the way but

it doesn't give me anything on teamwork

if i could choose between

someone who just did this they stay

quiet for i don't know five minutes and

then spit out the perfect solution

or someone who talks with me throughout

the process they tell me what they're

thinking

they they ask me some questions they

confirm that the assumption is correct

i'm gonna get a lot more signal from

that person and

and i'll say well this person not only

solved it but they did good teamwork

good communication which is really

important that big tech

at big tech you're gonna work so much

with people

communication is starting to be one of

the signals that is a key

signal that people are collecting

basically people who are not good at

communication

will have a harder time getting an offer

even if they're good at coding

so just take this mindset and don't just

do it for the interview dude even before

and after when you talk with a recruiter

tell them that you're super excited to

learn

you're excited to get feedback you know

there's things that you can get better

at

and you'll see where this goes but do it

on the interview as well so when you

introduce yourself you know you can just

tell that you're excited to be here

you're excited to learn something new

and to solve problems together with the

interviewer when you're doing the

problems

don't think about them being stuff think

about this is an interesting problem

that i didn't come across and this is so

interesting i wish

i knew how to solve it let me work with

the interviewers to see

what i can do when you finished and you

got the solution don't just stop there

and say like oh i'm done say

hmm i wonder if there's any edge cases

that i didn't cover when people ask you

how

you would productionize the code you

tell them how you do it and then you

turn around and say

but how do you do it at your place what

other things do you do do you have

canary

tests for example would you actually do

that what is your rule of strategy

how do you deploy code what does your

day look like just be curious

go there wanting to learn something and

you're going to learn a bunch of stuff

about how the company works how those

engineers work

and you're gonna make a lot better

impression as a hiring manager

and it's not just myself but most hiring

managers we love curious people

when you go into big tech you're not

gonna know half the stuff because the

internal systems are different

you've never seen them unless you've

worked at that company and even if you

did a few years ago they've changed

already

you need to be curious and a fast

learner and those are the type of people

who are more likely to get offers as

well

so just go in with this mindset focus on

learning and not the outcome

in the worst case you go to a couple of

interviews you learn a bunch of stuff

yes you get rejections but you learn a

bunch of stuff and then you get an offer

at a place where

you just knew everything by that time

you've just learned it on the way with

interviews

the next advice is pay attention and be

fully present

there's a lot of advice videos from

people who have cleared interviews at

amazon google facebook all these places

and they're gonna tell you how to

beat the behavioral interview with the

hiring manager

that's me i'm the hiring manager so

let's play this out

hey i'm gary guy i'm a hiring manager at

this company i'll

talk a little bit myself about my

background and i've read your cv

i see your experience would you mind

just briefly summarizing your

experience and talk about what motivates

you looking ahead

now at this point a lot of people just

flip and they realize okay intro time

and they and their intro the stuff that

they often have practiced

they didn't pay attention that i asked

them to talk briefly about their

background and talk about their

motivation

what they're excited about what they're

motivated about and this happens a lot

of the time not just with this specific

question but i might ask them to tell me

a situation where they disagreed with

someone who was more senior

some people just start to reach into

those examples that they have written

down

in their head and they start to recite

an example that is closest to that

now the people that i really get along

really well and i pay attention to

and i think these are the people i'd

like to work with or the people

who are focused on me they're not

focused on trying to understand that

question perfectly

with the star method having the

situation the actions the outcome

they're actually listening to what i'm

asking them and they're having a

conversation

and we will often go back and forth and

reflect back on on previous things so

i do this all the time where i'm focused

on what that person is saying and i

reflect on what they're saying or what

they said before

for example in their introduction they

might have mentioned that they had this

project where they

stepped up to add tests to the project

where there was none and a lot later in

the interview i might refer back to that

saying oh

so you mentioned that you had a test at

that point can we talk a bit more about

that

especially in the context of let's say

mentorship did you mentor anyone

to to add some more tests or how would

it impact your team

and that's the same thing that i kind of

expect from people but i rarely get

is someone having a focused conversation

this is especially true with the hiring

manager or behavioral interview

being present understanding the question

clarifying it if it's not clear

i see this all too common i ask a

question and

people misunderstand it or they don't

know exactly what i'm asking and they

start to answer something they just take

one of their template answers

and it's completely clear this gives me

a signal that you're not a good

communicator

it's more important for you to not to

lose face than to clarify something

a good example of this can be a question

that i often ask is i ask people

if they have a mentor or if they're

mentoring other people

and mentoring means different things for

different people now some people the

people who pay attention they will often

clarify with me saying what do you mean

under mentoring

and then we have a conversation about

mentorship and then they're going to

tell me

what they did or what they didn't do

some people just straight up jump in

and they talk about some other thing for

example might have asked about

if they mentor someone but they

misunderstood or they don't know

and they're answering about how they had

a mentor or the other way around

these are awkward things but it shows

that you're either not present

or you don't understand what i'm saying

or you're hesitant to ask

and most importantly you're not someone

who is really having a conversation

so next time you're gonna have a hiring

manager interview a behavioral interview

and

even the normal interview make sure to

want to have this conversation

and the mindset of being curious and

wanting to learn really really helps

if you go into the mindset of i want to

do well and i want to impress

you're going to be afraid to clarify

going with the mindset what i want to

learn

well you should probably clarify to make

sure we're talking about the same thing

and also you're going to ask questions

the thing that i see

very rarely and every time it's a huge

bonus on the hiring manager interview

is people asking questions of me not

just at the end but during the interview

so for example i might ask the person

about all right well tell me how do you

testing at your current company

do you have automated tests unit tests

integration tests end-to-end tests what

is your thoughts on testing

and then they'll answer we'll talk

through and then they turn around and

ask me so

by the way can you tell me how do you do

testing what is your take on testing

me as a hiring manager rarely anyone

does it

and the people who do it shows they're

curious and they're unafraid to have a

conversation in any setting

it's not just unafraid they're actually

curious to do it so just do this be

fully present

worry less about how you'll be perceived

and have the conversation with the

interviewer the hiring manager

the design interviewer the coding

interviewer etc

the next insight is interviews are a

two-way street

you're probably feeling that you're

being interviewed but you should also

interview the company

so you should not be afraid at the end

of every interview you should ask

questions you should imagine

what if you're getting an offer do you

want to work here and there's no better

place to talk than with the engineers or

with the hiring manager

and i think you should ask honestly

questions that you care about

for example when i worked at uber in

2017 and we have this terrible press

some of the best candidates they ask

straight on they ask is the culture as

rotten as it seems and

what do you think why are you still here

if the culture is like this

and i thought that was fair questions it

was honest they

asked what they wanted to know and you

know would you want to work at a place

where

you're unsure about certain things so

you can't ask hard questions

obviously you do it with good language

and some of the professional skills

but you should ask about the things that

are important to you if diversity is

important

ask about that if work-life balance is

important ask about that as well

figure out what is important for you

learning having budgets to go to

conferences

people sharing knowledge et cetera

figure out what is important for you

you know get your dream list of what

company you love to work at

and reverse interview the company at the

end of each interview

now one of the last points is these

interviews will feel really exhausting

especially if it's in a setting where

you are do actually go on site

right now it's coveted so it's probably

going to virtual interviews and there

they likely will not be one after the

other

you know these interviews don't fully

represent what it's like working at

these companies

but they kind of represent some of the

more crunch times

so there will be days especially if

you're in a more senior position

where you will have even two of these

interviews a day multiple meetings

you'll have to get your code in there

you're on call there's now now on alert

so

i remember that my both my uber and

facebook interviews were really

exhausting

and so my some of my uber days later

were also similarly exhausting to what i

felt at the interviews not all of them

not the majority of them but some of

them

so just know that big tech often has a

higher pace especially when you are on

call which is pretty common at these

places

also when you have deadlines it's not

true anywhere so when i talked about

this topic with other hiring managers

and people working at

companies some people are saying they

don't think the stress of the interview

represents the stress of the day-to-day

especially people from google said this

i've heard some people from certain

amazon teams say the same thing

so maybe it's not true but i would

prepare that big tech pays well and is

exciting and you're working on big

things but it can be stressful

sometimes it's more often stressful

sometimes it's just every now and then

spikes

and finally as for my last insight some

people think after they get a rejection

oh i just wasted a bunch of time with

this interview i prepared so much

i went to the song side i it's just time

wasted

it's not time wasted you always gain

experience

i've had some failed interviews that

i'll i'll talk about on this channel if

there's interest

where i didn't get an offer and i got

the

expertise that i needed to get that

offer for the next job

uber is a great example i would have not

gotten into uber if i would have not

interviewed at so many places before

and i got experience every single time

even when i got an offer and also when i

didn't get an offer

i would think of every interview as an

opportunity to get experience it's a

great experience to have you talk with

smart people

now if you don't get any interviews the

option is for you to pay for mock

interviews which will be not the same

thing

you're not going to get real feedback

people will try but they'll do the best

and it costs a bunch of money i think it

costs 150 to 300 dollars per interview

something like that

so just think about that whenever you're

going to an interview you could be

paying to do a mock interview if you

didn't get this specific interview

just going with this mindset you're

going to learn a lot more

you're going to see how the interviews

work and best of luck if you have

questions about big tech interviews

just feel free to pop them in the

comments i'll either try to answer what

i can or i might make some videos on

these

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