The hottest Interviewing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

How We Hire at Clipboard

Creating Value from Nothing • 291 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. They hire for skill over resume polish by using role-relevant exercises and case studies so candidates can show real work instead of relying on proxies like past titles.
  2. The process is intentionally clear and structured, with written prompts and expectations shared up front so candidates know the effort required and can decide if it’s a fit.
  3. Culture fit means thriving in a high-ownership environment—show clarity, judgment, and follow-through in your case work, and explain your reasoning and assumptions more than chasing a single ‘right’ answer.

A Job at Microsoft: Getting and Passing the Interview

Rod’s Blog • 575 implied HN points • 04 Jan 24
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Finding the right opportunity at Microsoft can be about letting things unfold naturally, embracing roles that align with your skills while leaving room for growth.
  2. Getting an interview at Microsoft often depends on having a strong advocate within the company willing to support and recommend you.
  3. During the interview process at Microsoft, showcasing a willingness to learn, sharing real-world experiences, and being prepared to discuss inclusivity can make a positive impact.
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How to Interview Like a Pro

Perspectives • 11 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Interviewing is a distinct skill separate from doing the job, so practice how you communicate and structure answers until you can clearly show your fit.
  2. Prepare a small bank of adaptable stories that prove failure, leadership, influence, and impact, and tailor those stories to what each company values.
  3. Focus on what the interviewer actually hears—connect first, show judgment, pause to collect your thoughts when needed, and help them imagine you already owning the problem.

How to know if CNN’s Trump town hall succeeds

steveinskeep • 255 implied HN points • 10 May 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Interviewing
  1. Interviewing political figures like Trump is necessary for coverage and can help understand their message to followers.
  2. Consideration is needed on how to cover a political figure like Trump, balancing live interviews with proper context and clarification.
  3. Media coverage of political figures needs to be proportional, providing a variety of voices and sources to avoid dominance by any one candidate.

Some thoughts on interviewing

Tech and Tea • 575 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. The job market is currently very competitive with candidates facing challenges in finding suitable roles.
  2. Many qualified candidates are opting out of the job market to pursue personal projects or explore alternative work arrangements.
  3. Interviewing can be tiring and unpredictable, requiring kindness and respect towards candidates.

There's Nothing Wrong with Tucker Interviewing Putin. It's Called Journalism.

Public • 521 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Interviewing
  1. Interviewing newsworthy personalities is a part of journalism and shouldn't require an apology.
  2. Criticism of interview questions is fair, but smearing someone for interviewing influential figures hinders journalism principles.
  3. Journalists should strive to interview leaders from all sides of major issues to allow for a broader perspective.

All About Career History Interviews

Tech and Tea • 295 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Career history interviews provide valuable insights into a candidate's learning capacity, adaptability, and mindset over time, beyond just current abilities.
  2. In a career history interview, ask structured questions for each job/project to understand achievements, challenges faced, relationships, and reasons for leaving.
  3. Look for communication style and red flags like poor communication, lack of awareness, and negativity during career history interviews to assess candidate suitability.

A Typology of Interviewer Styles

Autoscriptorium • 39 implied HN points • 11 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Interviewing
  1. Different interviewer styles exist, like 'The Cop' who aims to extract facts through interrogation room tricks.
  2. Interviewers can fall into categories like 'The Wimp' who struggles with confrontation and uncertainties.
  3. 'The Contender' is driven by a goal but may devolve into arguments during the interview process.

You're Doing STAR Format Answers Wrong. Here's How to Do It the Right Way

Behavioral OS for Techies • 1 HN point • 22 Aug 24
🚌 Education Interviewing
  1. Be specific when you describe the situation. Give details about your role, the company, and the timeframe to help the interviewer understand the context better.
  2. Clearly outline the task by breaking it down into key components. Make sure to emphasize its urgency and importance to show the complexity of what you handled.
  3. When sharing your actions, use 'I' statements to show your personal contributions. Provide details of your thought process, skills, and the steps you took to highlight your expertise.

Frontend as part of the engineering culture

Sergiy’s Substack • 4 HN points • 07 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Interviewing
  1. Frontend engineering should be treated as a first-class citizen within organizations, with equal importance and attention given to both design and performance.
  2. Interview processes for frontend roles should focus on problem-solving skills relevant to the job, rather than algorithm memorization.
  3. Maintain a balanced leadership focus on both frontend and backend, communicate the importance of frontend work, and provide resources for learning and appreciation of frontend development.

[Solution]Mastermind Code Decoding [Facebook]

Technology Made Simple • 19 implied HN points • 10 Dec 21
🕹 Technology Interviewing
  1. The problem involves a two-player game called Mastermind where one player must guess the other player's secret code based on feedback provided after each guess.
  2. Implementing a brute force solution as a first step can provide a structured approach, help avoid freezing up during interviews, give hints for optimization, and showcase organization.
  3. Optimizing brute force solutions involves narrowing down the pool of possible solutions based on the constraints provided in the problem, which can significantly reduce the search space.

Sweating small stuff / Milestones & Estimates / We need to change how we interview TPMs

Building Rome(s) • 7 implied HN points • 13 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Interviewing
  1. Sweating the small stuff is crucial in tech program management, focusing on minor details that can lead to major obstacles.
  2. Using milestones instead of estimates can improve project planning and organizing tasks effectively.
  3. There is a need to revamp the way Technical Program Managers (TPMs) are interviewed, with a more tailored approach to assess their skills.

TBM 274: How Capable Leaders Navigate Uncertainty and Ambiguity

The Beautiful Mess • 3 HN points • 25 Feb 24
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Accepting one's role in a problem is vital for capable leadership. Recognizing personal contributions to a situation allows for growth and improvement.
  2. Encouraging new interaction patterns fosters creativity and growth. Facilitating connections and exposure to new experiences can lead to positive outcomes.
  3. Patiently allowing for divergence and exploring multiple solutions is key. Resisting the urge to rush towards solutions can yield more innovative and effective approaches.

Who Wouldn't Enjoy Torturing Lawyers?

Life Since the Baby Boom • 3 HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Google had a unique approach to interviewing potential employees, focusing on problem-solving and thinking on one's feet.
  2. The author shares their experience of transitioning from an engineer to a technical advisor in patent litigation, emphasizing the importance of creative thinking in legal roles.
  3. Interview questions for patent lawyers and patent acquisition specialists were tailored to test their ability to analyze, think critically, and make decisions under pressure.

How to hire engineering talent without the BS

The Incrementalist • 2 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Assessing engineering talent should focus on real-world problem-solving skills rather than memorization or speed.
  2. Conducting effective technical interviews involves being transparent about the process, asking questions that reflect the job's demands, and ensuring consistency among interviewers.
  3. Show empathy during interviews, guide the candidate through the process, and provide timely feedback to create a positive candidate experience.

Stuff you absolutley need to do before your next interview

Austin's Analects • 0 implied HN points • 05 Aug 20
🚌 Education Interviewing
  1. Research about the company thoroughly before your interview, including its industry, mission, culture, and competitors.
  2. Prepare answers to common interview questions on your strengths, weaknesses, job interest, and why you're the right fit for the role.
  3. Create a list of thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer, like their reasons for joining the company and the daily work culture.

3 interview questions you ABSOLUTELY NEED to know the answ

Austin's Analects • 0 implied HN points • 01 Aug 20
🚌 Education Interviewing
  1. Prepare for interviews by being confident in answering 3-5 questions from each of 5 types of categories to be ready for any interview situation.
  2. Personal interview questions aim to help interviewers learn more about you, build a profile, and understand your background and goals.
  3. Commonly asked personal interview questions include 'Tell me about yourself,' 'What are your strengths?', and 'What are your weaknesses?' Be prepared to answer these effectively to succeed in interviews.

How to get an interview with any company you want

Austin's Analects • 0 implied HN points • 28 Jul 20
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Emphasize the importance of networking in securing interviews. Having a strong network increases your chances more than just having a good resume or grades.
  2. Communication plays a crucial role throughout the process. Keep in touch with your contacts consistently, updating them on your progress and thanking them for their support.
  3. Identify your dream company and build a strategy around connecting with employees and recruiters to increase your chances of landing an interview.

How to interview: Probe, probe, probe

Data Science Daily • 0 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. In interviews, it's important to dig deep by asking detailed questions about projects and methodologies.
  2. Evaluate models not just based on accuracy, but also consider factors like false positive rates.
  3. Being aware of potential biases or traps in evaluation can help in making more informed decisions.

Follow-Up Email and Letter Examples for After an Interview

Job Interview Society • 0 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
💼 Business Interviewing
  1. Sending a follow-up email or letter after an interview demonstrates professionalism and interest in the role.
  2. There are different types of follow-up emails you can send after an interview, including thank you notes and expressions of enthusiasm for the job.
  3. Following up with a thoughtful email can make a difference in staying at the forefront of the hiring manager's mind and potentially improving your chances of getting hired.

Rethinking the Developer Hiring Process

Iceberg • 0 implied HN points • 01 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Interviewing
  1. Developer hiring process involves tests for coding and system design skills, regardless of prior experience.
  2. Challenges in developer hiring include absence of regulation, varied tools, and mismatches in qualifications.
  3. Suggested shift from direct full-time positions to a contractor-to-full-time model for more accurate hiring.

The three questions I ask every designer I interview

Better After a Nap • 0 implied HN points • 01 May 23
🪑 Design Interviewing
  1. When asked about your design story in an interview, share your journey and motivations, not just a list of jobs.
  2. Find inspiration from diverse sources beyond just design websites like Dribbble.
  3. During an interview, show curiosity and ask engaging questions to demonstrate your interest and understanding of the job and organization.

Interview Questions About Your Educational Background

Job Interview Society • 0 implied HN points • 20 Feb 23
🚌 Education Interviewing
  1. Employers may ask about your educational background in job interviews, so be prepared with clear answers about your qualifications and experiences.
  2. Focus on highlighting skills and knowledge that match the employer's needs when discussing your education during interviews.
  3. By providing meaningful responses about your educational background, you can demonstrate to employers that you are a qualified candidate for the job.

A Google Interviewing Story

paultyma • 0 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Interviewing
  1. When interviewing after a break, start with less important jobs to ease back in and learn nuances
  2. Google's interviewing process is long, rigorous, and fair, aiming to assess your abilities accurately
  3. Sometimes, unconventional thinking in problem-solving can make a big impact, even in interviews