So, you’ve found the ideal job opportunity at a company you really would like to work for. You’ve wrote a resume, applied, and were even invited for a job interview. So, how do you proceed? This guide will help you by showing you how to do well at a technical job interview, and have a better chance of getting the job. We will cover preparation, the interview itself, and the aftercare.

Even before you go to the interview, you can prepare for it. This will ensure you talk about what the company cares about, and will leave an impression of really being interested in the company. If you are well –prepared, you will be more confident, and have less reason for anxiousness.

1. Read up on the company. Check the newspapers or technical magazines on recent publications regarding the company. If there is anything noteworthy, you should know if before the interview. The more you know about the company, the better fitting your answers will be.
2. Read up on the technology. Same as with the company, you should be comfortable with the major buzzwords and terms of your technical field. Not only should you know their definition, but you should also have an opinion on them, and be able to argue about them. Chances are, you will be interviewed by an HR employee, so you should also practice in explaining in layman terms.
3. Dress up. Even for technical jobs, interviewers expect applicants to be sharply dressed. If you have a suit, wear it to the job interview. It is not possible to be over-dressed at a job interview, but it is very possible to ruin your chances by being dressed too casual.

1. Be on time! There is no excuse for being late, if you want the job. A job interview is all about first impressions, and many interviewers decide whether to hire you or not within the first minute of the interview. Being late is a bad first impression. Try to be there ahead of time, but not in the building. Walk a few blocks, or have some coffee near the office. This is also a great opportunity to scan the neighborhood, which will give you something casual to talk about before, at, or after the interview itself.
2. Arrive five minutes early. Approaching the reception five minutes before the interview allows the interviewer to send for you/pick you up in time for the interview to start on time.
3. Be observant. While waiting to be picked up, observe the building, and see if there is anything noteworthy. Statues, banners, or even displayed stock quotes can give clues to what is on the company’s mind. This again provides more casual conversation material.
4. Be responsive. Despite common thought, the job interview starts the moment you meet the interviewer, if he/she picks you up at the reception, you will have a few minutes while going to interview location, of talking casually. Talk about what you observed, the nice location, anything that shows you will feel comfortable working in that building.
5. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask what the interviewer looks for in a perfect candidate. He will most likely answer, allowing you to mirror yourself to that perfect candidate. Asking questions shows interest and openness.
6. Be confident. You are convinced you are the best candidate for the job. Your answers have to reflect that. If you find out their biggest concerns (by asking!), you can shed some light on how you would approach those concerns. Don’t go into too much detail, you don’t know all details about the concern, so there is no need of being able to provide a complete solution on the spot.
7. Be positive. Don’t put your former colleagues or companies down. This will be seen as a very negative approach, and will make a bad impression.
8. At the end of the interview, thank the interviewer for the talk, ensure you really would like the opportunity to work with them , and ask about the way forward. When can you expect a response, when are they going to decide, are there many other applicants. Again, this shows interest in the company and the process, and your eagerness to get the job.

Once the job interview is done, there is little to do but wait for the outcome. However, you can reflect for yourself how things went, and learn from the experience. Write down what went well, and what went wrong, and think on ways to avoid the negative, and strengthen the positive. After a few days,

If you haven’t heard from the company, you could risk a phone call or email to your HR contact, asking about their progress. If possible, ask whether they need any additional information, and tell them you are willing to elaborate on any remaining questions. Once again, this shows interest and eagerness. Don’t over-do it, don’t call every other day. If they tell you to not expect a decision within a week, don’t call that week.

With these steps in mind, you stand a greater chance of successfully landing that technical job. It is not a guarantee, as there may be dozens of candidates for it, but this will allow you to surely leave an impression. You may not guarantee you to get the job, but it will seriously enhance your chances.