Today, I'll share 4 controversial things that helped me to successfully pass dozens of technical interviews over the last 4 years.

Reader, this is not another 'theoretical' thing from the internet, but ACTUAL advice, that I tried in practice and that worked well for me.

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1. Be Hungry

Tip number one is to show how hungry you are.

And it doesn't mean that you shouldn't eat 24 hours before the interview 😅.

You should show that you are hungry for work, building, and learning.

You need to create a vibe of a person who is ready to work hard and who actually wants the job.

But be careful, and DO NOT LOOK DESPERATE for the job.

The easiest ways to show that you are a hungry hard worker are:

• Constantly learn and discover new things.
• Build small side projects with new technologies
• Code on weekends sometimes and talk about it

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2. Show Structured Problem-Solving Approach

If you took the right approach and structure to solve a coding problem, you already did 80% of all work.

Programming is not about just writing the code.

That's why most coders are called 'Software Engineers'. Because you engineer how the software works and operates. Code is just a tool that makes your approach work.

That's why companies value well-structured people.

To be more structured in coding study:

• Different best practices on things like
  • Performance
  • Folder Structure
  • Workflows
• Always make notes and write down your logic
• Break complex problems into small simple sub-problems
• Prepare before meetings

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3. Show willingness to learn

The chance that you'll know 100% of the technologies that the company uses is almost 0.

But most companies are okay with the fact that you don't know everything as long as you show your willingness to learn new things.

You can do it by:

• Learning new technologies and trying them in practice from time to time
• Attending conferences, meetups
• Paying attention to industry updates and changes
• Not being scared to use new things (ex. AI)

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4. Be Confident (but not overconfident)

Have you ever had an electrician who quietly entered your home, asked about the problem, worked their magic, and within minutes, the issue was resolved?

Just by observing how this person operated, you could sense they knew exactly what they were doing.

That's called professionalism.

This person didn't panic and didn't look scared or desperate.

This person knew exactly how to identify the issue and how to solve it.

AND EVERY COMPANY WANTS TO HIRE A TRUE PROFESSIONAL.

And to look professional, you need to be calm and confident in the first place.

If you start hysterically laughing, saying 'hmmmm', and being nervous when the interviewer asks something YOU IMMEDIATELY LOOK like a beginner.

It's hard not to be nervous in interviews, but do your best to be calm and confident about everything that you know.

Moreover, you should be confident about things that you don't know and say:

Do you see how much more confident it sounds vs: "Ohh... Hmm.., I'm not suuureee".

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Conclusion

With just those 4 things you'll be able to perform way better in interviews.

Besides that, you should also follow standard interview good practices (like wearing a nice shirt and not being late..).

But those were slightly non-standard tips, that I don't see a lot of people share.

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Personal Updates

As you can see this week I sent the newsletter on Wednesday instead of the usual Tuesday, because last weeks are absolutely crazy in terms of work.

We are launching ZaCode in beta mode this week (everyone who contacted me about beta access, I'll message you back soon, no worries).

And I wish the day had been more than 24 hours 😅.

But even with that tight schedule, I managed to record a YouTube video that I'll publish end of this week. It'll reveal how you can get a job in IT even in today's competitive market.

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Hope you enjoyed the email as always, and see you next week!

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Best regards,

Andrew "Interview Master" Zacker

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