Ways Engineers Stand Out During Interviews

📍One mistake I made in my early interviews was failing to present my projects clearly. I knew the work inside out, but I couldn’t explain it in a structured way — and that cost me opportunities. Over time, I realized that interviewers aren’t just looking for what you built, but how you communicate your impact. Here’s a framework that can help you explain any project with clarity: 🔹 Context / Background Start with a quick snapshot of the project. What was the situation? Why was the project important? Keep it concise, something you can explain in under a minute. 🔹 Problem You Tackled Highlight the exact challenge. What issue did you or your team face? Why was it worth solving? This sets the stage for your contribution. 🔹 Your Contribution Be specific about your role. Did you design, code, test, lead, or optimize? Talk about key tasks you handled, roadblocks you hit, and how you overcame them. 🔹 Solution Approach Walk through how you solved the problem. Break it down into steps so the interviewer can follow your thought process — from the initial idea to the final execution. 🔹 Tools & Tech Mention the technologies, frameworks, or methods you used. This shows your technical decision-making ability and how you apply the right tools for the job. 🔹 Results & Outcomes Quantify the impact if possible. Did you improve performance by 30%? Save the team hours of work each week? Secure positive client feedback? Numbers and concrete results make your contribution stand out. 🔹 Collaboration & Learning Close by talking about teamwork and personal growth. How did you coordinate with others? What new skills did you pick up? What would you approach differently if given another chance? ✅ Remember: An interview isn’t just about what you built — it’s about showing your ability to identify problems, craft solutions, and communicate them clearly. #InterviewTips #CareerAdvice #ProjectShowcase #SoftwareEngineering #InterviewPreparation #CommunicationSkills #TechCareers #ProblemSolving

5 Powerful Ways to Stand Out in Interviews I remember being on the other side of the table too. Nervous, over-prepared, and unsure what managers were really looking for. Now, as a recruiter, I’ve read hundreds of hiring manager debrief notes across different teams and roles. One pattern is always clear: Your resume already proved you can do the job. The interview is about something else - how you’ll succeed once you’re on the team. Here’s what consistently shows up in those debriefs: 1. Communicate Clearly ↳ Avoid jargon. Make your work simple and memorable. Example: “Cut API response time by 30%” → not “optimized microservices.” 2. Show Curiosity ↳ Ask thoughtful questions that signal preparation and interest. Example: “What challenges is the team focused on solving this quarter?” 3. Demonstrate Problem-Solving ↳ Managers care more about your process than a perfect answer. Example: “I clarified requirements, then tested two approaches before scaling.” 4. Own Your Impact ↳ Share your specific contributions—not just the team’s work. Example: “I designed the schema and cut latency by 40%.” 5. Balance Confidence With Humility ↳ Own your expertise while showing you can collaborate. Example: “I led the redesign, but the team’s feedback made it successful.” Interviews aren’t about knowledge. They’re about showing value. Follow me for recruiter-insider strategies to guide you through your job search with clarity and confidence.

I've interviewed 100+ engineers at Microsoft, VMware & Instacart. The best predictor of performance isn't what you think. Here's what actually works: Most technical interviews are fundamentally broken. I ask candidates to describe their home internet setup. This single question reveals more than hours of coding tests. True engineers are obsessed with optimization. They can detail their router model, network configuration, and backup systems with enthusiasm. If they respond with "I don't know, it just works" - immediate red flag. The best candidates treat their home network like mission-critical infrastructure: "If the internet dies, I'm going ninja-level to figure it out. It's as important as breathing." This reveals the first trait I look for: Deep curiosity. The second trait? Systems thinking. I ask them to explain how email works. Not looking for textbook answers. Average candidates give surface-level explanations. Great candidates dive deep into: • DNS lookups • MX records • Multi-tier architecture • Edge cases They can't help themselves - they're fascinated by complexity. The third trait is crucial: Making complex things simple. At Acompli (acquired by Microsoft for $200M), I interviewed 100 iOS engineers to hire ONE. The key question: "How would you build an app where long lists scroll at 60fps?" 99% jumped straight into technical solutions. The 1% we hired? They started by asking about user experience and performance tradeoffs. These 3 traits combined: • Deep curiosity • Systems thinking • Simplifying complexity Are worth more than any coding test. Here's the counterintuitive part: You can't teach these traits. They're ingrained patterns developed over years. That's why I'd rather hire someone who compiled their own router firmware as a hobby than someone who aced every CS course. This approach helped me build teams that: • Scaled to hundreds of engineers • Shipped products used by millions • Led to multiple $100M+ exits The hard truth: Technical skills can be taught. But curiosity, systems thinking, and simplification abilities? Those are the real predictors of engineering excellence. Want to master the founder mindset and build better? Join Founder Mode for free weekly insights on startups, systems, and personal growth: https://lnkd.in/gSjjvzt9

What really catches an interviewer's eye when they're drowning in developer resumes? Let me show you. This whiteboard shows how junior candidates performed in coding interviews. But honestly, most applicants don't make it this far. There are just so many qualified applicants that we have to get extremely selective when shortlisting for interviews. So what does it take to stand out? Here's an example from last year: A junior developer applied to Educative with nothing flashy on her resume, no FAANG internship or CS degree. But the first sentence of her cover letter was: “I built a quick prototype that connects GitHub repo metadata to personalized Educative course suggestions, just to understand how a feature like that might work.” That kind of ingenuity definitely raised some eyebrows — and in a good way. She went beyond the job description to use our product and imagine how it could serve users even better. That one sentence pushed her right to the top of the list. So what can you do to stand out in your job hunt? Here are 3 tactics: 1. Use the product. If it’s B2C, sign up. Take notes on what feels intuitive, and where there's friction. Even a single observation like “I liked the UI flow but was confused why X required two clicks” shows you’re thinking like a teammate. 2. Tie your skills to their future problems. Predict what they’ll need tomorrow and connect it to what you know (even better if you prototype it). Steal this prompt: “Given this job description and company's products, what technical challenges might this team face in the next 12 months?” 3. Add AI-powered projects to your portfolio. A single AI project can signal creativity, initiative, and AI-readiness. Use tools like GPT-4, LangChain, or Replit AI to build small, relevant projects. Vibe coding with AI is where development is headed, so might as well show you're already comfortable in that flow. If you're applying for jobs this fall, go beyond the resume. Your next hire is looking for someone who thinks like a teammate. Show them that's you: build things, do your research, and stay curious. #DeveloperJobs #TechInterviews #Developer 

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟵𝟬% 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲, that You can avoid! I’ve been on engineering hiring panels at 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻, 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗢𝗻𝗲, and 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸. 🔹 I’ve seen standout resumes get 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱… And average ones get 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? Because most junior engineers don’t actually show up as “𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀.” They show up as “𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘀.” 🔹𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (but every hiring panel notices): → Your 𝗚𝗶𝘁𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 don’t matter — if there’s no 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 or 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 behind them. → Your 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 save you — if you can’t explain your 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. → We don’t care if you “𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁” — we care how you 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. → We won’t remember your 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 — we’ll remember your 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿, how well you 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱, and how hungry you were to 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻. 🔹𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿? Start doing what 𝟵𝟬% 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲: → Talk about the “𝘄𝗵𝘆” behind your choices, not just the “𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁.” → Write a 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗠𝗘 like a 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿, not a student. → Ask 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 questions — not just technical ones. → Show 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, not desperation. → Confidence isn’t loud. It’s clear, calm, and prepared. Here’s the truth: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 don’t hire the most “technical” junior. They hire the one who show 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁. If you’re applying right now and not getting calls, it’s not always your skills. It might be how you're 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 yourself. Want to review your portfolio, GitHub, or interview prep? 🔹𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗠𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻, happy to give 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 insights, and get you placed. 𝘿𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 "𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮." 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩. #JuniorEngineerTips #SoftwareEngineer #CareerGrowth #TechHiring #AmazonAlumni

Here’s what separates a ‘great fit’ from a forgettable finalist in your 2nd or 3rd interview. By round two or three, everyone is qualified. Everyone has relevant experience. Everyone sounds “prepared.” So why do some candidates stand out - and others quietly disappear? In my experience (both as a recruiter and a coach), it often comes down to this: 👉 The best candidates don’t just answer questions - they create moments of clarity, insight, and ownership. Here are a few things that separate a “great fit” from a forgettable finalist: 1. They speak to the business, not just the role. ❌ “I’ve led marketing teams for 8 years.” ✅ “I specialize in building marketing engines that reduce CAC while supporting sales pipeline growth - which I know is a priority here based on your recent shift to enterprise clients.” 🎯 They show they’ve connected their skills to the company’s current goals. 2. They reflect strategically on their past experience. ❌ “We missed the product launch deadline due to engineering delays.” ✅ “We missed launch due to resourcing gaps. That’s on me-I should’ve pushed for clearer prioritization earlier. I learnt the hard way how important proactive cross-functional planning is.” 🎯 They don’t just share outcomes-they take ownership and extract lessons. 3. They show curiosity and depth, not just polish. ❌ “What’s the culture like here?” ✅ “What’s one behaviour that gets rewarded at this company-and one that doesn’t?” ✅ “How does this team define success, and how has that changed over the past year?” 🎯 Thoughtful questions signal maturity, awareness, and long-term thinking. By round three, it’s not about being perfect - it’s about being memorable, thoughtful, and aligned. They’re not just hiring a resume. They’re hiring a thought partner, a team member, a leader. If you're navigating late-stage interviews and want to go from “strong contender” to clear choice... ✅ Follow me for daily, actionable advice on interviewing, positioning, and career strategy. #JobSearch #InterviewTips #CareerGrowth #MidCareer #SeniorJobs #HiringInsights

During a recent mock interview with someone preparing for a data engineer role, we ran into a super common challenge job seekers face: The job description mentioned machine learning and stats, but my mentee only had basic experience in those areas. And with a big presentation coming up, we had to figure out the best way to prepare without wasting time or getting overwhelmed. Here’s what we did: 1) Focus where it matters most I told them: Imagine it’s a test. 90% of the questions are on things you know well, 10% on stuff you don’t. Where would you spend your time? Obviously, on the 90%, that’s where you can really shine. 2) Play to your strengths Instead of cramming complex ML topics overnight, we doubled down on what they already knew: cleaning data, building solid pipelines, writing scalable code—all stuff that directly applies to the job. Then we built a strong presentation around that. 3) Address the gaps without pretending We practiced how to talk about the ML/stats side in a smart way: not by faking expertise, but by showing how their data engineering skills help data scientists succeed. It’s not about having every skill; it’s about showing how you add value to the team. 4) Be real, but show you're a problem solver We also talked about how to confidently say: “I don’t know X yet, but here’s how I’d figure it out or approach it with the tools I do have.” This shows honesty and the mindset every team wants: someone who takes ownership and knows how to solve problems. The result? They walked into that interview feeling confident and clear on how to present themselves. Key reminder: You don’t need to know everything. You just need to show how what you do know makes you a great fit. So here's a question for you: If you have ever faced a situation where you were underqualified in one area, tell us in the comments how you used your strengths to stand out. ➕ Follow Jaret André for daily data job search tips 🔔 Hit the bell icon so you never miss a post

During my time at Salesforce, one of my candidates brought in doughnuts for his interview panel. Necessary? No. Memorable? Heck Yeah. The point of this post isn’t to suggest you go out and spend money, but it is to encourage you to find ways to be memorable. Here are a few ways you can stand out (without having to go to Dunkin): 1. Do Your Homework Research your interviewers on LinkedIn before your interview to see if you share any commonalities. Have you both worked at the same company? Did they go to the same school as you? Volunteer at the same organization? Do you share a similar hobby? Use this as a talking point to build rapport and break the ice. 2. Craft a Compelling Story Everyone has a unique story. Rather than simply relay your past experience, take the time to develop a killer response to “tell me about yourself” that highlights your career journey and skills. 3. Engage with Questions Believe it or not, not all follow-up questions are created equal. Ask insightful questions that reflect your research and interest in the company. 4. Follow Up Thoughtfully Send a personalized thank you note after the interview, reiterating your interest and summarizing key points discussed. Similar to sales, use this as an opportunity to sell why you are the best candidate for the role. Which of these strategies do you like the best? Comment down below with a 1, 2, 3, or 4. Dropping a 🍩 is perfectly acceptable as well 😂 - Found this helpful? Follow Brenna Lasky for more posts like this and like and share to help your network. #opentowork #jobseekers #careers