Created by CakeIn this article, we'll cover:Google Coding and Technical Interview QuestionsCommon Google Interview QuestionsGoogle Behavioral Interview QuestionsTips for Cracking Google InterviewsDo you want to work at Google? It's a dream for many people, and with good reason. Google is well known for being one of the most difficult places to interview. They're looking for the top 1% of candidates, which means that they're extremely selective. Google looks for candidates who are not only intelligent and able to solve complex problems, but also those who are able to work well with others and share Google's values. However, displaying technical skills and job-specific knowledge during a Google interview alone is hard enough because the technical questions may range from a wide range of topics and may be very specific about Google's culture and products. In this article, we'll walk you through how to prepare for a Google interview. We'll cover coding and technical questions, common Google interview questions, behavioral questions and tips. Let's go! Google Coding and Technical Interview QuestionsTechnical interview questions in a Google interview heavily focus on problem-solving skills. Some of the most prevalent topics are data structure, algorithms, recursions and dynamic programming. Be prepared to answer questions on all of these topics.10 common coding and technical interview questions that you may want to prepare for before your Google technical interview:How would you approach a problem that you've never seen before?What is your experience with data structures and algorithms?How do you find the distance between two nodes in a binary tree?How would you implement a queue?Given a string, reverse it without using any additional storage.What is the maximum number of nodes that a binary tree can have?What is a hash table and how would you use it?What is recursion, and how can it be used to solve problems?How do you optimize an algorithm?How would you design a search engine? 1. How would you approach a problem that you've never seen before? Google is a leader in innovation, so they're always looking for candidates who are able to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions. The recruiter at Google might ask this question in a technical interview to find out how you think creatively. 2. What is your experience with data structures and algorithms? This is another question that will likely come up during a Google technical interview for data scientists. Be prepared to talk about your experience with common data structures such as arrays, linked lists, trees and hash tables. If you have experience with common algorithms such as quicksort, merge sort and binary search, be sure to mention that as well. 3. How do you find the distance between two nodes in a binary tree? This is a technical question that tests your knowledge of tree data structures. Binary tree questions are common in Google interviews, so brush up on your tree algorithms. 4. How would you implement a queue? Data structure is likely to be a huge part of Google's technical interview. Be prepared to talk about how you would implement a queue using an array, linked list or a stack. You should also be able to compare the performance tradeoffs between arrays, linked lists and a stack. 5. Given a string, reverse it without using any additional storage. Code efficiency and storage optimization will likely be a big part of Google technical interview. This question tests your ability to solve problems in the most efficient way possible. 6. What is the maximum number of nodes that a binary tree can have? This coding interview question tests your knowledge of tree data structures, a big part of algorithms. To prepare for this type of technical interview question, be sure to brush up on the key concepts of algorithms. 7. What is a hash table and how would you use it? Hash tables are a data structure that is used to store key-value pairs and can hugely improve the efficiency of your code. For this Google coding interview question, you would want to highlight your experience implementing hash tables in your code and how much runtime it reduced as a result. 8. What is recursion, and how can it be used to solve problems? Recursion is a powerful tool that can be used to solve problems. If you have coding projects that use recursion, highlight why you chose it as part of your solution and how it made your code more efficient. If not, you could consider talking about the most popular applications of recursion, including Tower of Hanoi, Fibonacci series, and binary search to answer this technical question in a Google interview. 9. How do you optimize an algorithm? Unlike conceptual coding questions that assess your fundamental knowledge, this Google technical interview question tests your ability to think critically about your code and find ways to make it more efficient. This is a great opportunity to talk about your experience with common optimization techniques, such as sorting arrays using insertion sort instead of quicksort, and a chance to bring up algorithm projects that you are proud of. 10. How would you design a search engine? Google's search engine is one of the most popular websites in the world, so they are likely to ask this question in a technical interview during a Google system design interview. This technical interview question tests your knowledge of how to build large-scale software projects. To answer it properly, you should demonstrate your knowledge of distributed systems, big data and indexing.✏️These are just a few examples of technical questions that may come up in a Google interview. We also recommend practicing as many coding questions on platforms like Leetcode as possible before your Google interview. The more practice you have, the better prepared you will be for your Google technical interview! Common Google Interview QuestionsAside from coding and technical interview questions, Google also likes to ask general questions in their interviews. Here are a few common Google interview questions: Question: What is your favorite Google product? Why? Sample Answer: My favorite Google product has to be Google Workspace. Having worked in large corporate environments, I can appreciate the benefits of Google Workspace - easy communication, file sharing and collaboration. It's also incredibly intuitive so new team members can fit right into existing workflows. Google always puts their customers first, and for me Google Workspace is the perfect example of that. I cannot imagine working without it honestly. Question: What do you know about Google's culture? Sample Answer: Google is known for its unique culture, which is based on transparency, innovation and creativity. I was really inspired when I first read about how Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google - they wanted to create a company where people could work on their own terms and be creative. That's something that I really value and am passionate about, so if given the opportunity, I would love to experience Google's culture first hand. Question: Are you working on any side projects in your free time? Sample Answer: I am actually working on a few side projects in my free time. I have a personal project that I've been working on for a while, which is a to-do list app. I'm also helping out with a friend's startup and doing some volunteer work on the weekends. I think it's important to always be learning and keeping your skills sharp, so I try to make time for side projects no matter how busy I am. Question: Why did you choose to become a backend developer? Sample Answer: I became a software engineer because I enjoy solving problems and working on complex systems. I also like the challenge of learning new things and keeping up with the latest technology trends. As a software engineer, I have the opportunity to do all of those things, which is why I love my job. I hope to continue my journey with Google and make a difference in the world. Question: What are your strengths and weaknesses? Sample Answer: I take pride in being a critical thinker and a problem solver. I am also very patient and have strong attention to detail. My weakness is my fear of public speaking. I am working on that and have taken a few public speaking classes, but it's still something that I struggle with. Google Behavioral Interview QuestionsApart from technical questions, Google also likes to ask behavioral interview questions. These questions are designed to get to know you better as a person and see how you would fit in at Google. Some common Google behavioral interview questions include: Behavioral Question on Teamwork Question: How have you worked with culturally diverse teams in the past? Were there any challenges? Sample Answer: I'm fairly familiar with working in a cross-cultural workplace. In my previous job, I worked with a team of engineers from all over the world, including countries such as Korea, Nigeria, Egypt and Russia and we were often working across time zones. I think the biggest one was making sure that everyone felt heard and respected in meetings, especially when there were language barriers. Establishing a strong team culture from the start was the most important, so we could all work towards the same goal, and lots of happy hours and team bonding events helped with that. Overall, it was a really enriching experience for me. Behavioral Question on Decision-Making Question: Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision that affected the entire team. Sample Answer: Once we received an inquiry from a big client, but they requested a lot of customization work that our team didn't have the bandwidth to do, since we were in the middle of pushing a major update. I had to make the tough call to turn down the client even though it meant losing out on a large project. I communicated with the team and explained the situation, and while it was a difficult decision to make, everyone understood why it was necessary and we were able to continue our work without further distractions. Behavioral Question on Communication Question: Has anyone ever made you feel resentful at work? How did you get over it? Sample Answer: I've had a few difficult bosses over the years, and in one situation my boss was micromanaging me to the point where it made it difficult for me to do my job. As a full-stack engineer, I need a lot of autonomy to be productive, and the constant micromanaging was really frustrating. I eventually talked to my boss about it and explained how it was impacting my work. We were able to come to a better understanding and my boss backed off a bit, but it was definitely a challenging experience. Behavioral Question on Leadership Question: How would your teammates describe you as a leader? Sample Answer: My team members told me "you're the type of leader that makes everyone feel comfortable and like they can speak up without feeling judged." I'm really proud of that, because I think it's really important for team members to feel comfortable being themselves and contributing their best work. It actually led to several breakthroughs where my team members challenged my idea with theirs, and it turned out to be great for the team as a whole. Behavioral Question on Problem-Solving Question: What do you do when you're stuck on a problem? Sample Answer: When I'm stuck on a problem, I'll usually take some time to step back and brainstorm. Something that works really well for me is solving a Rubik's cube so I always keep one on my desk. I also talk to my team to gain fresh perspectives. By stepping away from the problem and coming back with a fresh perspective, I'm often able to find a solution. Tips for Cracking Google InterviewsThere may be up to 7 rounds of interviews at Google, some of which are done over the phone, while the final rounds are more likely to be on-site. Aside from preparing for common technical and behavioral Google interview questions, here are 5 tips that apply to phone, virtual and on-site interviews. 💡 Organize your idea. Come up with a game plan before the Google interview. According to tips from Google Careers, Google highly values organization. Focus on data, preparing examples that best demonstrate your past experience, or even writing down your thoughts are all great ways to get your Google interview answers ready. 💡 Pay attention to the time. Google interviews are designed to be difficult, and time limits are placed on many interview questions to further test your abilities. Precise answers to interview questions show that you are well-prepared and have done your research. This is also a good indicator of how you would perform on the job so be sure to pay close attention to the time. 💡 Use breathing techniques to stay calm. Google officially points out that "We want you clear and calm so you can really explore your experience, your desires, the position, and how we connect. " In order to show your best qualities, it's important to stay calm during the Google interview. Deep breathing exercises can help you relax and focus on the questions at hand. 💡 Display "Googleyness". Google looks for individuals that display "Googleyness," and some interview questions are designed for that. This includes qualities such as being passionate, fun-loving, comfortable with uncertainty, willing to learn new things, demonstrating leadership and creativity, being able to think outside the box, etc. When preparing for your Google interview answers, try to think of how your experiences have shown these qualities and how you can connect them to Google. 💡 Search for others’ Google interview experience. There are many resources out there that can help you prepare for your Google interview. Blog posts, YouTube and podcasts are good sources of information. By reading and watching the experiences of others, you can get a glimpse into the Google interview process and learn more about what to expect. By doing your research ahead of time, you'll be able to feel more confident and prepared for the big day.🔑 Key Takeaways:So, there you have it! Our guide to cracking Google interviews. While this is not an exhaustive list of all the questions that could be asked in a Google interview, it should give you a good foundation and some tips on how to answer common Google interview questions. Remember, practice makes perfect so start drilling yourself on these coding and technical questions as well as behavioral interview questions today. Cake provides the best resume making tools templates to help you create the perfect resume for your job hunt. Take your career journeyto new heights - create a resume online (free download) now!Create CV--- Originally written by Candy Ho ---

Created by CakeResumeIn this article, we'll cover:What Is Googleyness?How to Display Googleyness in InterviewsGoogleyness Interview QuestionsWorking for Google is the dream of many as the tech-giant company is famous for being a great place to develop one’s career. But to get in, you first need to learn about “Googleyness” (also spelled Googlyness or Googliness). If you want to work at Google, you've probably already heard of this word. You also need to show that you align with the Googleyness principles on your resume and during interviews. But what does Googleyness mean? And, most importantly, how do you demonstrate Googliness?In this article, we are going to answer those questions and help you stand out in Google interviews and land your dream job. What Is Googleyness?Googleyness, in shiort, is a set of qualities that the company requires that can both help employees and the company grow.Your application will stand a better chance when you show Googleyness while answering interview questions.The above definition doesn't do much to elaborate Googleyness, but thankfully, Google is very clear about the Googleyness personal traits they look for in a candidate.Laszlo Bock, the former Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, defines Googleyness in his 2015 book as:“Attributes like enjoying fun (who doesn’t), a certain dose of intellectual humility (it’s hard to learn if you can’t admit that you might be wrong), a strong measure of conscientiousness (we want owners, not employees), comfort with ambiguity (we don’t know how our business will evolve, and navigating Google internally requires dealing with a lot of ambiguity), and evidence that you’ve taken some courageous or interesting paths in your life.” We are now going to examine those Googliness qualities one by one in detail.💡 Fun-loving Some interview questions might even focus on this topic. It might sound weird to talk about having fun at a job interview; nonetheless, it is part of Google’s culture. They want people who find enjoyment in life. During the interview, give some examples of your fun side to show Googleyness, tell stories and anecdotes about things you are passionate about outside work; you can even crack a light-hearted joke to make the conversation flow. By doing so, you will let them see your fun-loving personality and Googleyness. 💡 Intellectual humility Some questions that are designed to assess your Googleyness focus on is your willingness to learn. Intellectual humility means acknowledging that you have weaknesses, areas of growth, and the intention to learn. To be humble and aware of your shortcomings is another part of having Googleyness. To showcase this during the Google interview, remember to mention your intention to learn and grow in the position, tell stories about you overcoming your shortcoming and how you continue to improve yourself. Your chances of getting the job will increase if you talk about them. 💡 Conscientiousness To show your Googleyness, you also need to show conscientiousness; it is all about showing that you are serious about the job. Show them that you are responsible and hold yourself to high standards. Most importantly, do not make an excuse or blame others for mistakes during the interview. For example, you can talk about a time you made a mistake and how you improved yourself by learning from it. Your application will look better. 💡 Comfort with ambiguity The world is uncertain, and Google knows it; they want people who embrace change, evolution, and the unknown. Therefore, Googleyness-related interview questions check how comfortable you are when dealing with problems that are difficult to define and how good you are at solving them. Show your Googleyness by giving them an example of when you did not let unexpected changes ruin your job. Also, if anything unforeseen happens in the interview, do not let it throw you off your game; Use it as your opportunity to shine instead. 💡 Courageous or interesting life decisions Finally, during Google interviews, feel free to share stories of times when you were brave and changed paths in life to show your Googleyness. They will value that you were courageous enough to start a new adventure. Google recognizes the importance of people with different experiences. Therefore showcase your Googleyness by highlighting your unique background. It will be great for your application if you show them you are okay stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking on new challenges. ❗️ Googleyness VS Culture fitAs many assume Googleyness is just a term for culture fit, Google goes the extra mile to explain that Googleyness is, in fact, quite different from culture fit.Culture-fit aims to hire people that companies feel comfortable working alongside. Most of the time, recruiters hire people they “click with.”Googleyness principles, on the other hand, encourage people to be their authentic self and innovative. They are not looking for people that fit in a certain business culture. By focusing on Googleyness, Google fights hiring bias and diversify the workplace. The qualities they look for with the Googleyness interview questions do not focus on whether you can adapt to the company culture or not. They focus on your traits and your soft skills instead. How to Display Googleyness in InterviewsPositivityCuriosityOut-of-the-box thinkingEthics, transparency, and integrityEnthusiasmHumilityCourteousness and respectCommunication and active listeningIndividualityPlayfulnessGender-neutralityPolitically-neutralityAnswering Google interview questions and showing Googliness in the right way is the key. However, also consider how you interact with every employee. Soft skills are relevant to displaying Googleyness. It is easy for recruiters to evaluate such skills by observing how you interact with everyone you meet in the company. Be friendly and polite! There are several soft skills related to Googleyness that you can and should show during your Google interviews. Here we list some of them to give you an idea of what you can highlight. ✅ Positivity Having a positive attitude is always a helpful way to display your Googleyness. Be mindful of the words you use. Avoid negative thinking and negative vocabulary. For example, we recommend focusing on what you learned from a mistake rather than on the error itself. Give a positive twist to everything. ✅ Curiosity The hunger for knowledge is yet another way to show your Googleyness principles. Curiosity leads to discovery; Google loves seeing curious applicants. It is another trait of the sought-after Googleyness. Do not be afraid of asking questions and showing your interest in gathering information. ✅ Out-of-the-box thinking Applicants with Googleyness show creativity. Google is not a run-of-the-mill company, so you can not expect to want average thinkers. Always go the extra mile with creative answers. If they present you with a situational interview question ✅ Ethics, transparency, and integrity Your moral values also add to you and show your Googleyness. Do not lie to the recruiters! Let them meet the real you. You can share stories that highlight your positive traits. Owning your failures and weaknesses lets them know that you trust them (remember to always answer with a positive twist, it is all about learning opportunities). ✅ Enthusiasm Besides being optimistic and passionate when you deliver your answers at Google interviews to show you have Googleyness qualities. Be energetic and reassure them that you are interested in the position and the company. ✅ Humility Bragging is not a part of Googleyness. Aside from intellectual humility, applicants need to be able to present their strengths without being overbearing. Keep your temper and avoid boasting too much about how great you are. ✅ Courteousness and respect Manners are the ornaments of a person. Another part of googleyness is how respectfully you interact with others. Such politeness should not be for just the interviewer. Make sure you treat everyone in the company with respect and dignity. ✅ Communication and active listening It will not matter how smart you are if you cannot communicate your message or maintain a conversation with your workmates. Googleyness also concerns your people skills, especially communicative skills. Make sure to show that you can be a great listener; After all, communication is a two-way street. ✅ Individuality Googleyness requires uniqueness, as we mentioned before. Google likes individuals who stand out and want to create a diverse workforce. Let them see your unique personality traits rather than trying to fit in a mold. You can give examples of remarkable life experiences that resulted in you learning skills or new perspectives. ✅ Playfulness Enjoying fun is one of the main aspects of Googleyness. Having a great, fun personality will make you look better. Google likes applicants who can enjoy life. So do not feel scared or discouraged to share a fun (and appropriate) anecdote that might light up the mood. ✅ Gender-neutrality Remember to use gender-neutral vocabulary while answering any Googleyness interview questions. Google cares much about being inclusive and creating a comfortable workplace for its employees. Avoid using male-only or female-only terms. If you do not know, do not assume. The safest would be to use they/them. ✅ Politically-neutrality Finally, during Google interviews, you have to leave any extreme political opinion out to show Googleyness. Extreme political views might cause a negative impression. If you get hired, you will work in a varied environment, so the recruiter needs to see that you can get along with people who hold different points of view. Googleyness Interview Questions The interview questions will put your general cognitive ability, or GCA, and leadership skills to test aside from evaluating your Googleyness.GCA interview questions from Google check your problem-solving skills with behavioral or hypothetical questions. The following examples of interview questions cover different areas and the sample answers demonstrate Googleyness qualities. You can usually show that you have Googleyness when answering behavior questions. For instance, you can show your leadership skills by describing how you led a team and solved a problem. You can also show humility by telling the interview about the time you learned a valuable lesson from one of your team members. Answering interview questions about your experiences are a great opportunity to showcase your leadership and other soft skills, which Googlyness encompasses. Now that you know what the concept is and how to show Googleyness in the interview, let us help you prepare for your Google interview with examples of Googleyness interview questions listed below. Q: Why do you want to work for Google? This question not only aims to analyze your Googleyness but also sets the atmosphere for the rest of the interview. Your answer should help you stand out and give the interviewer a clear picture of why you are interested in their company. Showcase your passion for the work you will be doing if hired and your knowledge about Google and its products. Additionally, focus on the values you share with them, such as being driven by excellence and a passion for innovation. A positive and energetic attitude will help you show your Googleyness. Q: Can you share an experience when you could not achieve your goals on a project? Google asks Googleyness interview questions like this one to check if you are humble enough to own your mistakes. It is a great chance for you to let them see that you are not afraid of taking risks and assuming responsibility when you fail. To let your Googleyness shine through your answer, you should always give the story of your failures a positive twist. Talk about them as learning opportunities that helped you grow. It would be even better if you could explain how that failure led you to further success in your career. Q: Have you ever led a team through a complicated situation? You will often face questions about Googleyness and leadership. Google likes individuals who stand out. They look for emergent leaders who can take control of their group when necessary. This is the time to let your emotional intelligence and people skills take the spotlight. Share with them an instance when you managed a team of diverse individuals and focus on how you interacted with them. Talk about things positively, like mentioning how much you enjoyed the project and learned from this experience. These small tips will help them see your Googleyness. Q: What would your first three months in the position look like if we hire you? With this interview question, Google wants to know your understanding of the role and both your hard and soft skills. Additionally, it is a good question to show them your intellectual humility, which is an important aspect of Googleyness. Make sure your answer doesn’t sound too arrogant as that goes against everything Googleyness stands for. You should be humble and focus on phrases like: “I would do my best to put my training into work, learning from everyone around me, and stepping up when needed.” Q: What project have you successfully executed and are proudest about finishing? This Googleyness question gives you the chance to show your passion for technology or your expertise. It is also an opportunity to talk about your teamwork skills. To show your Googleyness when answering, you should let them see how passionate you are about your interest. Share an example where you worked in a cross-functional team. Moreover, focus on sharing your strategy to tackle unexpected problems and turn them into opportunities. Finally, let them know how enjoyable it was for you. Q: Tell us about a time when you failed to achieve a goal or desired result.While we would normally avoid talking about our failure during interviews, failures are not inherently bad, especially if you turn them into something positive. Talking about failure during a Google interview, you can actually show:positivityintellectual humilityThat you are able to admit you did wrong and learnt from the experience is integral to the ideal of Googlyness. Q: Tell me about a time you created something from nothing.Questions like this, on the other hand, are a great chance for you to demonstrate that you are comfortable with ambiguity, creative, curious, and enthusiastic about something. You need these qualities to create something and they are part of Googleyness that you can demonstrate when answering this interview question. 🔑 Key Takeaways:Googleyness is all about you as a person. Rather than your hard skills, it focuses more on your soft skills. Rather than talking about them, such skills will show by how you interact with others as soon as you step into Google’s office.To show your Googleyness in the interview, make sure you keep a positive attitude. Let recruiters know you are serious about the job, but you can also have a great time doing it.Additionally, remember to be humble, own your mistakes and turn them into learning opportunities when you answer Googleyness questions.Curiosity, creativity, uniqueness, and great energy will help the recruiters see how much Googleyness you have.Remember to be careful with the words you use while answering Google’s Googliness interview questions. Avoid extreme political comments and gender-biased opinions.Googleyness questions will not ask about the skills directly. Instead, they will give you a chance to let them shine when you answer. Additionally, they will test your leadership and General Cognitive abilities.Don't let resume mistakes hold you back. Scan your resume with our AI checker and get personalized recommendations to land more interviews.Scan Resume Now--- Originally written by Roger Rene Ortega Figueroa---

Created by CakeIn this article, we'll cover:What Is Google Looking for in a Candidate?Google Interview ProcessHow to Prepare for Google InterviewsGoogle is the ultimate goal for many software engineers. Aside from driving innovation around the world, Google employees can expect to be treated well and given lots of room for growth and creativity. They get to work with some of the brightest minds in technology and execute their creative vision. Engineering at Google is an invaluable experience and the first step is preparing for the Google software engineer interview. Google owes some of its success to being selective in their hiring process. They want smart people with relevant knowledge or experience, and the right attitude. Google is a fast paced and ever-growing company, and they need their candidates to be motivated and knowledgeable in addition to having specific skills. Google interview prep is a marathon and the interview itself can be stressful. The best way to prepare for the Google interview is to have a good plan and lots of practice.What Is Google Looking for in a Candidate?Before you dive into your Google interview prep, it helps to know which qualities the company looks for. Software engineers need to demonstrate advanced technical skills in coding. For this reason, Google technical interview prep is often the most time-consuming part. But Google also looks for soft interpersonal skills, since their candidates should have values and abilities that align with Google’s goals. Here are some of the qualities to review in your interview preparation for Google. 💡 Googleyness Google looks for candidates who they think will fit in with their company culture. They emphasize qualities like inclusiveness and creativity, and their goal is to enhance our daily lives. When preparing for a Google interview, review their company goals and their workplace culture. According to Laszlo Bock, the former vice president of people operations at Google, Googleyness qualities include fun-loving, intellectual humility, conscientiousness, being comfortable with ambiguity, and having made courageous and interesting life choices.Further reading:Learn all about Googleyness [+Interview questions samples] 💡 Technical skills When you apply to work at Google, your preparation for the coding interview should be your biggest focus. Google looks for applicants with good technical skills, but also a strong conceptual understanding, so reviewing the coding theory is also crucial. 💡 General cognitive skills General cognitive ability is also an important Google quality. They look for people who are curious and critical thinkers. Good problem-solving, reasoning, abstract thinking, and a learning drive will go a long way in a Google interview. 💡 Leadership skills Google is big on cross-functionality, and they look for applicants who demonstrate they can approach problems when they are needed. If you’re preparing for a Google interview, think of how you can demonstrate effective communication and productivity.Google Interview ProcessPreparing for a Google software engineer interview can be strenuous. There are multiple stages of a Google hiring process, which start with you demonstrating your technical skills and end with several in-person interviews to assess compatibility. Here are the steps to keep in mind while preparing for a Google interview: ✏️ Online assessments When you start your Google software engineer preparation, the first step you’ll need to work on is Google's online assessment. This is a coding test for recent graduates and interns. The test is a coding sample you must complete within an hour and a half, and experienced candidates can bypass this step. ✏️ Short virtual chats The next step is a brief virtual chat, typically over Google Meet. You’ll be given a few algorithm questions to solve on spot, but the interviewer will also ask questions about you. Don’t forget to review some basic interview questions like “Why did you apply to this position?” and “Tell me about yourself” during your interview preparation for Google. ✏️ Project work Sometimes, the Google hiring process will include a short project. When preparing for your Google software engineer interview, you might be asked to give coding samples or work on a case study. The information will be provided to applicants in advance and is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your problem-solving and coding skills. ✏️ In-depth interviews The best way to prepare for a Google interview is to focus on the in-depth interview portion. There are several interviews performed over the course of a day, and each interview covers specific topics, like technical or interpersonal skills. For this part of the process, coding theory and practice should be a major focus of your interview preparation for Google. ✏️ Decision Your interviewers will write recommendations after each interview and summarize your ability and their thoughts. The hiring committee will review these recommendations and make their decision before reaching out with an offer. If you’ve done adequate Google interview prep, then at this stage you can relax and be ready to celebrate! How to Prepare for Google InterviewsSince the Google interview process is grueling, it’s important to be fully prepared for the questions and problems that will come up. Preparing for a Google software engineer interview is a big commitment. It’s hard to outdo other applicants in the Google interview without preparation. ✅ Estimate Google interview prep time Your first step in preparing for the Google software engineer interview is to estimate the time it will take to cover the material. Look at areas in which you might lack knowledge or strength and analyze how much time you will need each week to devote to improving or reviewing. Your Google interview prep could be daily or on weekends depending on how much ground you need to cover. ✅ Prepare a roadmap Without a proper plan or good habits, it’s easy to forget or procrastinate and slack off in your interview preparation for Google. You, thus, need a carefully devised plan–your roadmap–, which will vary depending on how much time you have before the interview. Prepare for Google interviews in 6 months It’s less punishing to prepare for a Google interview in 6 months or more, as you can afford to spend some extra time studying theory more broadly and doing coding and interview practice. Once you are closer to the interview date, you can do mock interviews and rehearse answers to the most common questions. Prepare for Google interviews in 3 months If you need to prepare for your Google interview in 3 months, you should narrow your focus to a few key books or resources. Schedule time during weekends or off days to review material and study your chosen coding language. Increase the time you spend preparing for a Google interview as the date gets closer. Prepare for Google interviews in 1 month If you need to prepare for a Google interview in 1 month, your roadmap should set aside time every day to solve coding problems, using your days off to study theory. Pick a few books in your coding language and do some mock interviews in the final week before your date. ✅ Practice coding and system design The best way to prepare for a Google interview is to practice. There are many resources available and even some Google interview prep guides. Look for books, courses, videos, and online tools to help you study theory and practice coding. If you’ve applied to Google, the coding interview preparation will take the most time. 5 online coding platforms to practice coding and help with your Google technical interview prep:Coderbyte: In addition to coding challenges, they have tutorials and videos to help with theory for your Google interview prep.TopCoder: As one of the first programming platforms, they offer weekly coding challenges.LeetCode: This platform has a mock interview section, great for preparing for a Google interview.Codewars: You can see a discussion and solution for each coding challenge.CodeChef: This platform lets you enter coding contests with other users. Although practicing coding challenges is the best way to prepare for a Google interview, you should review theory and coding languages as well. 5 more resources to help you in your interview preparation for Google:Cracking the Coding Interview: This book is a cherished manual for coding interviews and is often used as a Google interview prep guide.Algorithms Specialization: This Coursera program covers the fundamentals of algorithm design and analysis, and is useful for Google coding interview preparation.Coding Interview University: This GitHub study plan is designed for Google interview prep.Interview Cake: This platform lets you practice programming-specific interview questions.Programming Interviews Exposed: This is a popular Google interview prep book with coding challenges. In addition to coding challenges, you’ll need to review system design to properly prepare for a Google software engineer interview. System design concepts and problem-solving will be a big part of your Google SRE interview prep.5 resources to help you practice system design and enhance your interview preparation for Google:HiredInTech: This is a course for practicing system design interview questions.Tech Dummies: This YouTuber has multiple system design videos.Grokking the System Design Interview: This is both a book and an online course.Info Q: This is a series of online presentations covering system design topics, perfect for Google SRE interview prep.The System Design Primer: This GitHub course covers fundamentals and is useful for Google interview prep. ✅ Prepare for behavioral questions People focus heavily on the coding interview preparation when they apply for jobs at Google because it’s technically challenging and time-consuming. But there will also be interviews focusing on your soft skills with behavioral questions. General cognitive ability is a Google quality, and some questions will assess your soft skills to determine your intellect and fitness for the company.These questions will be more general, so when you’re preparing for a Google interview, think about your goals and experiences. There will be team-centered questions, like “Do you prefer larger teams?” or “How do you approach a teammate who is hard to deal with?” Some questions will be about your leadership skills and some, about product management. The best way to prepare for Google interview behavioural questions is to think of specific situations where you have demonstrated a skill Google is looking for. For example, a time you successfully led a team or approached a problem.💡Tip:During your Google interview prep, rehearse your explanation of the situation and emphasize how your skills made an impact. ✅ Do mock interviews A mock interview will go a long way to help you prepare for a Google software engineer interview.Some people prefer to film themselves as they practice, in order to review their pace, body language and overall delivery of their answers. Prepare a list of questions you think will come up and rehearse your answers. Play back the video and look for things you can improve on. This practice will help you answer those questions with confidence when the time comes and enhance your interview preparation for Google. 🔑 Key Takeaways:Google software engineering jobs are excellent opportunities with fierce competition. The only way to prepare for a Google software engineer interview is to commit time and effort.Study coding theory and practice challenges in the months and weeks leading up to the interview. There are a number of resources online that can give your Google interview prep a boost.Don’t forget to review some behavioral interview questions and try doing some mock interviews before the date.Your best chance at nailing the Google software engineer interview is preparation and dedication.With Cake’s resume builder tool, resume templates and resume examples, you could showcase your best qualifications to land your dream job. Try making a resume online (free download) now!Create CV--- Originally written by Tiffany Quinn---

Created by CakeIn this article, we'll cover:Project Manager Interview TipsCommon Project Manager Interview Questions and AnswersWhat Questions to Ask in a Project Manager Interview Many consider it one of the most crucial positions in a company; a project manager (PM) is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing projects in a company. Project managers can heavily influence the outcome of a project. To be able to take on responsibility of such an important role, you have to first shine in a project manager interview, which is not that easy. You need to understand the role of a PM before thinking about what types of questions could be asked in a project manager interview. As the overseer of a project, a PM uses their broad knowledge to maximize the company’s efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize revenues. Their responsibilities span through the project’s life cycle. Such an influential role causes project manager interviews to be somewhat challenging. Other than field specific knowledge, PM interview questions will aim to learn about your hard and soft skills and even challenge you with situational questions.Project Manager Interview TipsYou will need to put in some effort to hone your skills and prepare for the project manager interview questions. Keep the following tips in mind too. 🖋 Read case studies. Because project management questions and answers cover so many areas, you should try to broaden your horizons by learning about different projects. Case studies are a great way to prepare for project manager interview questions. Do it s you can understand what other PMs have done in either successful or failed projects. The more you know, the easier it will get to answer any project manager questions. 🖋 Prepare for common project manager interview questions. Study before going to the project manager interview. Reading common questions for PM interviews can help you do it. Interviewers will ask you questions that range from planning and organizing to team and conflict management. Prepare good answers before a project manager interview for a positive result. 🖋 Be prepared to take the lead and ask questions. Recruiters will expect you to be able to assess situations and ask the right questions during the project manager interview. Therefore, you need to know what questions to ask in a project manager interview. Prepare a list of questions before you go in, and take note of interesting details you learn throughout the interview to know the best project manager questions to ask the interviewer. Common Project Manager Interview Questions and AnswersWhat tools do you use as a project manager?What was your most successful project?What project management methods do you use?How do you prioritize tasks on a project?Describe your management style.Describe your communication style.How would you fill stakeholders who missed meetings in and get them involved?Do you agree that a project manager should be proactive?What is your favorite part of working in technical project management?Please tell us about when your soft skills helped you deal with a difficult project.What are some must-have skills you think a software project manager needs?A project you're working on is failing to meet deadlines. How can you get it back on track?We have prepared the following list to help you prepare your answers to some of the most common questions for the PM interview. You can use the sample answers for reference when you prepare for the project manager interview. What tools do you use as a project manager? Show your organizational skills. This project manager interview question aims to understand how familiar you are with different tools that can help you organize any project you manage. Therefore, what tools do you use as a project manager is an interview question you need to be ready to answer. List down organizational tools you are familiar with before going to the project manager interview, or talk about the ones you know the best. Sample answer: “In my previous position as a PM assistant, I learned to use Asana. The platform provides several useful options. In my opinion, the best one is how you can integrate several apps like Google Drive and Gmail to control everything in one place.I have also been learning Basecamp on my own. It is a great app that eases communication as it has real-time chat, schedules, and even to-do lists. It has been a little challenging, but I enjoy learning to use new software.” What was your most successful project? This project manager question shines a light on your idea of success, aside from giving recruiters a better understanding of your work history. Ensure that your project manager interview answers focus on the steps you took to achieve the outcome rather than just the result. Try to give things a positive twist when you answer this project manager question. You can also highlight the obstacles you surpassed to show them your perseverance during the project manager interview. Sample answer: “It was managing a residential project, in affiliation with the government, from beginning to end. I was in charge of setting deadlines, managing our company’s teams, and meeting with stakeholders.Working with governmental organizations was quite challenging, but I learned how to deal with them. Thanks to our team effort, we stuck to the budget and finished before our proposed deadline. By the end of the project, our client was so satisfied that he signed again with us for more projects.” What project management methods do you use? There are several methodologies for the PM to use. This question for PM interviews analyzes how many you know and how skillful you are. Additionally, they want to check if you can use the one that suits the projects available best. Adapting to different projects is what project managers do. That’s why the company is interested in learning what you can provide referring to management methods. Keep it in mind when you answer this PM interview question. Sample answer: “I used traditional methods such as the Waterfall and Kanban approach when I worked at a production factory. However, I used the Scrum methodology in the company I worked with last. It was a very agile way that suited the company.We were a small team working with small producers. Our Scrum Master helped us cooperate with the product owners and lead our team to accomplish our goals. We also had constant feedback that helped us when sprinting to finish any tasks.” How do you prioritize tasks on a project? Another vital part of the project manager interview is to show your organizational skills when answering this question for the PM interview; you need to show the company that you can manage juggling tasks and even projects at once. Additionally, the recruiters would like to know your decision-making process; make sure you walk them through your thought process when answering this project manager interview question. Sample answer: “My first priority would be understanding the stakeholder’s needs. I would set new deadlines with them in mind. I will be able to draw the critical path once I clearly state the order of importance of the tasks.I gathered relevant experience in my previous position. It was a smaller company, and different projects overlapped sometimes; By following my strategy, we always delivered positive results on time.” Describe your management style. This project manager interview question digs deeper into your leadership style. It would be better to show that you can use different styles during the project manager interview because sometimes, companies need to project managers to change their management style mid-project or for different projects. Sample answer: “While I consider myself flexible enough to use different styles, I prefer transformational management. I feel I grew exponentially after working under a transformational manager myself.By using this style, I would focus on encouraging my team to be their best version. I would help them take on new and exciting challenges. With the right help, people can reach new heights. Together, we can make the company succeed.” Describe your communication style. This is one of the most important interview questions for you because a project manager is all about communicating with others. Your communication skills will show in how you answer this PM interview question. Keep in mind that you need to communicate differently with different people when working as a project manager. Make sure to clarify that there are various ways you communicate with people during the project manager interview. Sample answer: “I learned that there is no perfect communication style. As a PM, you need to be able to read the room and understand how to approach different people.For example, if the person I am talking to is rather passive, I would try a more persuasive approach. Being aware of the differences between styles helps me to choose the right one for different scenarios.” How would you fill stakeholders who missed meetings in and get them involved? Behavioral project manager interview questions can sometimes put you on the spot. It is hard to come up with quick and good solutions to questions you are not prepared to answer during the project manager interview. Take your time to arrange your ideas before answering this behavioral interview question during the interview for a project manager role. Try a step-by-step explanation of your procedure to show how organized you are. Sample answer: “I would acknowledge the stakeholder’s concerns first. If they have any, I would start by making sure I clarify their questions. If they do not, I would instead start by clarifying how things went in the initial meeting.I will ask for their opinions once they are up to date. I would invite other stakeholders for a follow-up meeting if they have any big concerns that would affect the other parties. Finally, I would send everyone involved a transcript of the meeting to assure every stakeholder has the most updated information.” Do you agree that a project manager should be proactive? Agile PM interview questions like this one aim to understand if you match the management style the company needs. The agile style focuses on being flexible and improving continuously. Proactive leaders should use this pm interview question to show they can anticipate threats and control projects better. Sample answer: “I agree. A proactive PM keeps track of any problem that can affect their project. Additionally, they give constant feedback to their team. It can lead to increased efficiency.Thanks to my organizational skills, I always read and study everything that can affect my project. I can evaluate and take preventive measures to get ahead of such changes. That gives the projects the flexibility we need to satisfy our customers' needs in terms of time, budget, and actions.” What is your favorite part of working in technical project management? Tech PM interview questions can get a little more specific due to the nature of the job. A Tech PM manages IT or It-related projects. Positions that require a Technical PM would need your skills to match their specific projects. Try to highlight your hard skills when answering Tech project manager interview questions. Sample Answer: “I graduated with a systems engineering degree; therefore, I am very interested in anything related to technology. Working with companies that are building the future of technology is quite exciting.I wish to use my organization and technical skills to help your customers make their dream projects come true. Additionally, I have much web-developing experience that can help us create the best UX for our customers.” Please tell us about when your soft skills helped you deal with a difficult project. Be prepared to answer some project manager behavioral interview questions. You can answer behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). By doing so, you can ace your project manager interview. Sample answer: “I dealt with one of our client’s engineering teams at the company I last worked at. We had to create a new website for their new product line. It was difficult to deal with the person in charge at first. I believe my patience was key to easing our communication.My negotiation and problem-solving experience led me to understand we were talking in different languages, marketing and UI languages. Therefore, I decided to learn more about technical issues and earned the engineer’s respect. We finished the project on time and with positive results.” What are some must-have skills you think a software project manager needs? Both software project manager and project coordinator interview questions can also get very technical in the project manager interview. Software PMs need to show their technical knowledge aside from their leadership skills. Similar to answering tech PM interview questions, aim to showcase your experience when answering software PM interview questions. Sample answer: “As in any Project Management position, there are must-have skills like organization, communication, and leadership. However, I think that having a high level of technical skills is the uttermost necessary skill for a software PM.In our previous company, we had several teams led by different PMs. We realized that Software, IT, and Technical projects were facing delays constantly. We soon understood that only those PMs with technical backgrounds were moving forward as expected. Therefore, I believe that knowledge becomes ver important for Software PMs.” A project you're working on is failing to meet deadlines. How can you get it back on track? Case-study project manager interview questions care more about your process than the final result. Case-study PM interview questions give you a chance to showcase your analytical skills. You can use traditional analysis frameworks to strengthen your answers such as the four Ps of Marketing, the STAR method, SWOT analysis, and Porter’s five forces. A good answer will boost your chances of impressing the interviewer during your project manager interview. Sample answer: “I would start by meeting with my team to understand the situation better. I would proceed to reorganize the tasks every member has to perform to make sure we avoid further issues.Additionally, I would meet with our clients to make sure they can accept our changes. Most importantly, I would spend time and resources to mitigate what’s causing the issues. I can use tools such as the fishbone (root cause) analysis to avoid delays in the future.” What Questions to Ask in a Project Manager InterviewBy the end of the project manager interview, recruiters will probably expect you to come up with some project manager questions to ask the interviewer. Asking the right questions can change how the recruiter thinks about you. Examples of what questions to ask in a project manager interview:How does this project align with your company’s objectives?Which Key Performance Issues are the most important ones for the company?Is it possible to develop one’s career in this company? How likely is one employer to advance their career with your company? Cake provides the best CV making tools templates to help you create the perfect CV. Take your career journeyto new heights - create a CV online (free download) now!Create CV--- Originally written by Roger Rene Ortega Figueroa---

Created by CakeIn this article, we'll cover: What is a competency-based interview?Competency-based interview questions and answersTips on preparing for competency-based interviewsCompetency-based interviews are gaining popularity as an effective interview approach in many companies, especially when open positions require a high level of specific job-related skills and/or knowledge. Since qualifications and work experience are not enough to accurately evaluate applicants' skill levels, hiring managers have adopted competency-based interviews to ensure that they hire the perfect candidate whose skill set accurately matches the specific requirements of the job. As competency-based interviews can tell the interviewer whether the applicant fits the requirements for the role, your response should be clear and well-structured in a way that helps highlight your ability and behavior match to the position. In this article, we will equip you with useful answer tactics and examples for your next competency-based interview! What is a competency-based interview?Competency-based interviews or behavioral interviews include a group of questions aiming at evaluating how individuals perform certain tasks and handle specific situations related to real-life situations of the position. Questions in this type of interview will require you to demonstrate that you have the capabilities employers looking for, often by providing examples of circumstances you've experienced in the past and how you resolved those arising issues. The logic behind this interviewing method is that by asking candidates questions related to a particular situation in the past, interviewers will have enough data to predict how candidates might perform in the future. Rather than asking how the applicant would behave in a hypothetical situation, hiring managers tend to ask how the applicant did to handle a real-life situation in the past. In general, when employers ask competency-based questions, you are expected to show that you can cope with the challenges of the job, work well with colleagues, and handle assigned tasks effectively. Depending on certain positions, competency-based interview questions may be directly related to the job; for example, interviewees for an internal communication position may have to answer questions about how they handled when encountering a moral conflict at work or their definition of effective communication. In some cases, interviewers will also ask follow-up questions to investigate further and get a more well-rounded picture of candidates' backgrounds. A great candidate must be able to offer practical examples of how his skills can help companies achieve their vision. Below is the list of ten possible skills that might be asked about in a competency-based interview:TeamworkDecision-making skillsCommunication skillsProblem-solving skillsLeadershipSelf-management abilitiesProfessionalismFlexibilityAdaptabilityResilience Competency-based interview questions and answersIt might be difficult for you to get a sense of what would be asked in a competency interview, or think of proper questions without examples of competency-based questions, especially when you haven't experienced any interview of this kind before. Therefore, here we have a list of ten competency-based interview questions and answers that might be helpful for your next competency interview preparation.Describe a time when you successfully worked as part of a team.Describe a situation in which you handled teamwork conflict in the workplace.Describe a project where you had to adopt different leadership styles to achieve your goal.Tell me about a time when you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince your co-worker to see things your way.Describe a time when you worked with a difficult person.How did you face challenges in the past workplace and tell me how you overcame them?Describe a time you created a goal and achieved it.Describe a time when you had to manage conflicting priorities.Tell me about a time you had to cope with pressure.Tell me about a time you were assigned a task you've never had before.❓Describe a time when you successfully worked as part of a team. I have years of experience in team projects in my previous job as a digital marketing specialist. About 8 months ago, I was working on a PR project for the company's new product launching with a tight deadline and we were struggling to find a focus. I suggested that we hold daily meetings where our team could brainstorm and share our ideas for PR strategy and finding new PR channels. By suggesting what should be done, I helped our team complete the task successfully and on time.❓ Describe a situation in which you handled teamwork conflict in the workplace. I was assigned as a leader for an IT project's workstream, and one developer was constantly late at finishing his tasks. When I had a confronting conversation with him about it, he reacted quite defensively. I was able to maintain calm and acknowledged the time constraint nature of the deadlines while asking how I could assist him in improving his performance. Being able to listen to his struggle, I helped the team move forwards without turning the existing discomfort into teamwork conflict. ❓ Describe a project where you had to adopt different leadership styles to achieve your goal. I was participating in proceeding a marketing campaign as a project manager when the issue happened. My team at the time was not confident enough for such a difficult campaign, where we have to compete with several well-known brands in the market. I had to establish a weekly dialogue where I adopted different leadership styles such as fostering continuous learning and creativity, offering individualized support, and reinforcing a clear vision to prepare my staff for the project. By doing that, my employees were provided with not only knowledge but also emotional support that helped them gain more confidence in running the project.❓ Tell me about a time when you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince your co-worker to see things your way. When I was taking the role as a consultant at BFG Consulting group, I need to persuade my senior account manager into upgrading the system and replacing the current accounting software since those were the main factors affecting the staff's efficiency. Initially, he was susceptible. Then I had to prepare reports and presentations based on real-life data and the new tool's demo which demonstrated how beneficial it could be if we had a system migration. Finally, he agreed to my suggestion.❓ Describe a time when you worked with a difficult person. During my recent role at XYZ company, I had to work with someone who wasn't giving me the necessary information to do my job promptly. I had been quite frustrated and struggling in performing my tasks because of that. Later, I decided to sit down with him and had a conversation to inquire why he was being so difficult with me. Thanks for the straightforward talk where none of us took things personally, we could learn how to work well together from then on.❓ How did you face challenges in the past workplace and tell me how you overcame them? I encountered quite a significant challenge when working in the production team at my previous job. This happened when it was the peak season with plenty of customized orders coming in, but we were in a shortage of staff. It was such a stressful time when I had to work nearly twice the amount of tasks compared to normal days. But I learned to manage time better and speed up the course of work, and in the end, I was able to complete all assigned orders.❓ Describe a time you created a goal and achieved it. When I first started in the marketing field as a digital marketer, I did not have a lot of technical knowledge. I thought I could get hands-on experience and learn a lot from my job. After about one year in the field, I realized I needed professional help if I wanted to advance in my career. That is when I decided to sign up for certified courses from Google and Facebook. I listed all the courses' modules and created a detailed schedule to follow it. For that, I was able to get my certification sooner than I expected, and later got promoted thanks to these helpful certifications.❓ Describe a time when you had to manage conflicting priorities. As a software developer, it’s common that I had to work on multiple projects at the same time. Sometimes that put me in a difficult situation, where I had to deal with several tight deadlines at once. To finish these deadlines on time while ensuring the quality of my work, I had to create a document where I listed down the tasks and ranked each task's priority. I also actively reported my work progress to my project manager, so he knew if he needed to adjust the deadlines for me. ❓ Tell me about a time you had to cope with pressure. I’ve been in several stressful positions before and therefore have great opportunities to learn how to adapt to each situation without stressing myself. When I was working for a publishing house, our deadlines were always changing since we had to work with multiple stakeholders for each book's publishing events. We usually had less time than our initial plan, and it put everyone under great pressure. But instead of getting stressed, I tried to focus on my work and made certain priorities for everything I needed to do. I learned to change my way of thinking, so every difficult situation could be an exciting journey.❓ Tell me about a time you were assigned a task you've never had before. In my previous role as a brand assistant, I was assigned an analytical task that I had no experience of. Instead of worrying too much and stressing myself, I talked to my manager and asked him for additional resources that I could refer to. I also used those materials as a direction for my further research. Eventually, I completed the task and received positive comments for my proactive working manner. Tips on preparing for competency-based interviewsSince employers often use competency-based interviews to look for certain skill sets and capabilities of candidates, you'll need to invest more time and effort in preparing for your competency interview questions, other than just looking at examples and answers. For such reasons, here are three useful tips that you might need to increase your passing rate at the next competency interview. 💡 Identify the core competencies needed for the role Each specific role requires a certain skill set and interviewers often make job-related questions to identify such skills in a competency-based interview. Therefore it's necessary that you do research beforehand to know the skill requirements of the position you are applying for. You might start with reading the job description thoroughly to see what specific skill set the employers are looking for. Knowing the core competencies of the position helps you get a sense of what you might be asked, and how your current skill set can meet the demand of employers. 💡 Think of specific situations where you’ve demonstrated those skills Interviewers who ask competency-based questions usually want to know what kind of experiences and incidents from your past can help you deal with your new role’s tasks. So when you have a picture of what you might be asked in your mind, you should think of several real-life examples that you have been through. You can keep a list of those situations, then elaborate on how you use your skills to manage each situation and in what way it’ll also be helping you with taking the new role. 💡 Use the STAR method The STAR technique is a useful method for preparing for a competency-based interview. It helps you organize your ideas and content in a way that makes your response more cohesive to the interview manager. The STAR method represents four main content pillars that you should include in your competency-based interview answers, which are situation, tasks, action, and result. This is a guideline of how you should structure your response. It suggests that you should describe the situation to give employers a context, present the tasks, elaborate on your action, and finally state the result. Using this framework can help demonstrate the key competencies that you've gained in your experience while also presenting your performance tendencies for the future role.Further reading: STAR Interview Method: Definition, Tips, and Examples🔑 Key Takeaways Competency-based interviews are getting more and more popular with employers as a method to scan for ideal candidates. To successfully register for any position, it's important that you prepare well in advance. We hope that our article on competency interview examples and tips provides you with just what you need for your next competency-based questions! With Cake, you can easily create a resume online, free download your resume in PDF, and utilize ATS-compliant templates to create a resume. Create your resume online (free download) now and land your dream job now!Create resume--- Originally written by May Luong ---

16 questions for social media interviews So, you've submitted your social media marketing resume and received an interview invitation. Hooray! But before going there, make sure that you're well-prepared. Social media is one of the main platforms for brands, businesses, and companies to showcase themselves to a wider audience. Since it is an accessible, widespread form of advertising, the demand for social media professionals is increasing and is projected to grow by 6%, which is much faster than the average. As skills in social media marketing are becoming highly sought after, roles in social media are becoming increasingly popular and more competitive. Therefore, knowing how to stand out during the interview process is key to securing a role as a social media professional. In this article, we're going to go through the top 16 questions you could be asked in an interview for a social media role and give example answers for you to learn from. We've collected some of the most common interview questions for social media roles. Use our sample answers as inspiration, and reflect on ways you can personalize the answers for your interviews. 1) What inspired you to become a social media manager? To answer this question, make sure you mention your prior experience in social media and state how you want to step up into the role of a social media manager. Make sure you clearly communicate that you have experience and understand what it takes to work in a managerial position. "I've been working in various digital marketing and social media roles for over 2 years, and during this time, I found that I really enjoy organizing everything needed for a successful social media marketing strategy. Since social media platforms have changed so much in recent years, especially with short-form videos, user-generated content, and influencer marketing, I find developing a social media campaign is now a complex and intricate process. I personally enjoy the process of brainstorming, organizing, and developing a campaign, as it involves both creativity and analysis. Although I really enjoyed my roles as a social media specialist, I now feel ready to step up and take on a more managerial role and help my team develop strong, successful social media campaigns." 2) What social media certifications do you hold? This is one of the most frequently asked interview questions because hiring managers want to know if you have the technical skills to succeed in the role. You should mention any certifications you have, not just your formal education. Use the full name of the certificate or course when you mention it, and also describe the purpose of each certification you took: "Besides my Bachelor's of Marketing, where I learned fundamental marketing concepts, including digital marketing, I also have taken a few certification courses to supplement my marketing skills and stay up-to-date with market trends. I have completed the Facebook Blueprint course, which allowed me to understand how to run a successful campaign using Facebook; Hootsuite's Social Media Marketing Course, which taught me key skills in organizing social media strategies, like planning a campaign and how to schedule posts, and also independently completed Google's Digital Marketing and E-commerce certificate, for running online stores. These courses allowed me to develop skills across a variety of different platforms, and I use skills learned through these certificates daily." 3) How would you describe our brand’s social media presence? This question directly tests whether you did your research on the business before attending the interview. Prior to the interview, you should take a look through the business' social media platforms and try to understand what their goals are. This is especially important if you are interviewing for a social media specialist position, as you are expected to know and understand the brand. You should provide an honest but polite description of the business' different social media platforms and evaluate some strengths and weaknesses in your answer. Even if the company has poorly managed social media, still maintain a polite perspective: "I quickly had a look at your social media channels prior to our interview, and I believe your business is aiming for a modern yet professional presence online. I appreciate how bold your branding is, and how strongly and confidently you present yourselves online. I also believe you are culturally aligned with the mindset of your target audience, as reflected by your choice of visuals and wording. I think since you offer such a specialized and niche service, the business could probably make its messaging more specific and targeted to your target audience. It seems as though you are applying best practices for social media to your posts on Instagram, which is great but is slightly generic and might not resonate as strongly with your customer." 4) Who do you think our brand’s competitors are on social media? Social media managers are meant to be on top of the current trends and competitors in their business niche. An interview question like this aims to test social media marketers on whether they are capable of doing competitor analysis and also if you, as a candidate, understand the company's work, brand, niche, or industry. To prepare for this question, you must do some research into both the company you are applying for and some of its competitors. Try to research both large and small competitors and take a look at their various social media platforms as well. "Since the company is in the natural beauty space, I took a look through some other companies in the same space. I came across the brand Naturally, a vegan healthcare brand with a very strong social media presence, especially on Instagram. I also came across a smaller competitor called Plantface, which is also very active on Instagram, specifically on reels. One thing I noticed whilst doing my research is that the preferred social channels for beauty brands are TikTok and Instagram; additionally, their social media marketing campaigns involve many reviews and influencer sponsorships. I noticed that your brand is not as active in making video content, which I believe should be prioritized in your social media campaigns." 5) What kind of content would you recommend for our brand’s social media accounts? The previous example answer gave some recommendations for improving a brand's social media marketing campaigns. If you are directly asked for content recommendations, you can use both this example answer and the previous one to inspire your answer. As a social media manager, you will often be required to pitch new ideas for content in order to improve brand awareness and sales. To answer this question, you need to prepare by researching more into the company's brand and social media platforms. You also need to show that you understand the importance of creating engaging and relevant content for your customers, as well as the variety of social media tools you can use to create content: "Based off my research, I believe that the beauty niche relies heavily on video content to drive brand awareness and sales. I recommend that short-form videos, such as those on Reels and TikTok, be prioritized in social media campaigns. Videos can include unboxing videos, first impressions, reviews, and testimonials from customers. Video content can be easily edited using tools like Canva or Capcut, or we can even employ a freelancer to edit the first batch of content for us." 6) What tools do you use for content creation? As a social media marketer, you will need to be able to utilize many social media tools to create all types of content. Mention any tools you have previously used for content creation but focus mainly on tools you are confident in using. If you don't have experience with some tools, don't worry. Make sure you are honest and say you are interested in learning new skills. The best candidates in social media interviews are ones who are ready to learn. "In my previous role as a social media specialist, I used tools such as Canva and the Adobe suite, specifically Photoshop, to create social media posts for a variety of social media platforms. I believe that high-quality visuals are key to creating valuable content that reflects the brand well. I am also capable of editing video using Capcut, and whilst I am not a professional video editor, I am very interested in learning more about video editing as well as being proficient in the right tools to produce video content." 7) How do you develop a social media strategy for a brand? This social media interview question tests your knowledge of the organizational and technical parts of social media campaigns. Make sure you reflect on this question ahead of time so that your answer is logical and easy to understand. Also, mention all steps involved in creating a strategy, including goal setting, understanding business goals, and deciding on marketing metrics to track. Also, provide specific examples of times you have developed social media strategies. "The first step to creating a strategy would be to decide on the social media goals for the brand, such as improving engagement, and align them to the business goals, such as increasing sales or brand awareness. Then, to align with our customers more, we could conduct some social listening to make sure we are answering their biggest needs, as well as look into some of our competitor's social media campaigns to see how we can stand out. From there, we can decide the profile of the ideal or potential customer we can target and create our strategy from that. We can then decide on what content we want to produce and what social media platform we want to utilize. We should also decide on success metrics and ways to track social media goals. After we decide on all of those, we can divide up our workload within the social media team and get started." 8) How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and updates on social media platforms? Social media interview questions will always have a component about being on-trend, as social media moves fast, and brands need to stay on top of changing trends. Mention resources you use to stay on top of trends and why you choose to trust them: "Since social media moves quickly, it is important to stay on top of trends as they occur. In my opinion, trends, and strategies go hand in hand, so I try to find resources that can help me implement both effectively. I often use news websites such as Mashable to allow me to stay on top of social media trends. I also often follow technology news sites, as many social media updates will be announced there." 9) What metrics do you use to track social media performance? A large part of a social media manager's role is analyzing and evaluating the performance of strategies. Social media specialists will know what metrics need to be tracked and what they mean. These technical social media interview questions are testing whether you know how to evaluate and understand a social media strategy effectively: "To evaluate a social media strategy, I make sure to choose metrics that will allow me to understand a campaign's performance effectively. For social media, I will choose metrics such as click-through rate, audience reach, and post engagement to see if our specific campaign was effective. For blogs, I will choose metrics such as website traffic, bounce rate, or reading time, as well as review our page ranking on Google to evaluate our SEO technique for blog posting. We can use tools such as Google Analytics to assist us in evaluating our social media campaigns." 10) How would you increase audience engagement on our social media accounts? This is another question that is often asked in social media marketing job interviews. It is closely related to previous questions which asked you to evaluate the company's social media and offer your opinions as a social media marketer. You can use this question as an opportunity to showcase your important skills and own experience in social media to the interviewer: "To increase engagement and generate leads on your social media, I would first focus on creating a stronger brand voice. We can do a group discussion and decide on a few core features of our brand to focus on. After this, we can use these features to develop cohesive strategies to improve engagement. For example, we can utilize influencer marketing to help us drive engagement and increase brand awareness. Likewise, we can also host a giveaway alongside this to encourage customers to follow our business on Instagram and interact with our posts more. We could host this giveaway across your current platforms, as well as on new platforms we haven't utilized, such as Twitter/X, to encourage our customers to follow us on our new platforms, boost follower counts, gain more retweets and interactions, and comments as well." 11) How would you handle a brand reputation crisis on social media? Reputation crises and controversy are a part of marketing, and being able to handle these will is a key part of being a successful marketer. Brand reputation crises and controversy are something that brands want to avoid, and ending up in controversy is possibly the biggest social media failure a marketer could have. This is a relatively advanced social media interview question, as general social media teams will not often handle controversy. However, you can answer this question to show off your ability to deal with pressure, address failure, and understand the intricacies of marketing and social media management. "Handling brand reputation crises should start with having a plan to reference should these circumstances arise. If the company does not have a reputation crisis plan, the first step would be to create one, including general steps to handle the main controversy, as well as templates for responding to crises, so that we can promptly address the controversy in time. If the brand is in the middle of a crisis, we first must directly address the issue, for example, remove or delete the offensive content or respond directly to the negative feedback we receive. After we understand the issue at hand, we should promptly and publicly address the issue and apologize tactfully. After we have handled the main part of the issue, we can begin to read through any negative comments on our posts or in online communities and take in their feedback. We can then update our brand messaging, posts, and guidelines to reflect this. We can then take the conversation offline and discuss internally how we can improve and avoid a similar crisis again." 12) How do you prioritize and stay organized as a social media manager? A social media manager is required to handle and direct many other marketers in their team, making sure all strategies align with each other across all social media channels. Social media manager interview questions are often focused on organization, communication, and ability to meet goals, so if you are interviewing for a manager role, keep that in mind. You can use social media interview questions like this to showcase your communication skills and project management abilities. Most companies will have their own tools they like to use for organization, but it's okay if you use something else. This type of job interview question is just to see if you are independent and organized. "Social media management requires strong organizational skills, and to help me ensure I stay organized, I utilize tools such as a social media calendar and project management software for my team to update their progress on. I also utilize Google Sheets for smaller projects such as to-do lists, as I can access them from anywhere and update them easily." 13) What interests you about our company? This is a general job interview question, but it also tests whether you did your research prior to the interview. By researching the company, you can align your answers with their mission, which will make you stand out as a candidate. You can mention anything about the company, including its product, mission, goals, successes, or company culture. Your answer to this social media interview question can reflect many of the points you would have mentioned in your cover letter. "I am drawn to the social media manager role at this company due to the uniqueness of the service and brand. I am a big advocate for mental health, so when I saw that this company was a mental health and wellbeing brand, I was instantly interested. I also reviewed your social media, and I am interested in your digital marketing strategy, as it is unique from your competitors. I want to develop my career, and I appreciate that professional development is a part of your company culture. Overall, I believe I can grow both as a marketer and a professional at this company, and I also am very aligned with your company and mission to make mental wellness accessible." 14) Can you give an example of a piece of content that performed well? Why do you think it was successful? This question asks you to showcase your most significant accomplishment as a digital marketing professional. Although you should mention ways you have succeeded subtly throughout your interview, interview questions like these ask you to be very upfront about your success. To answer an open-ended question, you can use the STAR technique, which is often used for behavioral interview questions. "In my current role, I am mostly an SEO blog writer. My blogs are used as ways to generate leads onto the company's business site, and are also shared on social media like Facebook, Instagram, and even in Linkedin Groups. I have been utilizing my skills in search engine optimization for a while, so my strategy for planning and researching keywords for blogs is very developed. As a result, my blogs for the past 6 months all ranked on the first page of Google and have been a great driver of traffic and sales. I believe my SEO content performed well since my understanding of SEO and tools such as Ahrefs are very developed. Additionally, my communication skills are very strong, so my content is clear, concise and drives conversions." 15) How do you collaborate with other departments (e.g., marketing, PR)? Social media jobs involve collaborating with many other people and departments in your company. Depending on the size of your company, you could be working with over 20 people daily, such as marketing, design and PR. Since you are required to collaborate with others in developing a social media campaign, a social media specialist must possess very developed communication and planning skills. Use this social media interview question as an opportunity to showcase your skills in these areas: "As a social media professional, I am familiar with collaborating with many other people and departments. To ensure we have effective communication, I make sure we all use a central project management platform, as well as a central calendar we can all use to reference. Additionally, I make sure we regularly check in, with a once-weekly meeting, so everyone can update each other on any progress. I make sure that all of our collaboration platforms are updated frequently, and as a manager, I encourage my team to talk directly with me if they need any help." 16) Have you ever led a team or project? What was the outcome? These types of interview questions will be asked more frequently in a social media manager interview. You can answer these questions by referencing a project or social media campaign you led and reflecting on the successes and challenges you experienced. Interview questions about leadership experience are used to evaluate whether you can handle projects, deal with stress, and collaborate effectively with a team. "I previously led a campaign for a new product launch in my previous role. I was tasked with leading ideation, organizing, and delegating tasks to my project team. I made sure to assign tasks based on people's strengths and regularly offered support and advice to my team. As the leader, I was tasked with updating our manager on progress, taking note of any important changes we were required to make, and making sure our team was working effectively. Our product launch was very successful, as we met sales goals and increased our brand awareness by improving engagement on our posts on social media." Conclusion Questions for social media interviews often ask you to reflect on your experience as a social media professional and showcase how you can provide value to a brand. Social media specialist interview questions will be different from social media manager interview questions, so make sure you read the job descriptions in detail. You will be required to do your research on any company you interview for, as it is likely some interview questions will be about providing feedback to their brand. As social media jobs are so competitive, even just landing an interview means you are skilled at your job! Use our social media interview questions to practice, and make sure you do research before your interview. Have you ever done a social media interview? Were the social media interview questions similar to ours? Let us know, and have fun preparing! Transform your job search with Cake, a resume builder that allows you to create standout resumes in minutes. Drag-and-drop elements, customize, and shine online, all without spending a dime. Start building your professional presence today. Create My Resume — Originally written by Bronte McNamara —

Created by CakeIn this article, we'll cover: What Is a Phone Screen?How to Prepare for a Phone ScreeningWhat to Do After a Phone ScreenTips for Nailing Your Phone ScreenDuring your job hunt, you might receive an invitation for a call to test your skills related to an application you submitted ahead of interviews. This is called a phone screening, and this occurs for jobs which require thorough technical or “hard skills”, and are common for engineering, programming and IT roles. These phone screening calls are a preliminary step in the hiring process, and you should be anticipating invitations for calls from recruiters for every application you send in. The phone screening step is not just for recruiters, however – you can leave a good impression early in the recruiting process by preparing accordingly! What Is a Phone Screen?Phone screenings are a preliminary screening for candidates who applied to a job opening. These are usually run by the recruiter or manager, and depending on the size of the company, are an initial way of filtering applicants before being invited to interviews to meet the hiring manager. There are different types of phone screenings, depending on the role – they can be technical, skill or theory-based. Here are examples of major companies which are likely to conduct phone screens and their phone screen processes: 📞 Google phone screen: Google’s phone screening interview process is conducted after the application stage, where you will receive an invitation to schedule a phone screening interview. Google’s phone screening process will have a behavioral component just like any other interview, asking about your experiences and desire to work at Google. However, the technical component of the phone screen will explicitly test your knowledge related to the role – such as fundamentals of programming, debugging code and explaining the rationale or concepts behind solutions you employ. 📞 Amazon phone screen interview: Amazon’s phone screen interview also has a brief behavioral component, but the main component of their phone screening interviews is solving a technical problem. This can come in the form of short coding questions, or a larger problem which you solve via an online whiteboard, explaining your method over the phone as you complete it. 📞 Facebook phone screen: Facebook’s phone screening interviews will first have a behavioral component, and then you will be given problems to complete. Facebook’s phone screening technical questions will be scenario based questions, where you will have to write or fix the code correctly to solve the problem. 📞 Microsoft phone screen interview: Microsoft’s phone screen interview has a behavioral component, technical component, and questions which are in-between these two categories. After going through basics of your resume, the bulk of the phone screen interview will be solving programming or coding questions where you will walk the interviewer through your answer. Also, Microsoft has been known to use “brain teaser” types of questions in their phone screen interviews, to allow candidates to show their soft problem solving skills. 💡 It's important to realize that phone screens are different from phone interviews. Phone screens are almost exclusively testing your hard skills related to the role, and will go over basic behavioral or personal questions to ensure your resume matches your answers. As phone screens will be scheduled in advance, you have time to prepare yourself to appropriately answer phone screen interview questions. How to Prepare for a Phone ScreeningThe idea of a phone screen interview which requires industry knowledge can be overwhelming and stressful. As mentioned earlier, phone screenings are scheduled in advance, so there is time to prepare! Here are our tips for phone screenings: 1. Review the job description and research the company: When you receive an invite for a phone screen, the recruiter will usually mention what role you are interviewing for in their email. Go back to the job opening and review the description, specifically the hard skills, software knowledge and responsibilities of the role. Likewise, research the company you will conduct the phone screen interview with, to get an idea of what their scope is. 2. Prepare a good self-introduction: Although phone screening interviews are mainly to test your technical skills related to the role, recruiters conducting phone screens will start off with greetings and ask you to introduce yourself. Use your research of the company and job description to form an answer that makes you sound like a good fit for the company. 3. Check out your equipment: Phone screening interviews are a mixture of a phone call and screen sharing applications such as electronic whiteboards, collaborative documents or the company’s own platform. Make sure your devices are up to date, your cell and wifi reception is strong, and that you have allowed access to your camera, microphone and screen before the phone screen. 4. Prepare for common interview questions: As phone screens are a combination of behavioral and technical questions, prepare for both types in advance of your phone screen interview. Depending on the company, there are plenty of resources online where others have shared their experiences and questions they received during phone screens. Make sure you know how to solve the problems as well as explain the concepts behind your code so you can provide a well rounded answer during phone screens.What to Do After a Phone ScreenAlthough phone screens differ from traditional interviews, you should still follow proper interview etiquette and also reflect on the experience of a phone screen. After your phone screen, you should make time to: 🎯 Send a thank you email: Phone screening interviews can be stressful, and very information-heavy discussions can take up the bulk of the time. Maintain a personable connection to the recruiter after your phone screen by sending a brief email thanking them for the opportunity. 🎯 Send a follow-up email: Recruiters will conduct many phone screening interviews, and might take a while to provide you with feedback or their decision. If the recruiter gives you a time frame for an expected response, wait until that time has lapsed before sending a follow-up email. Otherwise, wait about 5-7 business days after the phone screening to send a follow up inquiring about the hiring process. 🎯 Consider what you’ve learnt about the role: Phone screening interviews put your knowledge and skills to the test. Whether you feel like you aced it, or had a knock in confidence, use your phone screen interview experience to reflect on your skills and how they apply to roles you apply for. Tips for Nailing Your Phone ScreenAs phone screening interviews are a unique combination of traditional and technical interviews, we’ve compiled a list of tips to ensure you have a successful phone screening interview! ❗️Show that you take it seriously: When you receive an invite for a phone screening interview, respond and schedule your interview time promptly. Be on time for the phone screening, and always maintain professionalism when speaking. If your cameras are off during the phone screening, maintain a professional tone of voice, sound cheerful and engage with the interviewer throughout the phone screen. ❗️Prepare a professional voicemail: Call yourself from a friend's phone to check what your voicemail is. If it’s old, silly sounding or an automated message, script and record a new one which includes your full name, apology for missing the call and state that you will call back ASAP. On the chance that you accidentally miss the phone screen call, your interviewer will at least be assured they have the correct number. ❗️Avoid scheduling conflicts: When booking a time for your phone screen, be certain it's a time that you will be able to attend. Recruiters have limited spots for phone screening interviews and might not let you change at a short notice. Try to schedule your phone screening around university or work, and think about noisy times of day, or if others are home. ❗️Get your resume or portfolio ready: Have your resume open on your computer, and have the link to your portfolio ready to paste in case the interviewer asks for it during your phone screen. Having these ready to view will come in handy during the behavioral and introductory section of the phone screen, if the recruiter wants to discuss anything they’ve read with you. ❗️ Listen attentively: As phone screens are not in person, it can be hard to show the interviewer you are actively listening to them. During your phone screen, avoid long pauses, acknowledge what they are saying, and listen attentively during the technical questions so you are able to solve them. Don’t pretend to listen or understand the recruiter – they have expert knowledge in the area they are testing you in, and will know if you didn’t listen to their instructions. If you need them to repeat or clarify, let them know – they would prefer this over feeling ignored! ❗️Take notes: If the recruiter mentions anything of interest to you during your phone screen, write it down. It's preferable to use a pen and paper over typing, as the recruiter will be able to hear you typing over the phone. Likewise, you can take notes during the technical or problem-solving questions to help you efficiently visualize the scenarios given during the phone screening. 🔑 Key TakeawaysPhone screening interviews are unique to particular roles and industries, and require preparation in order to have a successful interview. Technical phone screens will test your ability to use skills needed for the role, but also inadvertently test your soft skills such as communication and problem solving by discussing your answers with the recruiter. Maintain regular interview etiquette and practice relevant technical questions in advance, so that you are not overwhelmed by the intensity of a technical phone screen.With Cake, you can easily create a resume online, free download your resume in PDF, and utilize ATS-compliant templates to create a resume. Create your resume online (free download) now and land your dream job!Create resume--- Originally written by Bronte McNamara---

Created by CakeResumeBefore starting to prepare for a job interview, you need to know what type of interview it is so that you can be well-prepared. There are many types of interviews that serve different scenarios, depending on what employers are looking to assess such as behavioral interview, case interview, competency-based interview, group interview, panel interview, etc. In this article, we'll take a closer look at walk-in interviews, which are open to the public as part of events like a hiring event or a job fair. By understanding how it works as well as what to wear to an open interview, you might find yourself getting hired on the spot.Table of Contents:What Is an Open Interview?How Do Open Interviews Work?What to Bring to an Open Interview?5 Open Interview TipsKey TakeawaysWhat Is an Open Interview?An open interview, aka a walk-in job interview, takes place when a candidate meets with the hiring manager without having to go through a formal selection process which typically include ones that the appointments need to be made. However, you may need to wait for your turn, as in an open interview, there are other candidates also attending for the same role. In general, employers like this type of job interview because they can easily tell whether or not you’re interested in this job. They can also get to know “the real you” quickly, not just the professional side revealed through the usual application. Interviews on the spot are especially ideal for mass hiring such as hiring for salesmen or call center associates. As a candidate, you will likely feel less stress when joining a walk-in interview compared to other interview types. Especially for those with limited or no work experience, it's hard for you to compete with experienced professionals if you all go through a formal recruitment process.How Do Open Interviews Work?The process of open interviews is simple: all of the applicants who’re interested in the same job will show up at the same time, place, and get interviewed on the spot. The company will schedule one at a specific date and time. Applicants can bring their resumes, cover letters, or portfolios with them on that day. Just like an informal meet-and-greet session, walk-in interviews are quite brief and can take place either in a group or individually. After that, ideal candidates may be offered the job or proceed to a second interview at a later date.Two most common scenarios in interviewing on the spot include: During a block of time: Walk-in interviews are held for seasonal employment or by companies looking to fill multiple vacancies of the same role at once.At a hiring event: This event is a special opportunity for you to meet employers face to face as they are in town for a short period of time, specifically to hire. They normally specify what they expect from you during open interviews prior to the event date such as:How early should you show up for the interview?What to wear to the open interviewWhat documents will you need to show hiring managers?What to Bring to an Open Interview?Whether or not it's required to present necessary documents to employers, it's highly recommended to do so in a walk-in interview. This is to help employers gain a clearer picture and ensure the accuracy of the information you’ve presented, while also evaluating if you're an ideal candidate. Also, aside from a pen and notepad for taking notes, the following are the important documents you must bring with you to the open interview.Resume/CVServing as job application documents, both resume and CV is a tool to briefly introduce who you are, summarize your work experience, and highlight your professional skills. What to include in a resume/CV: Personal information (full name, phone number, email address, etc.)Career goals personal statementEmployment historyEducationTechnical soft skillsOthers (certifications, languages, references, etc.) Note that in some countries like the U.S. and Canada, CVs are used only for academic applications such as academic jobs and research fellowships. Check out this article for more info! Having a top-notch resume/CV, using the best free resume builder, will help you catch up on the competition and secure the job, especially when you don't have a lot of time to express yourself during a walk-in interview. However, the question is how to make it stand out among a bunch of applicants showing up on that day. Here are 5 tips to increase your chances of getting hired on the spot with a strong resume/CV: Add figures and resultsInclude some endorsementsPut your hard skills into focusExclude irrelevant information like personal details and part-time jobsAvoid black-and-white design with only text📚Further reading:Resume Format Guideline: 10+ Resume Formats And Free Templates To DownloadCover letter Even though a cover letter is not always required to send along with a resume/CV, you should consider submitting them together. A resume/CV states the facts - who, what, when, and how, whereas a cover letter provides additional information to impress employers better, including: Why are you interested in this job?What do you know about the company?How have you acquired substantial knowledge, experience, and skills during your career?How will these help you in the new role?What value will you bring to the potential employer? Normally, you will need to tailor your cover letter for the specific job, but it’s impossible to do so prior to an open interview. Don’t panic - a compelling self introduction and summary of your qualifications will pique the hiring manager’s interest from the beginning. Portfolio There are certain careers where you will likely be asked to present a portfolio, such as: ArtistModelPhotographerWriter / Content CreatorGraphic DesignerWebsite DesignerInterior DesignerVideographerUX/UI DesignerFashion Designer A professional portfolio is an excellent way to showcase your works to employers while demonstrating what you are capable of. It’s recommended to prepare both a hard copy and a digital file to present in your open interview. Have a hard time crafting one? Let we be your portfolio maker’s best friend. Additional documents To support your candidacy, consider showing any of the following documents if you have one: Reference letter from previous employersCertificateWork samplesEducational transcripts, if you're looking for internshipsLetter of recommendation from your professor diploma, if you're a fresh graduate💡Pro tip:For all documents mentioned above, you should bring multiple copies instead of showing the digital files at your walk-in interview. If hiring managers are interested in knowing you more, they may want to keep one for further reviews.5 Open Interview TipsEach type of job interview requires different tactics and strategies. We've put together a list of useful tips for nailing multiple types of traditional interviews in this article. Now, let's dig deeper into acing your open interview at the next job fair! 1. Dress properly First impressions matter. There are many studies indicating that your appearance says more about you than you can imagine. Though walk-in interviews are more casual, keep in mind that what to wear to an open interview should present yourself in a professional manner and leave a good first impression. In general, appropriate attire for job interviews includes nice pants and a plain shirt with a collar for men. Showing up in a suit is not quite a good idea for such casual events as open interviews.For women, be careful with your makeup, jewelry, and strong perfumes. You’re at a hiring event, not a concert or festival. 📚Further reading:What to Wear to Job Interviews - Full Guide [+ examples]2. Show up early for the walk-in interview For all types of job interviews, you should be there 10-15 minutes before the start time according to career experts. Punctuality is one of the keys in open interviews because there's a line of applicants waiting to be interviewed by hiring managers. Therefore, you should arrive as early as you can. 3. Research the company Doing so will help you learn about what the company does and what they’re seeking in a candidate. Showing your knowledge about this part can also make you stand out from the crowd. Nowadays, you can find any information regarding the company on Google. Also, company websites and social media profiles are the go-to platforms to get an insight into their day-to-day operations and organizational culture. 4. Prepare for common interview questions Interviews on the spot may be shorter than traditional interviews and it is very likely that you’ll be asked common interview questions such as: Tell me a little bit about yourself.What are your greatest strengths?Where do you see yourself in five years?What about this role interests you?Why should we hire you? 💡Pro tip:Before attending an open interview, practicing your answer to common interview questions can make you feel more confident and comfortable during an actual interview. Besides that, it's important to prepare some questions to ask employers at the hiring event. Doing so will promote a positive dialogue and also help you decide if the role is right for you. What to ask employers during a walk-in interview: Can you tell me more about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role?What are the biggest challenges of this job?What skills do you value the most?Is overtime expected?How would you describe the company culture?📚Further reading:50+ Good Questions to Ask in a Job Interview (Interview Hack)5. Send a thank you email after the open interview Demonstrating your professionalism puts you one step closer to being selected for the job. Especially when you didn’t perform well in your walk-in interview, a sincere thank-you email might make employers reconsider and offer you a second chance. This is also a great way to remind them once again of your qualifications and follow up after the interview. 📚Further reading:Guide to Writing The Best Thank You Email After an InterviewKey TakeawaysLet's sum up what we’ve discussed in this article! What does an open interview mean?An event where applicants have the chance to speak with an employer without having to go through an initial screening process as usual. Are open interviews worth it?Yes! You can get hired on the spot if doing it right - be confident, proactive, professional, and well-prepared. Even if you can’t, you can learn a lot from attending a job fair and having an on-spot interview with hiring managers. How early should you show up for an interview?Around 10-15 minutes. As a sign of professionalism, punctuality helps draw you as a reliable and trustworthy employee. Also, you will have more time for your preparation when showing up early. Get recruiter-ready in minutes. Our AI resume checker reviews your resume for common pitfalls and suggests targeted improvements.Get Recruiter-Ready--- Originally written byMay Luong---

Key SummaryHard skills are specific, measurable abilities you gain through education, training, or experience.Tailor your skills to every job you apply for.Show your skills in context, not just as a list.AI skills are now a must-have across all industries to give you a competitive edge over other candidates.Use Cake’s AI Resume Checker to analyze your resume against the job description and tell you exactly which skills to add before you hit submit.Hard skills are measurable abilities that an individual can acquire through practice, repetition, or education. Hard skills are one of the most important sections hiring managers look at, and getting them right can be the difference between landing an interview or getting ghosted. If you’re still wondering “what skills should I even put on my resume?” No worries, this guide covers everything you need to know about hard skills for your resume: what they are, why they matter, and exactly which ones to list. Table of Contents: What are Hard Skills? Difference Between Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills Why Hard Skills Matter on a Resume Top 100 Hard Skills to Put on a Resume How to List Hard Skills on a Resume How to Improve Your Hard SkillsWhat are Hard Skills?Hard skills, also known as technical skills, are job-specific abilities, capabilities, or knowledge that must be learned through online/university courses, hands-on experience, and training. Examples include things like coding in Python, operating Excel, speaking a second language, or holding a PMP certification.Unlike personality traits, hard skills are concrete, either you know how to do something or you don’t. They’re also easy for recruiters and ATS to scan and verify quickly. Difference Between Hard Skills and Soft Skills Here’s a simple breakdown between the two. Hard skills are technical and job-specific, they’re what you know. Whereas soft skills are interpersonal and behavioral, they’re how you work. Here are different examples of hard skills and soft skills to help you get a gist of it: Hard SkillsSoft Skills Data AnalysisCommunication Graphic DesignTeamwork Financial ModelingProblem-Solving SQLLeadership Machine LearningAdaptability Both types matter on a resume, but hard skills are what get you past the ATS screening and onto a recruiter’s shortlist. Soft skills will shine more during the interview stage.Why Hard Skills Matter on Your ResumeMost companies today use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes before a human ever reads them. These systems are programmed to look for specific keywords, and hard skills are a huge part of that. If your resume doesn’t include the right technical terms, it may never reach a recruiter at all. Beyond ATS, hard skills signal to employers that you are equipped to do the job. They reduce training time and demonstrate competence, making you a more attractive candidate. In high-demand fields, having the right hard skills can also directly impact your starting salary. Top 100 Hard Skills to Put on a ResumeHard Skills by Category Technology IT AI Machine Learning Data Analytics Business Management Marketing Communications Healthcare Medical Engineering Manufacturing Finance Accounting Languages1. Technology IT These are some of the most high-demand skills in the job market right now.Programming Languages (Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, R, Swift)Web Development (HTML/CSS, REact, Node.js, Angular, PHP)Cloud Computing (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform)Cybersecurity (AI Threat Detection, Ethical Hacking, Network Security)Database Management (SQL, MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Vector Databases)DevOps (Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins)AI Integration (API Integration with OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini; building AI-powered apps) 2. AI Machine Learning AI is becoming a baseline expectation across industries, from tech to marketing to finance. Demonstrating AI fluency on your resume signals to employers that you’re future-ready and adaptable. For Technical Roles (e.g. AI/ML Engineers, Data Scientists): Machine Learning Frameworks (TensorFlow, Pytorch, Keras)Natural Language Processing (Hugging Face Transformers, spaCy, NLTK)Computer Vision (OpenCV, YOLO, Stable Diffusion)Large Language Models (Fine-tuning, RAG, LangChain)MLOps (Model deployment, monitoring, MLflow, Kubeflow)AI Cloud Services (AWS SageMaker, Google Vertex AI, Azure AI)For Non-Technical Roles: AI Prompt Engineering (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot)AI-Powered Analytics (DataRobot, Tableau AI, Microsoft Copilot for Excel)Generative AI Tools (Midjourney, Runway ML, Adobe Firefly)AI Writing Content Tools (Jasper, Copy.ai, Grammarly AI)AI Automation (Zapier AI, Make) 3. Data Analytics Data literacy is no longer optional, it’s expected across nearly every industry and positions. Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Macros)Google Analytics Data StudioPower BI TableauStatistical Analysis (SPSS, SAS, Stata)Big Data Tools (Hadoop, Spark)Predictive Analytics using AI/ML models 4. Business Management When you’re in operations, consulting, or project management, these skills are extremely valuable. Project Management (PMP, Agile, Scrum, Kanban)Business AnalysisFinancial Modeling ForecastingBudgeting Cost ControlERP Systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics)Supply Chain ManagementRisk ManagementAI Tool Adoption Change ManagementPerformance Evaluation 5. Marketing Communications Digital marketing skills are in massive demand for both startups and large corporations. SEO SEM (Ahrefs, ScreamingFrog, SurferSEO, Technical SEO, Google Ads)Social Media Marketing (Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads)Content Marketing CopywritingEmail Marketing (Mailchimp, HubSpot, Klaviyo)CRM Software (Salesforce, Zoho CRM)Video Editing (Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro)Graphic Design (Adobe Photoshop, Canva, Illustrator)AI Content Creation 6. Healthcare Medical For healthcare professionals, certifications and clinical skills are non-negotiables. Electronic Health Records (Epic, Cerner)Medical Coding Billing (ICD-10, CPT Codes)Patient Assessment TriagePhlebotomy Clinical ProceduresSurgical AssistanceHIPAA CompliancePharmacology KnowledgeMeditech DocumentationNursing Practice Act JCAHOEmergency Response 7. Engineering Manufacturing These technical skills apply across mechanical, civil, electrical, and industrial engineering.CAD Software (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, CATIA)Lean Manufacturing Six SigmaQuality Assurance Control (QA QC)PLC ProgrammingStructural Analysis3D PrintingOSHA Safety StandardsEquipment DiagnosticsInventory ManagementRisk Management 8. Finance Accounting Finance professionals need a solid mix of software proficiency and technical knowledge. Financial Reporting GAAP/IFRS StandardsTaxationAuditingQuickBooks, Tally ERP, XeroInvestment AnalysisCFA/CPA/CA CertificationRegulatory StandardsAccounting Reporting SoftwaresBudgetingBloomberg Terminal 9. Languages Multilingual ability is a serious competitive advantage in global companies. Example of how to write a language skills section on a resume:English - NativeFrench - FluentMandarin - ConversationalKorean - BeginnerOrEnglish - BilingualSpanish - Full professional proficiencyPortuguese - Professional working proficiency To see examples of how to put this in your resume, check out our guide on how to list language skills on your resume. How to List Hard Skills on a ResumeThe hard skills that you want to include in your resume will differ depending on your profession. Below are the different specific skills for different roles:💡 For Students: Even if you don’t have work experience yet, listing tools and software you’ve used in coursework, internships, or personal projects count as a legitimate hard skill. Tips to List Hard Skills on Your Resume1. Create a Dedicated Skills Section Place a clearly labeled “Skills” section on your resume, typically at the bottom of your resume. Keep it clean, scannable, and organized by category if you have many skills. This makes it easy for recruiters to see. 2. Match Skills to the Job Description Always tailor your skills section to each job you apply for. Read the job description and pull keywords from the job posting. You can mirror the exact language used, which can be critical to pass ATS filters. 3. Show Skills in a Context You can also demonstrate the skills in your resume summary or work experience bullet points. For example, instead of just listing “AI tools”, write: “Automated weekly reporting using ChatGPT and Power BI, reducing manual work by 40%.” Numbers and context make your hard skills far more credible. 4. Be Honest about Proficiency Only list skills you can confidently back up in an interview or technical assessment. If you're a beginner in something, you can note your proficiency level (e.g., "Python – Intermediate" or "Prompt Engineering – Familiar"), but avoid overstating expertise. Getting caught misrepresenting your skills is a quick way to lose a job offer. Still not sure if your resume has the right skills? It’s easy to miss key skills that a specific job description is looking for, and that’s where most resumes fall short. Cake’s AI Resume Checker automatically analyzes your resume against a job description, flags missing skills, and suggests exactly what to add to strengthen your application. Here’s what the Skills section of your Cake AI resume report looks like:Suggestions for Skills Section in AIResume Checker Report And you can also apply hard skill suggestions directly to your resume.Resume Editor Section in AIResume Checker Try Cake’s AI Resume Checker for free and make sure your hard skills are always working in your favor. How to Improve Your Hard SkillsEven if you currently don’t have all the skills a job requires, you can build them strategically. 1. Enroll in professional courses with a certificateTaking courses is an effective way to learn a new skill or knowledge, or improve existing hard skills. It would be best if you can acquire a certificate of completion which provides employers with solid evidence of that hard skill. 2. Keep practicingRegular practice is key to getting better at everything. Depending on the fields you’re working in, you can choose one or a few crucial hard skills to practice every day. Once you’ve mastered that skill, move on to the other. 3. Join a professional group in your fieldBy being active in a group setting, you have the chance to learn new knowledge and experience from other professionals. For example, if you’re a Marketer, check out these Facebook groups: CXL - Conversion Optimization, Analytics Growth, Digital Marketing Questions, Marketing Solved, etc.Frequently Asked QuestionsHow many hard skills should I put on my resume? Aim for 8-12 hard skills that are directly relevant to the role. Quality matters far more than quantity. A focused, tailored list will always seem better than a generic wall of buzzwords. Should I list AI tools as hard skills on my resume? Yes. AI tool proficiency is now considered a necessary skill across nearly every industry. Be specific about the tools you use (e.g. “Copilot for data summarization” “Claude Code for debugging”) rather than just writing “AI tools” generically. Should I put skill levels on my resume? It depends on the industry and role. For technical fields like IT, data science, or AI/ML, adding proficiency levels (i.e. beginner, intermediate, expert) can be helpful. You should also add proficiency levels to language skills. Are hard skills more important than soft skills? Both are essentials, but hard skills typically get your resume shortlisted, while soft skills help you get hired and succeed long-term. Hard skills might be necessary to complete your task in your role, so it is what opens doors. What are the most in-demand hard skills in 2026? The most sought-after hard skills right now include AI prompt engineering, machine learning, cloud computing, data analysis, and cybersecurity. AI fluency in particular has become a cross-industry expectation, not just a tech sector one.Key TakeawaysYour resume is often the first impression you make on a potential employer. Hard skills show recruiters and hiring managers that you have what it takes to do the job well. Start by identifying the hard skills most relevant to your target role, tailor your list for each application, and continuously invest in learning new ones, especially in AI, which is reshaping every industry right now. To be 100% sure what skills to put in your resume, check your resume with Cake’s AI Resume Checker and make every skill count. 💡 Looking for more career tips? Check out our guides on how to write “about me” on resume, how to create ATS-friendly resume, and resume examples for different professions.