This article is inspired by Hashnode's #MyFirstInterviewExperience weekly challenge to encourage developers to share their first interview experience and lessons learned from it.
Introduction
My first technical interview was with Interswitch Group. A friend of mine who worked in the security department of Interswitch had recommended I apply for a role in Interswitch Engineering. I had just started learning how to code in python, studying algorithms, data structures and the likes at the said time and didn't take it seriously.
I felt under-qualified because I had an idea the kind of company Interswitch was. My university used Interswitch Payment Gateway for collection of fees and I had an account with Quickteller, seeing the kind of products this company built made me feel a beginner like me was under qualified to work there. After much thought I decided to give it a try, after all, I had nothing to lose.
The worst that could happen was that I would get rejected but I believed it was an opportunity to rate how much I had learned and also learn from the process.
Before I applied
I did some research, I found out about the engineering hiring process, if I still had the opportunity to apply again if I got rejected, how to apply, if there were any vacancies and many more questions. After getting most of my questions answered, I set out to revamp my resume whilst studying the fundamentals of programming.
After Applying
After applying, I kept on studying, coding and trying to improve myself. I got an email in September 2018 that I was invited for an assessment for a Software Engineering Intern. I was so ecstatic when I got the invite but some part of me was scared that I might not be able to scale through the technical interview process.
The Interview
I was so nervous on the day of the interview. I left the house much earlier than the time for the interview just in case I got into Lagos traffic. I got to the venue an hour before the interview.
While waiting in the reception, I met one of the Engineering leads who was supposed to interview us. He asked what my name was and I told him after which he introduced himself. I think he noticed how nervous I was and tried to lighten me up with a little conversation which surprisingly helped. Seeing how jovial an engineering lead in the organization was, helped ease the tension a bit.
Once it was time for the interview, I and about 9 other interviewees were ushered into a board room. We were given two algorithms questions to solve each on paper, one for interns, we were told that anyone who was able to attempt this first question will be joining the first cohort of the Interswitch developer academy and the other question was for a full-time software engineering role. We could attempt whichever one we wanted.
I was able to attempt the first question for interns and that was how I passed the algorithm test. I submitted my details and I went home really excited.
After the interview
One month later, I got an invitation to meet with the Chief Information Officer (CIO). To be honest, I didn't know what to expect at this meeting so I prepared for both technical and non-technical questions, I also read about Interswitch and some of its products just to add to the knowledge I already had of the company. On the said date, I got to the venue earlier, while waiting I met with other Applicants who had also passed the algorithm test and got an email to meet with the CIO. Once it was time, we are ushered into a boardroom after which the CIO joined us, he asked us a few background questions and explained to us what the developer academy program was about.
He finnally congratulated all of us on getting accepted into the the first cohort of the developer academy program. And that was how I got my first job 🥳.
Lesson Learnt
- Your resume is the first impression an organization has of you which will determine whether or not you get an interview. Before applying for any job, take out time to work on your CV, make sure to properly highlight your achievements and use proper grammar, it should be concise and straight to the point. Here is a great resource on revamping your resume.
- As long as you meet certain requirements in a job description, apply even if you feel under-qualified. Do not underestimate yourself. The only failure I see here is not applying at all, because there's always something to learn from every interview process regardless of the outcome. I can't imagine I'd be where I am today if I didn't summon courage and applied for the job, despite my fears and inferiority complex.
- Always prepare before going for an interview. If it's a technical interview or an algorithm test, practice and take on algorithm challenges. You can use platforms like hackerrank, leetcode etc. Preparing for the algorithm assessment played a major role in my being selected.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my first tech interview experience. You can also write about yours in the #MyFirstInterviewExperience challenge.
Cheers 🙌