4 ms·

Ask HN: Startup Interview Tips

5 points by interviewtips 15y ago

I have a technical interview with a really hot startup tomorrow. I usually am cool as a cucumber going into interviews, but this is my dream job, so I'm getting a bit nervous. I've already interviewed with the business development guy and now it's time to interview with an engineer. I think this could be valuable information for a lot of people trying to get jobs at hot startups: What sort of questions should one expect and be prepared for in a technical interview? What, if/any tips would you give? What other advice would you give to someone trying to get a job at an exploding startup?

hansy 15y ago
If it really is your dream job, show it to them; do your research on the company and be prepared to talk about the high points and areas of improvement of the company Regarding the technical questions, Google some common question to get your mind jogging again; my experience with startups is they don't really ask the standard "reverse a string" type questions, but may ask some trivial derivative usually related to their project They will definitely ask you about your previous projects, so come prepared to give summaries of what you did in the past Be enthusiastic, don't completely let yourself go (stay professional, but be yourself), and definitely email them a quick "Thank You" after the interview Good luck!
- interviewtips 15y ago
  Awesome thanks for the advice! I need to do some research tonight on technical aspects they deal with so I can relate my knowledge to their needs. I also thought about writing some js to run on the page to make a few improvements I've thought would be good ideas, then uploading to github. Either way, I can't wait!
  - petervandijck 15y ago
    Yes, do stuff like that. Show enthusiasm. Show willingness to dive in. Research their tech, and ask questions about it during the interview. Be proactive. Research. Write code that's relevant to them, if you can think of something. Use their product. Make sure you've signed up and used all their features extensively. Do usability testing (ask your friends) on their product. Etc.

5 points by interviewtips 15y ago

hansy 15y ago

If it really is your dream job, show it to them; do your research on the company and be prepared to talk about the high points and areas of improvement of the company Regarding the technical questions, Google some common question to get your mind jogging again; my experience with startups is they don't really ask the standard "reverse a string" type questions, but may ask some trivial derivative usually related to their project They will definitely ask you about your previous projects, so come prepared to give summaries of what you did in the past Be enthusiastic, don't completely let yourself go (stay professional, but be yourself), and definitely email them a quick "Thank You" after the interview Good luck!

interviewtips 15y ago
Awesome thanks for the advice! I need to do some research tonight on technical aspects they deal with so I can relate my knowledge to their needs. I also thought about writing some js to run on the page to make a few improvements I've thought would be good ideas, then uploading to github. Either way, I can't wait!
- petervandijck 15y ago
  Yes, do stuff like that. Show enthusiasm. Show willingness to dive in. Research their tech, and ask questions about it during the interview. Be proactive. Research. Write code that's relevant to them, if you can think of something. Use their product. Make sure you've signed up and used all their features extensively. Do usability testing (ask your friends) on their product. Etc.