On our site, multiple pieces on software testing job interviews have been put forth primarily because as professionals in the IT industry, we regularly experience and undertake a broad spectrum of interviews. At STH, we value this and aim to provide as much support to our audience as we can.
Now, we are focusing on the 5 often-seen mistakes in interviews which could unfortunately rob us of our ideal job roles, and we’re going to offer strategies to avert them.
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We’re omitting the discussion around the simple indicators of a troublesome interview – for instance, showing up late, failing to maintain a proper appearance, or neglecting to carry a copy of your CV or ID when required. It’s only fair to expect all of us to avoid these elementary mistakes, right? Let’s rather concentrate on how to articulate common interview queries in a way which prevents misunderstanding or miscommunication.
What You’ll Learn:
5 Significant Alarm Bells during Interviews
Let’s delve right into these routine interview blunders:
#1) Negativity
Avoid discoloring past experiences in a negative light. This could occur when responding to questions like “What’s prompting you to find a new role?” It’s tempting to vent about our past job experiences.
Let’s share a brief story: I kick-started my career in a renowned IT consultancy firm from India where my initial role as an untested newbie was pretty much comprised of being a back-up, a silent observer, or an unchargeable resource in a testing project. I was mainly there to “learn”, rather than contribute.
I was assigned the mundane task of collating all bug reports, submitted individually by team testers, at the close of each day. Honestly, it was not a rewarding situation. But that’s not exactly the point.
Suppose you’re seeking to transition from a position like that. When you face the question “Can you describe your role in the project?”, what would your response be? You can either approach it as a pessimist or an optimist. The pessimistic approach would be to lament about your lack of significant responsibilities beyond collating bug reports.
Conversely, an optimist would talk about how their role served as quality assurance for the team, by verifying the bug reports and eliminating any duplicates or inconsistencies or by getting acquainted with broad project issues and the application up for testing rather than being boxed into a specific module. The superior response here is more than evident, right?
So, regardless of how repressing your current job/company/boss/pay/package/process might be, there’s wisdom in identifying and focusing on the positives while facing a job interview.
#2) Disseminating Misleading Details About Your Qualifications on Your CV
It’s critical to keep hammering this point. All of us vie for good jobs and wish our CVs to make its mark. This often results in a subtle desperation prompting us to sprinkle our resumes with slightly altered truths. For instance, asserting expertise in automation tools in spite of lacking practical exposure. We might hoodwink the resume screening algorithms, but we’re unlikely to con a human interviewer. Be circumspect regarding your resume content.
Suggested reading => How to craft an impactful software testing QA CV?
#3) Over-Talkativeness
Let me narrate a personal incident. A few years back, I found myself interviewing for a job that was seemingly a perfect fit. As it was a referral and my friends made up the interview panel, I was just inches away from owning the job. Yet at the end, I didn’t make it, and if I were the interviewer, I’d have made the same decision. Why? Simply because I wouldn’t stop babbling and struggled to make sense of my own words.
On that very day, I had touched down from an overseas work trip. I was jet-lagged and hadn’t slept properly. In addition, I had endured a protracted journey on a sweltering summer afternoon amid jam-packed city traffic, and I was huffing and puffing when I got there. As a result, my interview turned into a disjointed monologue, far different from a coherent dialogue.
That day taught me a valuable life lesson: don’t push yourself when you’re not in a frame of mind to deliver your best. Hence, when you have a job interview lined up and are keen on acing it, stay present, respond accurately, and uphold a professional demeanor. If you find yourself unable to meet these objectives, proceed to reschedule it respectfully.
Speaking of common interview missteps in a conversation, the following may be mentioned:
Misusing complex terminology: This will invite more queries and create additional challenges. Suppose you’re familiar with the terminology “Business Continuity Plan (BCP)” but lack an in-depth understanding. If quizzed on test planning, you may bring up the need for a BCP, but without any substantial knowledge about the concept, you’d likely be asked to elaborate on a BCP. Now, that’s a dilemma you’d like to sidestep.
Overusing filler phrases: It’s quite common to resort to filler words during conversations spurred by nervousness. To illustrate, one of my tutors would relentlessly resort to the phrase “The one,” while I’ve been informed that I use the word “So” excessively to keep a sentence going. If you recognize similar patterns, consciously try to keep your cool.
Feeling a bit jittery is natural, just ensure it doesn’t show. Consider an interview a professional discourse – lend an attentive ear and reply accordingly.
#4) Evade Making Pledges
While commitment to diligence, integrity, and self-discipline are praiseworthy, steer clear from making promises relating to specific timeframes, salary expectations, or anything of a serious nature. To get the drift, consider this question: What’s your intended tenure with the company? Your aim should be to respond vaguely, with something along the lines of “as much as it takes (accompanied by a smile)” or “till you need me around.” Your responses don’t pledge anything definite.
Suppose you say, “Until I find it challenging,” it vaguely implies your exit coinciding with the job becoming routine. Alternatively, saying, “As long as it suits my career growth,” hints at you being selfishly predisposed towards personal gain, without any regard for the company. Questions like these lack a perfect response, so maintain your sense of humor and remain neutral.
#5) Addressing Questions Regarding Weaknesses
Hold on a moment. Let’s not jump to answer that. It’s universally known that we humans are susceptible to flaws. We’re all aware of our weaknesses, but it doesn’t necessitate making them public knowledge, least of all in an interview. Rather, flip your response to cast a positive light on your weaknesses.
You can mention how typos or grammatical errors in reference documents are intolerable for you, which suggests your keen eye for detail and respect for norms. Or, expressing how you’re often early for meetings and end up enduring the wait, stresses on your punctuality. The objective is to ensure your weaknesses are presented favorably.
Here’s hoping that we’ve been successful in helping you to spot these warning signs during interviews sooner and to bypass the related pitfalls.
You may find this interesting, too => Jump right into these Software Testing interview Q&As.
Author: The frequently-occurring interview mistakes series has been crafted by Swati S., one of our resourceful members at STH.
We invite your experiences, observations, and questions. Feel free to use the comments section below.