It’s time for your technical interview!
Here at Medallia, we know that being a good engineer isn’t just about your CS skills. Don’t get me wrong, this is a technical interview, so be sure to brush up on the CS fundamentals, coding, algorithms, and data structures. However, that’s only part of the exercise; our engineers will also dig deep to understand you as an individual: how you learn, how you interact with others, and how you work in ambiguous situations.
Don’t just take my word for it! Here are some tips from some of our newest engineers.
Tip #1: Don’t Give Up! Collaborate.
“It’s okay if you can’t think of the algorithm or data structure right off the top of your head. Don’t give up—figure it out with your interviewer! Work with your interviewer; they want to see you succeed so don’t be afraid to ask questions and bounce ideas off of your interviewer.”
– Mimi Lee, Software Engineer, Core Collections, Cornell University, Class of 2016
Tip #2: Explain Your Approach, Not Just the Solution
“The way you approach the problem and how you build your solution upon that is much more important than the right solution itself.”
– Prajakta Bhutada, Cloud Fabric, Software Engineer, Georgia Institute of Technology, Class of 2016
“Explain as much of your thought process as possible. You might be on the right track, and the interviewer can guide you through it. If you get stuck and don’t communicate anything, they’ll assume you have no idea what’s going on.”
– Ryan Vogan, Software Engineer, Text Analytics, Cornell University, Class of 2016
Tip #3: Embrace Feedback
“At the end, it’s time to get some actionable feedback from your interviewers. Is there a more efficient solution? Did you seem nervous or confident? Is there an area you need to focus more on?”
– Anugrah Vijay, Site Reliability Engineer, Georgia Institute of Technology, Class of 2016
“At the end, it’s time to get some actionable feedback from your interviewers. Is there a more efficient solution? Did you seem nervous or confident? Is there an area you need to focus more on?”
– Anugrah Vijay, Site Reliability Engineer, Georgia Institute of Technology, Class of 2016
“Try to stay relaxed and respond to feedback from the interviewer. They are trying to help you, and how you respond says a lot about you. Being receptive to criticism is an important characteristic.”
– Connor Gorman, Software Engineer, Cloud Fabric, University of Southern California, Class of 2015
Tip #4: Be Honest
“Don’t oversell on your resume. Make sure you know the ins and outs of everything you put on your resume and be comfortable explaining the concepts.”
– Connor Gorman
Tip #5: Learn About Us!
“Do some research about the product before the interview, and be prepared to answer questions like why you want to join Medallia.”
– Haley Luo, Software Engineer, Data Pipeline, University of Southern California, Class of 2016
Before you enter the interview, just remember: interviews aren’t about acing the problem; they’re about showing what it’s like to work with you. Best of luck!
