3 questions: can you read between the lines at an interview? 

Are you looking for a new IT project as a freelancer or employee and you’re currently preparing for an interview? Have you sent in your CV, received an invitation and you’re now getting ready for your first meeting with a new company? The Titans know that choosing a job is a process full of adventure. While some may just make their decision based on the wage because they currently have no other choice, most senior IT specialists are looking for more in a new job: personal development, application of their experience to something meaningful, advanced technology and inspiration… Then you should really make sure the new environment is a good fit; not just in terms of the job, but also the people. This may mean different things to different people, because we’re all programmed a bit differently. And we each find fulfilment and satisfaction is different things. Things may become clearer at the interview than they seem at first glance.

In cooperation with Marian Kováč, who supports leaders and companies as a mentor and negotiation coach, we have prepared 3 questions that you can ask at an interview. There is no right or wrong answer, the important thing is what you need.  

3 between the lines questions 

An interview is like a date. Sometimes it’s love at first sight, and sometimes you realize you’re not meant for each other. And that’s okay. There are very few opportunities that meet all our expectations in full. Life is the art of compromise. But just paying attention to what you’re feeling and not saying it out loud can tell you if you’ve walked into the right door. And you can also learn a lot about yourself.  

Our intuition is always running and we can’t turn it off. It can help give us information that we would miss otherwise. So why not use it? 

1/ Is the company interested in my contribution as a person?  

Are they looking for a well-oiled, powerful IT machine, or will my opinion and personality also be valued? Perhaps you only care about doing a professional IT job well and you’re not looking for more. And that’s okay. But maybe you also need a piece of that Titan humanity and appreciation for who you are to be satisfied at your job. And this is something you can get a sense of at the interview. Ask questions and take notes about how people at the company work with each other…

Are they asking you about what you enjoy and what you’re good at – i.e. your strengths? Do they care about what’s important to you personally? Or are they just talking about the project itself and not bothering with anything ‘extra’? When you ask about life at the company, do they speak about results or the people? 

2/ Will I have room for my own path to the goal?  

Micromanagement has already killed the desire to work in millions of people, and it isn’t finished yet. Do you prefer an exact specification of the process, or do you need a large degree of autonomy in how you get to the result? For example, if they gave you the task of building a Titan hero out of Lego, do they have their own established instructions for this, or do they expect you to apply your own procedures that you must take responsibility for? 

You can ask about work organization, who and how defines success or failure, and how they faced failure in specific situations. And set your radars on what you learn. We all have different needs in this area too, and finding a team that has needs similar to yours is worth its weight in gold. And also more restful sleep, satisfaction from work and simply a good feeling about what you do. 

3/ Do they play the blame game? 

While some of us need room to admit our ignorance, fears or weaknesses, others are more assertive and can withstand failure without blaming themselves. But we all need a certain amount of psychological security, and it is definitely not an unnecessary luxury in the mentally demanding role of a senior IT specialist.  

Are they asking you what you’re good at and what your weaknesses are at the interview? Do you feel you can be open, or do you feel the need to answer cautiously?  

In short: is this a tribe I want to belong to? 

If you’re perceptive, just one interview may tell you if the values of the people you spoke with are ​​similar to yours, if they think similarly and care about the same things at work. Our brain automatically remembers whether the people we are talking to are in-group or out-group – whether they belong to us or not. The brain processes the thoughts and ideas of people we consider to be the same or similar to us as if they were our own. This makes for good cooperation.   

If you let it, an interview can become an interesting process of self-discovery. You may learn something about yourself that you’ve never really thought about. 

• Where do I feel good/bad and why? 
• What sense did I get of the people at the interview without them saying anything? 
• How do I manage stress and how much help from the team do I need in managing it? 
• What can I work on for the next interview? 
• How much am I forcing myself to fit a certain mould and can I be myself? 

Next time you’ll have a better idea of what is for you and what isn’t. This will help you get much more out of the next interviews and they will never become wasted time. 

TITANS wants to know how things went! 

Are you considering a new offer? If things didn’t ‘click’ at the interview, why was that the case? Whatever happens, we want to know what you experienced and how you feel about it. This will allow us to offer you an opportunity that better suits your needs next time. We’re sure there’s another Titan for the job that wasn’t for you. 

Be proud, be curious and always be yourself. Your interview is a path to adventure. Let’s get to it! Choose from Titan offers for freelancers and full-time jobs.