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Taariq Elliott
Taariq Elliott

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Crucial Conversations

A conversation that we've all had before and can be a bit difficult to prepare for is an interview. These conversations are tough because they don’t always give clear guidance on how to prep. Every interview is different, and every interviewer is different. Add the word "technical" in front of that for software engineers, and you open up a world of possibilities. Technical interviews can be simple, where we talk about code concepts and answer basic coding questions, or they can be the kind we'd rather skip—like solving algorithms or LeetCode problems.

How I prepared was by researching others’ experiences, looking into the company, ensuring my portfolio projects were up to date, reviewing my resume, and preparing some scenario-based questions and answers. I also made a list of questions to ask my interviewer at the end. The interview went much better than I expected, even though I was unfamiliar with the tech stack, which I made known. I was moved to the next round and given a coding challenge. I believe this is where the decision was made not to offer me the job, despite completing the challenge.

Some things I’m working on now are asking better questions, letting people finish their thoughts before jumping in, being more direct when I need help, and asking clarifying questions. Overall, I’ve been communicating more, and it’s really helping me understand the team environment better.

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