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In this episode of Guidance Counselor 2.0, Torc’s VP of Global Community, Taylor Desseyn, welcomed Ray Gesualdo, Staff Architect at SalesLoft. Ray shared his extensive experience, which includes conducting more than 50 technical interviews, and provided actionable insights for both job seekers and hiring managers. From preparing for interviews to designing fair and effective hiring processes, Ray's advice is essential for anyone navigating the tech industry.
For Job Seekers: Sell Yourself Authentically
Ray emphasized the importance of authenticity during interviews. "Your job in the interview is to transfer your excitement about the role and what you can do to the interviewer." To achieve this, candidates need to:
- Research the Company: Understand the problems the role aims to solve.
- Ask Questions: Engage the interviewer by asking about the team, challenges, and goals.
- Talk Through Your Thought Process: Especially during technical interviews, explain why you’re approaching problems in specific ways.
He also highlighted the need for alignment. "Interviews are about determining if your needs and the company’s needs match. If there’s no alignment, it’s okay to move on."
For Hiring Managers: Create Realistic and Fair Processes
Ray offered a strong critique of traditional technical interview practices, particularly the use of irrelevant and overly difficult questions. "No leet code garbage," he stated plainly. Instead, Ray urged hiring managers to:
- Make Interviews Reflect the Job: Tailor technical exercises to mirror real-world scenarios candidates will face.
- Adapt for Skill Levels: Interviews for junior roles should differ significantly from those for senior positions.
- Focus on Conversations: Prioritize discussions over high-pressure tests to better understand a candidate’s thinking.
"Your job is to extract whether the candidate will be a good fit for the role, not to test obscure knowledge," he emphasized.
Practice Makes Perfect
For both candidates and hiring teams, Ray stressed the importance of preparation and practice. Job seekers should consider mock interviews and live problem-solving sessions to improve their ability to articulate their thought processes. Similarly, interviewers should constantly refine their processes to ensure they are fair, effective, and aligned with the role.
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