I spend a fair bit of time interviewing people and I have to admit it's fun. Why? Well my interview process isn't best described as standard and that makes for interesting situations. Crisp new suits, well written CVs and carefully memorised facts and figures about the company I work for are all very well but I want more. And I thought I'd share some of the things I'm looking for. The context for these comments is specifically software development for the online world, a world I've worked in since 1995.

First a quick tale. A few years ago I was scheduled to interview for a marketing role. While getting prepared I noticed the candidate sat patiently waiting. I also noticed she was wearing a little black number, the kind of attire that in other settings might be quite appealing but for an interview? OK, personal comment coming up. Low cut, short black dresses DO get attention but they're no guarantee you'll get the job and quite possibly achieve just the opposite. Any way, the interview got underway and the candidate described her amazing abilities at attention to detail. A key requirement for the post. "Did you write this CV?" I inquire. "Yes?" came the startled reply. I highlight a number of formatting inconsistencies to which she became flustered and defensive. "I was more interested in how you handled the criticism than in the formatting of your CV." It was a no for me.

So what do I look for in candidates? Well I do expect them to have an idea about what the company does, but I don't do the *memory test* thing that some of my peers do. You know. "And when were we established....?" I do want to know how they think they stack-up against the Job Description and Person Specification. I will ask questions about past jobs mainly looking for experience, intelligence, integrity, aptitude, eye-contact, firm handshake (I know, it's an old one), and an intrinsic ability to think-on-feet.

A NOTE TO GRADUATES

If you're a grad with a 2:1, don't think for a minute I'll pick you instead of the guy that flunked but is logical, coherent and demonstrates practical thinking ability in an interview setting. Degrees are not the little black dresses of the interview world. They don't mean *you'll get a great job and be instantly wealthy!* One of the best software developers I've ever worked with was self taught. He didn't go to uni. He did a rubbish job to fund his own learning and he was truly brilliant. In short, I admire people that say: "I didn't go to uni, but I did this course and can offer this practical experience". We have an employee that's well on his way to an MCSE, self-funded. I admire that, the qualification yes, but even more the drive and determination.

All that said, I wouldn't want to be operated on by a self-taught surgeon. There are limits! But I would want him or her to be a practical human being with an outstanding academic ability, yet able to smile, converse, hold a knife and able to navigate it accurately.

THE INTERVIEW

I like practical white board sessions. If you did something interesting in the past I might ask you to draw it, a network diagram for example. I will probably ask you to solve a puzzle that involves logical reasoning. I like role-plays to see how you behave under pressure. You can write reams but you can't fake this stuff and it's this unexpected element that makes the interview so interesting. One of my favorites questions is: Can you describe to a non-technical person, say, your mum, how encryption works. It's amazing how many people describe why or what and while I'll admit that I sometimes mutter, I'm sure I say HOW. OK, so we get back on track. Nervous laughter…how…. And then the martian starts! What am I looking for here? Not for an ability to really understand everything about encryption, but rather, how does the candidate relate to the audience? Agility — adjust style and language. Poise — eek, unexpected question, keep a cool head.

Recently, I interviewed someone that kept putting "sorta" before various descriptions of his experience. A great way to diminish the perceived value of what was being said. If you "sorta" flew a mission to the moon, I'm thinking "no you didn't." Oh, and if you claim to know HTML expect to whiteboard it.

HERE'S MY TAGS FOR A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW WITH ME

"Laugh but don't be jokey" "don't fear silence" "smile sincerely" "listen carefully" "energy" "intelligence" "integrity" "logical" "truthful" "concise" "stick to the point" "you dress smart, I'll be casual" "I'm OK, you're OK" "if you don't know, just say, that's so much better than waffle" "firm handshake" "eye contact" "be ready to work at the interview" "make it happen, but be subtle" "convincing" "dedicated"

Hope this helps.