> You apply for a job

> Get an interview

> Prepare for the questions

> Show up ready to rock

> Nail all the technical questions

> Leave feeling confident

And then...

You get rejected.

What could have happened?

Well. A million things could have happened.

Technical interviews are hard.

They require a depth of knowledge and sometimes need LeetCode problems for a job that uses none of those skills.

We tend to focus so much on passing the technical portion of interviews that we forget the basics.

the people stuff.

I've seen interviews where great technical candidates bomb because they just "didn't sit right" with the interviewer.

So to play it safe? The company rejects them.

Bad apples ruin companies.

So today's newsletter is going to be about psychology.

I've read a lot of books on psychology, influencing others, and marketing.

These skills can be applied anywhere in life.

People skills are the foundation.

Technical skills are the icing on the cake.

Without people skills – It doesn't matter how good you are.

Here are 3 skills that will get you through interviews to a "yes":

Reciprocation

Rule #1 is always reciprocation.

In simple terms:

If you want something. Give to people first.

This is the foundation of all human behavior. Without this knee-jerk reaction to "return the favor", we wouldn't have civilization at all.

Don't come on strong, but as soon as you enter the room strive to offer something to the interviewer.

Some simple things could be:

> A simple compliment

> Commending their past work (research them)

> Offer them a stick of gum (use judgment if this is appropriate)

Pfer something as soon as possible.

It carries heavy weight.

Plus its just good people skills in general.

Lighten the mood a bit for them.

They might be nervous too.

The Pre-Frame

Pre-frames are the difference between liking somebody and not liking somebody. Seriously.

Imagine you're selling a product online.

Buyer 1 comes from a testimonial talking about how your product improved their life.

Buyer 2 comes from a blog that s**t talked about your product and talked about how horrible it was for the money.

Who is more likely to buy your product?

The answer is obvious.

This same thing is crucial with interviews.

Here's what I recommend doing.

• First greet yourself and offer a compliment or favor of some sort.
• Immediately after ask "Did you have a chance to look over my resume? Did anything leave an impression that I can elaborate on?"

This does one of two things:

1) They start recalling your resume and talking about your strengths that they found impressive

2) Has them admit they didn't have time to look it over – and you get an opportunity to set the pre-frame by sharing your accomplishments before the technical portion of the interview starts

Pre-frames are everything

Not just in business.

In life too.

Odds are we have all encountered a situation where somebody didn't like us before we even met them because of the pre-frame they were provided with.

It takes a lot of work to break through and change their mind.

People's expectations shape their perceptions.

Ideally, people would make judgments based on the facts.

But they don't.

Be particular about what goes on your resume.

Be vigilant in making sure they hear the good things about you.

It adds up.

The Code

Obviously, the code matters too.

The technical portion of the interview is the interview.

But without the proper pre-frame and social skills?

It's gonna be a tough sell.

If somebody doesn't want to like you they will find every reason to not like you.

No matter how impressive what you do is.

My main rules for the coding portion of the interview:

1. If you don't know – don't pretend. This is annoying and awkward for interviewers and they will sniff it out. Integrity over everything.
2. Talk – Interviewers hate silence. Practice saying what you're thinking out loud while you do it.
3. Clarify first – If you're doing whiteboard code don't write a single line until you've solved the problem fully in plain English (or your language).

I've gotten jobs when I didn't solve the problem.

All because they liked my approach to solving the problem.

Be clear. Be thorough. Be honest.

_________________________

Thank you for reading this week's newsletter.

I appreciate all of you who read to the end.

Email me at swdlodonnell@gmail.com with any questions

Check out my free course if you are learning to code

Book a free 30-minute call with me if you want to chat or have any questions.

Until next week!