General tips to wrap up
Mental preparation and mindset. Good technical preparation is one thing, but your mental state and attitude during the interview are just as important. Here are some tips that apply to all specializations:
Be yourself and be honest. This might sound obvious, but stress often pushes candidates to try to act like someone else. Of course, you want to show your best side, but don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. If you don’t know something, admit it (calmly). If you’re nervous, that’s normal — recruiters understand that. Often, the best advice is: be yourself, because companies look for various personalities, not only outgoing extroverts. Honesty and authenticity build trust — and nobody will hire someone who seems insincere or “scripted” right from the interview.
Analyze your goals and motivations. Before going to the interview, think about why you want this job. What motivates you to work in IT beyond the obvious financial aspect? (Questions about motivation are very common.) Prepare an answer, e.g., “I enjoy solving problems and programming gives me that opportunity,” or “I want to create applications people will use every day.” Don’t say just: “Because of the money” — even if it’s true, employers want to see passion and willingness to grow. When you know why you’re there, you’ll be more confident.
Reduce stress before the interview: The day before and the day of the interview, be kind to yourself. Get a good night’s sleep (we know it’s easier said than done, but fatigue really lowers concentration). Eat a light meal so you’re not distracted by hunger or drowsiness. Arrive or connect a few minutes early to calm down. Right before the interview, you can take some deep breaths or do a short stretch — oxygen helps. During the interview, remember to breathe calmly and don’t rush your answers. You have the right to take a moment to think — you can say “Please allow me a moment to think” and collect your thoughts. It’s better than throwing out chaotic answers.
Approach the interview as a conversation, not an interrogation: This is a subtle mindset shift but important. The recruiter is not your enemy, rather a potential future colleague. They want to get to know you, not punish you. Try to engage — for example, when explaining something, ask “Should I elaborate?” or “Does that answer your question?” Treat the dialogue as an exchange, not just a test. This builds better rapport. Remember, you’re also evaluating the company — if the atmosphere fits you, if the questions make sense. This helps keep your confidence — after all, you’re talking as equals.
Accept lack of control over the outcome: Even the best-prepared candidates don’t get offers for many reasons (sometimes beyond their control). You can’t always shine in every area — maybe a very unusual question comes up, or you’re having an off day. Understand that failures are part of the process. Learn from them (it’s good to write down surprising questions right after the interview to prepare better next time). Don’t get discouraged if the first interviews don’t yield an offer. Treat them as practice — each next one will be better.
Attitude and communication. Some universal advice on what attitude to present during the interview:
Enthusiasm and positive attitude: Show that you’re glad to have the chance to talk about tech and the company. A moderate smile and lively body language (light gestures, maintaining eye contact) are welcome. Companies want to hire people who are motivated. Avoid complaining or criticizing previous employers or lecturers — even if you have reasons, this reflects badly. Better say “I’m looking for new challenges because I want to grow towards X” than “My current job bores me and my boss is awful.”
Confidence (but not arrogance): Speak about your skills with conviction. Instead of: “I studied Java but I’m not good at it,” say: “I know Java basics, wrote a few small programs, and I’m eager to learn more.” Don’t downplay your projects — even if it’s “just” a simple HTML page, talk about it proudly, because it’s your work and you learned something. At the same time, if you don’t know something, don’t bluff — admit: “I haven’t had a chance to learn that yet, but I’m eager to.” Such a mix of confidence and humility shows maturity.
Communication and listening: When answering technical questions, try to speak clearly and understandably. A good tip: imagine you’re explaining to a fellow student, not to a thesis reviewer. If you can explain a difficult concept simply, that’s great — in IT, the ability to communicate with non-technical people is valued. Listen carefully to questions — don’t hesitate to ask for clarification if a question is unclear. Better than answering something else. Don’t interrupt the interviewers; when they speak, show you’re listening (e.g., nod).
Personal culture: This matters too. Greet politely, keep an appropriate tone (it’s okay to use informal “you” if the recruiter suggests it — that’s common in many IT firms, but don’t be overly familiar). Dress neatly — no need for a suit in IT, casual is fine as long as it’s clean and tidy. Punctuality is a must — don’t be late (and if something unexpected happens, notify them in advance). Turn off or silence your phone during the interview so nothing distracts you. These little things build a good first impression.
Typical “soft” questions. After the technical part, there’s usually a section with general/HR questions. Sometimes asked by an HR recruiter separately, sometimes by the technical person — but it’s good to be prepared. Here’s a list of common questions with tips on how to answer:
“Tell me about yourself.” Almost guaranteed at the start. It seems broad and hard. A good way is to split your answer into 3 parts: (1) briefly about your education/experience — e.g., what you studied, projects you worked on, jobs if any; (2) why you chose IT — tell your story (e.g., “I loved tinkering with computers/software since childhood,” or “after chemistry studies I discovered programming gave me flow when automating experiments”); (3) a few sentences about private interests to show your human side (name 1-2 hobbies you can talk about briefly). Keep it concise — max 2-3 minutes.
“Why do you want to work here?” / “What interested you in this offer?” This checks your motivation and knowledge about the company. Avoid answers like: “Because I’m looking for a first job and have to start somewhere,” or “Because you pay for learning and that’s nice.” Instead, show you did your research. E.g.: “I read on your blog you’re working on telemedicine apps — that’s an interesting and forward-looking topic I’d like to be part of,” or “I’ve heard good things about your DevOps culture; I want to work in a place with advanced automation.” Make your answer sincere and specific — think about what you really like in this offer (technologies? product? company size? growth opportunities?). Also mention what you expect, e.g., that you want to develop in X and this role enables that.
“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Classic HR question. They want to check your ambitions and whether you plan to stay in the industry longer. Good to say you see yourself as a developed specialist in your field, maybe in a senior role. E.g.: “In 5 years, I want to be a solid mid/senior from whom juniors can learn, maybe a tech lead of a small team. I’m fascinated by system architecture, so I might head that way.” Avoid jokes like “If I were you…” 😉. Don’t say “I have no idea” — even if the future is unpredictable, show you have aspirations and goals.
“What are your strengths?” Don’t be shy to brag! Choose 2-3 traits/skills useful for the job and that you genuinely have. They can be technical (e.g., “Python knowledge — I feel very comfortable with it for a junior”) or soft skills (“Ability to learn independently — I absorb knowledge fast, as shown by completing a frontend course and 3 projects in 6 months”). Don’t sound like a boastful generalist — support each trait with a short example. E.g.: “I’m organized — in my last job, I balanced full-time studies with a part-time job using a task planning system that helped me meet all deadlines.”
“What are your weaknesses?” Tricky question. Never say “I have no weaknesses” or mention something crucial for the job (“I can’t work in a team” is a no). Avoid clichés like “I’m a workaholic/perfectionist” — recruiters know that trick. Choose one weakness you’re working on that doesn’t disqualify you. E.g.: “Stage fright during presentations — I get nervous speaking to large groups, but I joined Toastmasters to overcome it,” or “Sometimes I’m too detail-oriented, which wastes time — I’m learning to prioritize and separate important from trivial.” Such answers show self-awareness and willingness to grow.
“Tell me about a challenge/conflict you faced and how you handled it.” Checks problem-solving and interpersonal skills. Prepare a short story (STAR method: situation, task, action, result). Challenge example: “In a group project, two teammates stopped doing their tasks. I organized a meeting to discuss the problem — it turned out they didn’t understand the tasks well. We divided the work into smaller parts and reassigned, and we finished ahead of schedule.” Conflict example: “In my previous (non-IT) job, a colleague often delayed data that blocked me.
“What motivates you to work (as a programmer/tester, etc.)?” – as mentioned, money isn’t everything. The company wants to know what gives you satisfaction. There can be various honest answers here: problem-solving, the opportunity to keep learning, creating something useful for people, teamwork and brainstorming – whatever truly “drives” you. A good way to put it is: “What gives me the most joy is when the code I wrote works and actually makes someone’s life easier. That moment after long debugging when the tests finally pass – priceless. That gives me the energy to keep going.” This kind of answer shows passion and is believable.
“What sources of knowledge do you use to stay up to date with technologies?” – this question is asked more and more often because employers look for people who develop themselves independently. Prepare your favorite sources: e.g., “I read Medium/Dev.to, follow XYZ channel on YouTube, listen to podcasts, attend local meetups, take courses on Udemy” – whatever suits you. The important thing is not to say “none.” If you don’t have established habits yet, skim through some IT blogs or portals before the interview so you can mention something. And again – tell the truth. If you say you read Stack Overflow every day, they might ask, “Oh, what was the most interesting question you saw there recently?” Be ready to elaborate if asked.
Logical and puzzle questions: Some companies (especially big corporations or consulting firms) like to ask so-called “thinking questions” unrelated to work, e.g., “How many people fit in an articulated bus?” or the famous “How many marshmallows fit in a VW Beetle?” The point is to check how you handle abstract problems and stress. The best strategy here is to ask clarifying questions. For example, you ask: “Adults or children? Sitting or standing? Which model of articulated bus (how many segments does it have)?” Then, based on assumptions, you estimate: “Let’s assume the bus is 18 meters long and 4 people per square meter is comfortable, so about 72 people per segment, 144 in the articulated bus plus driver, let’s say ~150 people.” Important: it doesn’t have to be the correct answer; what matters is your reasoning process. Think aloud as you calculate. If you really don’t know, start with any sensible assumption. Stay calm and keep a sense of humor – recruiters are human too and often don’t know the answer themselves, it’s about intellectual fun.
Remember: The job interview is not an exam, but a conversation – it’s your chance to present yourself and also to get to know the people in the company. It’s worth preparing a checklist before the interview: printed CV and job ad (refresh what was in it), notes with potential questions (and your answers), a list of questions to ask, and a glass of water nearby (pro tip: if a question stumps you, a sip of water buys you 3 seconds to collect your thoughts!).
Finally, don’t get discouraged by setbacks. Many juniors go through a dozen interviews before getting an offer. Treat each interview as valuable experience. After each one, do a retrospective: what went well, what will I do differently next time. Thanks to this, even if your first job is still ahead of you, with every interview you’re closer to your goal. Good luck! We’re rooting for your prepared knowledge and positive attitude to land your dream first IT job. Keep learning, practicing, and be yourself – and you’ll ace the junior-level technical interview with flying colors!