You’ve got an interview with a top technology company on your schedule. Stressing out over presenting a professional appearance and/or speaking clearly is one worry, but what if this is a technical interview? Aptitude tests during an interview setting give employers a great way to vet a candidate’s skills, while also seeing how they react under pressure.
What follows is a closer look at how a potential employer may test your technical aptitude in an interview setting. This helps make sure you are better prepared when that big day arrives. Good luck!
How well do you handle pressure?
There is no denying an interview is a pressure-packed situation, even if a technical or aptitude test isn’t part of the proceedings. Many employers take advantage of this opportunity to ask a few technical questions or have you write a bit of code or sketch out a network infrastructure diagram – depending on the role for which you are interviewing.
In some cases, a company is paying closer attention to how you react during an aptitude test than your actual answers. Being able to show a sufficient level of cognitive intelligence without seeming extra nervous or harried is a good predictor for how you’ll perform when actually on the job. Keep that in mind when preparing for an interview.
What to expect in a typical aptitude test?
In addition to the coding and network diagramming tests described above, technology companies may leverage different types of aptitude tests during an interview. Verbal reasoning tests require you to read a written passage and identify the critical points from the text. In a similar manner, the numerical reasoning test identifies how quickly you are able to process information expressed in numbers and graphs.
Other types of reasoning tests exist, and you may encounter one or more of them based on the open position the company is trying to fill. As noted earlier, doing well on these tests is important, but the interviewer is also interested in testing your reactions while under pressure.
Other companies conduct technical interviews over the phone, with a goal of focusing more on vetting your technology skill set and accomplishments. Some time spent beforehand reviewing your work history and studying the major IT skills on your résumé is smart.
If you need additional advice on IT interview preparation, talk to the knowledgeable recruiters at Synerfac. As one of the top technology staffing agencies in New Castle, DE, we can help take your career to its highest level. Connect with us soon!