For a long time, tech culture has focused too narrowly on technical skills; this has resulted in a tech community that too often puts companies and code over people. Greater Than Code is a podcast that invites the voices of people who are not heard from enough in tech: women, people of color, trans and/or queer folks, to talk about the human side of software development and technology. Greater Than Code is providing a vital platform for these conversations, and developing new ideas of what it means to be a technologist beyond just the code. Featuring an ongoing panel of racially and gender diverse tech panelists, the majority of podcast guests so far have been women in tech! We’ve covered topics including imposter syndrome, mental illness, sexuality, unconscious bias and social justice. We also have a major focus on skill sets that tech too often devalues, like team-building, hiring, community organizing, mentorship and empathy. Each episode also includes a transcript. We have an active Slack community that members can join by pledging as little as $1 per month via Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/greaterthancode)
156: Authenticity in Interviewing with James Edward Gray II
01:30 - James’ Superpower: Spending time chasing his daughter and her robots around. Helping with her robotics club at school.
02:37 - “Just Be Yourself” is Terrible Advice
03:50 - What Are You Trying to Accomplish in the Interview
06:00 - Be Authentic: Which Parts of Yourself to Show
- Be a Strong Communicator
- Be an Avid Learner
- Don’t be a Jerk
07:25 - Turn Your Interviewers into Your Advocates
12:42 - Technical Interviews
- Saying “I Don’t Know” is OK
16:00 Interviewee as the Interviewer
- Make Sure You Want to Work Here
- Answer Questions Honestly
18:53 - Prepare for Common Interview Questions
- Rephrasing Weakness
23:34 - Intrinsic Motivation
29:29 - Storytelling in the Interview
- Being Confident in Your Accomplishments
- Interviewers Explain Why You Are Asking the Question
37:15 - Management Techniques
45:00 - Why Technical Interviews are Challenging
Reflections:
John: Setting the context for being approachable as an interviewer is important.
Rein: Some of this advice works all the time, and some of this advice only works when you have been able to develop a personal connection with the interviewer/interviewee.
James: Think about if this is a place you want to work while interviewing.
Avdi: Turning your interviewer into your advocate can help them also be able to tell you if this place will be a good fit for you.
Jessica: It’s not just about being able to interview well as the interviewee, but we need to choose a company that can interview well too. Ask your personal contacts about what it is like to work at a certain company.
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Special Guest: James Edward Gray.