Software Development is an extremely competitive field. It doesn’t help that several of the major industry players are starting to move offshore to countries like China and India. Let’s say that despite all these challenges, you still landed an interview. Congratulations! Now that you’ve made it this far, I’m going to give you some tips to make sure that you can get that dream job.
I’m Paula Rutledge – President of Legacy MedSearch, a retained executive search firm working exclusively in emerging medical technology. In this issue of Medical Career Magazine, and I’m here to help prepare you for the challenging and rewarding field of software development.
So. Let’s say you’ve read my other blogs or watched my videos on YouTube and have done everything right up to this point. All you have left to do is ace this interview and seal the deal. To make sure that happens, let’s review some typical questions that may appear in the interview. Some questions asked might be:
- How do you drive software development to support your company’s business?
- Describe your ability to multitask and prioritize when faced with a conflict.
- Briefly outline your philosophy regarding SDLC (systems development life cycle).
- Are you more interested in program development or program implementation? Why?
- Are you familiar with ASTM standards? Do you have any ASTM related certifications?
Now that you know a bit about the interview itself, let’s go over some interview etiquette that may seem obvious, but that many interviewees still forget!
First arrive early, no excuses. Make sure to dress professionally or (even better) try and research the company’s dress code and conform to that. This will help show that you will fit-in well in the working environment. While you’re in the interview, show passion for software development as well as genuine interest in the company itself. A great way to appear involved is by asking questions and being engaged. Some good questions to ask might be:
- Tell me about your version control.
- Tell me about your bug tracking system.
- Tell me about your Quality Assurance.
- How much training per year do you offer?
- Do you have a Wiki to share developer knowledge?
Finally, show confidence both in your responses and your body language. Be decisive, maintain eye contact, and have good posture. No one wants to hire a shy, quiet, software engineer who isn’t confident in their abilities!
If you follow all of this advice, you’ll have the best shot possible at landing that software development job!
Don’t forget to check out our forum http://www.medicaldeviceguru.com or our website at www.LegacyMedSearch.com for some more great tips.!
