(Photo credit @thoughtcatalog)
Many career pivoters face a specific challenge when interviewing in tech: not realizing that tech companies expect you to know some stuff about tech before you arrive at the interview.
No, they are not expecting you to be a tech industry expert - but they do expect that you have done some research on the market landscape that tech companies operate in, on what product(s) a company produces, and some of the basic terminology common to their area of tech.
Need help learning about the tech industry?
Feel free to check out my guide “Required Reading for Tech” to get access to a curated list of blogs, publications, podcasts, tv shows, & movies to help you learn about tech, and a few links to tech terminology guides.
I’d like help in practicing non-coding tech interview questions
That’s a great idea! There are a few sites to help you practice tech interview questions by role and by company, and I highly encourage candidates who are coming to tech from other industries to use these sites.
Tip: start prepping for interviews even before you know if you got the interview. Tech companies are known for scheduling interviews with only a few days notice, and waiting until then will not help you do well.
Why employ a coach vs just signing up for an interview practice site?
As a tech career coach, I can give you an overview of *your* entire tech job search process, from evaluating your chances when pivoting, crafting your specific story/resume, choosing your companies, developing your networking strategy, decoding upcoming interviews, and discussing offer details. I am particularly skilled at helping candidates prepare for upcoming interviews by interpreting a job description and converting it into a customized set of interview questions – but I’m only one person. Candidates need to practice with multiple people to get good at tech interviewing, because there is such variation in interview style, types of questions asked, product variations, tech niches, etc.
An interview practice site can help you with your reps (ie repetitions). Like your arm muscles, your brain needs to practice answering interview questions to help you think through possible answers, convert thoughts into coherent spoken answers, feel the stress rising, and prepare your response. These sites often have videos to watch, question banks to practice with, and other drills to put you through (like mental math exercises). They also have interview coaches for specific roles/companies - so if you want to do a one-hour interview practice session to prep for your dream interview, you can sign up. What the sites can’t really offer? Personalized assistance with your entire search.
Top 2 Tech Interview Practice Sites I recommend for non-coders
Site Navigation: There is a lot going on on the Exponent site! While it’s relatively easy to find what you need, I do sometimes feel that there is a lot for me to have to review visually that could be better organized on the site.
Content focus: Exponent straddles the line between technical and non-technical interview prep, which makes sense as tech companies have a lot of roles that exist in the in-between (or are quasi-technical).
Roles: good for Technical Product Manager; Product Design; Technical Program Manager roles
Course Modules: There is a plethora of courses on specific roles (ie Complete PM Interview Course) to company-specific ones (ie Amazon Interview Course) to specific question types (ie Estimation Questions).
Pricing:
Monthly: $79/month for access to all modules
Annual: and if you purchase an annual subscription, it’s $12/month - or $144 for the year.
There is a coaching marketplace and you can add one or more sessions.
Need a discount? Exponent uses an inclusive pricing app called Affordably to instantly calculate an income-based discount and verify it based on your current salary.
Note: if you sign up, use my referral link - and know that if you sign up via my link, I get a tiny bit of credit for that referral.
Site Navigation: It has a very simple design and is easy to navigate. There is a place for signed-in users to keep track of your notes.
Content focus: RB has great free ‘Getting Started’ guides for Product Management, Behavioral Interviews, Product Marketing, and Strategy & BizOps.
Roles: good for Strategy/BizOps and Non-Tech Program Manager roles; non-Technical Product Managers I’ve worked with are split on whether RB or Exponent is better for that role’s prep.
Course Modules: Behavioral; Product Management; Product Marketing; Strategy & BizOps; Analytics (they also have a Consulting module)
Pricing: They have monthly or annual pricing. Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial.
Monthly: One module is $35 per month, two modules is $55 per month. Each additional module is $15 per month.
Yearly: One module is $155 per year, two modules is $240 per year. Each additional module is $35 per year.
Members have the ability to book coaches at $200/hour.
Other Sites to Check Out
