Software Engineer Interview 101 — The Interviewer’s Logic

Tony
7 min readAug 3, 2024

Scope and Purpose of the Interview

You might have experienced various types of interviews, such as phone interviews, video interviews, on-site one-on-one or panel interviews, and group interviews (where a group of candidates play games or discuss a proposal while the interviewer observes and notes your performance).

In these formal or informal interviews, although different formats might limit your ability to showcase your skills to varying degrees, the scope of assessment is generally the same.

This includes the four elements of the candidate competency model mentioned in the first article: experience, skills, potential, and motivation. Different positions and teams have different requirements for these four elements. Additionally, the focus of the assessment on these four levels may vary depending on the role of the interviewer in different sessions.

The interviewer’s purpose is to find candidates who meet the job requirements, and these requirements are ultimately reflected in the four levels of the competency model.

It is important to note that we are looking for the “right” candidate, not necessarily the “best” candidate. This consideration goes beyond just the cost of hiring; it also involves the candidate’s career…

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