IT Interviews Exposed -- Tip #2

We're back with another interview tip!

Perhaps the worst thing you can do during a job interview is to
be quiet. Here's an example. One of us recently interviewed some
students. When asked to describe his favorite school project, one
of the interviewees said that he didn't have any favorites, and
just stopped talking. It was a big strike against him, because one
of the things that employers look for in technical interviews is
passion and interest in programming. Not every programming task is
enjoyable or memorable, but if you're a keen programmer there's
something you did somewhere along the line that will have piqued
your interest.

You need to be able to talk passionately and expressively about
a programming project you did, whether it's something you did on
your own, at school, or in a previous job. If you've NEVER had such
an experience, either you haven't programmed enough or you're in
the wrong field. And good technical interviewers will figure that
out pretty quickly.
  

All your talking shows an interviewer that you know what you're doing and gives them insight into the way you'd approach real-world problems if you were working for them.

Talking is hard for some programmers, this we know. But it's really
important. Don't just limit your talking to answering the problems
you're given, though. If you're given the opportunity to talk about
yourself and what you've done before, don't waste that opportunity.
Show them that you're a good programmer who takes pride in his or
her work. Tell them about the programming-related books you've
read lately (you do, don't you?). Don't hide in your shell. Talk!