The fastest way to prepare for a tech interview is to spend most of your time on yourself, not the company — then use three simple techniques to manage the conversation: qualify the role, qualify your answers, and close the meeting. You were invited in on the strength of your experience, so be ready to talk about it clearly with real examples, find out what the interviewer actually wants, and give yourself a second chance before you leave the room.

By Mark Hurren, Co-Founder, Hurren & Hope

I’m not going to patronise you. If we’re working together, it’s because I already believe you’ll come across well. But in 25 years of recruiting — and out of all the interview tools and techniques I’ve been trained on or watched in action — three have consistently stood out. They work as well for a senior board placement as they do for a graduate stepping into the market. They’re not a substitute for genuine rapport, but they’re a reliable way to manage the interview environment so your ability actually gets seen.

First, the groundwork: prepare yourself, not just the company

A quick word before the techniques. Most people research the company to death — the website, the blog, the founder’s last three posts — and then fumble a question about their own CV. Flip that. Do enough on the business to show genuine interest, but put the bulk of your prep into you: for every skill and project on your CV, be ready to give the context (which company, which client, what the outcome was) and what you’d do again. Interviewers ask about your experience, not whether you’ve memorised their “About” page. Know your own story and the nerves largely take care of themselves.

Start with rapport — you can’t engineer it, but you can break the ice

Rapport isn’t something you can manufacture, and you shouldn’t try. But you can open the door to it. Ask the interviewer a little about their own career and how they got to where they are. Pick up on anything that came out of the small talk before you walked in. People warm to genuine interest, and a human connection does more for your chances than any clever line. The three techniques below sit on top of that — they manage the conversation; they don’t replace the relationship.

Technique 1 — Qualify the role

Stock answers are useless. If you don’t understand what the interviewer is actually hoping to hear, you can’t tailor your responses to it. They won’t show all their cards, but as early as you reasonably can, get a feel for the real job — not the HR job spec.

Try something like: “I’ve had a good read through the job spec, but it’d be great to hear what a typical Monday to Friday looks like from the people actually doing it.” Paraphrase it so it sounds like you. Their answer hands you the elements that genuinely matter — so later you can give examples that speak directly to those points. It also stops the whole thing becoming a rigid question-and-answer session, which is hard work for everyone in the room.

Technique 2 — Qualify your answers

Saying you’re good at something, or know a particular skill, counts for little if you don’t back it with evidence. Without context — which company? which end client? what spend or scale? — it’s just your opinion.

So: give a concise answer that actually responds to the question. If you need a moment to think before you reply, take it. If you’re not sure what’s being asked, ask — that’s a strength, not a weakness. Anything beats an irrelevant ramble about some past event.

And check you’ve landed it: “Does that answer your question?” or “Would you like me to elaborate?” I’ve watched good candidates miss out simply because they never fully showcased their skills. Qualifying your answers makes sure the interviewer has actually been given the chance to explore what you can do.

Technique 3 — Close the meeting

Simple, but it works — I’ve used it many times myself. At the end you’ll almost always be asked if you have any questions. Most people scramble for something about holiday or “when will I hear?”. Instead, as the meeting winds down, ask: “Is there anything more I can share with you?” or “Are there any elements you’d like me to go over again?” — whatever feels natural.

You’re doing two things: showing quiet confidence, and — more importantly — giving yourself a second crack at anything they felt was weaker. Often it’s a simple misunderstanding in how an answer came across that hands the role to someone else. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.

A note on remote and video interviews

More and more first-stage tech interviews happen over video, and the three techniques still apply — they just need a little adjustment. Test your camera, mic and connection beforehand, and have your CV and a couple of notes just off-screen. Build rapport deliberately, because it’s harder to read the room on a call: look into the camera, not the screen, and don’t be afraid of a brief pause. And still close the meeting — a clear “is there anything else I can walk you through?” lands just as well on a call as it does in person.

Your quick pre-interview checklist

• Re-read your own CV and prepare a real, results-led example for every skill and project on it.
• Do enough company research to show genuine interest — no more.
• Plan an opener to learn what the week actually looks like from the people doing the job.
• Have a couple of questions ready about the interviewer’s own experience, to open up rapport.
• Be ready to clarify anything unclear, and to check each answer landed.
• Have your closing question ready.
• For video: test the tech, look at the camera, keep notes to hand.
• Know your worth — check current tech salary benchmarks for London, New York and San Francisco before any conversation about money.
• Browse current roles so you walk in knowing how this one compares.

The bigger picture

An interview is a two-way thing. A good employer–employee relationship is a bit like a marriage — there’s compromise, but you’re ultimately stronger together — so a genuine fit matters as much as a polished performance. If it feels like a square peg in a round hole, that might just be true, and walking away can be the right call for both sides. These techniques simply make sure you both get a fair shake at finding out.

If you’d like a straight, no-spin sounding board on your next move, that’s exactly what we do — get in touch or see what we’re hiring for. And if a friend is job-hunting too, our Grow the Network referral scheme means you can both benefit.

Related reading

• How to find your career North Star — work out what you actually want before you interview.
• How much do you need to earn to be happy? — weigh pay against the life you want before any salary conversation.

Frequently asked questions

What are the three key interview techniques?

Qualify the role (find out what the interviewer actually wants, early on), qualify your answers (back every claim with a concrete example and check it landed), and close the meeting (invite them to raise anything they’re unsure about so you get a second chance). They work from graduate level to the boardroom.

How long should I spend preparing for a tech interview?

Enough to research yourself thoroughly and the company sensibly. As a rule of thumb, most of your prep should go into your own experience and examples, and the rest into understanding the business and the role.

How do I stop myself waffling in interviews?

Answer the exact question asked, take a moment to think if you need it, back each point with a concrete example, and check you’ve landed it (“does that answer your question?”). If you’re unsure what’s being asked, clarify before you answer.

What should I ask at the end of an interview?

Rather than defaulting to holiday or start dates, ask whether there’s anything more you can share or any element they’d like you to go over again. It shows confidence and gives you a chance to clear up anything that didn’t land.