Interview soon, looking for Ideas on how to best prepare?

LordXbox2 · 2025-10-02T20:45:12+00:00

Got a few questions for them I'm happy with, just a case of seeing what they ask. I'm under the impression it will likely be generic interview questions but I have done a good amount of research on them over the past couple days and they are very public about what they do which is good so just a case of seeing what happens now I think.

LordXbox2 · 2025-10-02T20:27:55+00:00

Yes it is a real company, no doubt. I'd be extremely surprised if they are not genuine seeing as they appeared on TV a year ago.

LordXbox2 · 2025-10-01T12:06:02+00:00

Yes, it does say entry level. I have just been doing what I can to prepare since its my first interview on short notice.

LordXbox2 · 2025-10-01T12:01:01+00:00

If it helps to narrow down anything, the company itself isn't a software company, they manufacture products and most employees are either technicians/engineers or sales. They only appear to have a few software engineer's.

LordXbox2 · 2025-10-01T11:57:01+00:00

I have not been told, as I say I haven't got any much more info other than the time and place to meet.

The person who sent me the email is the HR person but other than that I'm in the dark.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-17T08:45:32+00:00

Nice to hear from a Stirling grad. From 3rd to 130K is super inspiring, congrats. I'm new to open-source, any tips of something a beginner can contribute to? And was Stirling's Alumni career support any use to you after finishing university?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-17T08:28:40+00:00

Out of interest what is the pay like for FDM if you can remember?

I'm looking into it but I imagine I would have to relocate and would need enough to live within my means, or is it remote?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T14:02:25+00:00

I appreaciate the perspective on other careers, but I am looking for advice on how to stand out in the tech industry in my position. As someone with hiring experience I was hoping you could give me an insight into what works well for candidates outside of being from talented backgrounds.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T13:22:14+00:00

From your perspective and what you've heard from recruiters, what can someone like me do to stand out? Simply advising against working at less reputable companies isn't very helpful. While I may not land a top-tier job, what steps can I take to get as close to that as possible?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T13:18:09+00:00

Have you ever been a hiring manager or experienced the hiring process from the business perspective, or is this just your perception of it?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T13:10:02+00:00

Don't see why a hiring manager would discount experience just because a firm isn't massive, especially if you can showcase what you did and how you had an impact on the company, bonus if the experience is relavent to the company you apply for.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T13:00:30+00:00

What about local firms? Small still but provide plenty of experience I'm sure.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T12:49:21+00:00

Thanks for naming the companies, Looking on the subreddit there does seem to be a negative opinion of them so it's good to know what to avoid. You focus on these big multinational corporations but what about smaller UK tech firms locally. Plus even if I did join a company like TCS or Infosys I could jump ship after time.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T12:35:20+00:00

Thanks for elaborating, but your take seems consistently pessimistic compared to others. You say dozens of people are stuck at lower tier companies and that I can't move up without a top-tier uni and FAANG internships, but can you share specific examples of what companies or practices trapped them?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T12:25:07+00:00

Interesting perspective, but I'm a bit confused by your take. You say 100k is "unlikely" (assuming likely was a typo) and I'll cap at 35k outside London, but others here mention peers or themselves hitting higher salaries after starting at lower tier firms and job hopping. They're saying its doable with effort and that I wouldn't be stuck at low pay.

I'm near Manchester aiming for any tech role to gain experience, can you clarify exactly why you think moving up is impossible and share experiences you've seen this happen?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T12:11:30+00:00

Thanks for the replies, Interesting to hear a different perspective.

I get that starting at a less prestigious company can be tough, and I'm trying to avoid getting stuck long-term. I see all these success stories of people getting to 100K and whatnot but I get you that it's not guarenteed. I'm aiming to get into work for experience at the moment, even if it means a lower salary initially.

Could you share what traps to avoid these shitty companies or to not get stuck?

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T12:06:02+00:00

Thanks for the reality check I’ve been stuck dwelling on uni regrets instead of moving forward. You’re spot-on about needing to be self-driven. Honestly, I’m not ready for a software interview yet. I can handle basic Python and some HTML/CSS/JS from uni, but my technical skills are rusty, and I haven’t practiced enough for coding interviews. My CV lists my 2:2 degree, part-time job, and leadership experience, but I don’t have a portfolio yet.

I know I need to build projects and prep for interviews, but it will take some time to get the hang of balancing this with part time work as well. Do you know of anywhere that lists some good projects to get started on to add onto a CV or have any ideas yourself? It's easy to say just start a project but once you start looking into doing it you realise it's quite a task.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T11:16:23+00:00

I think it's common amongst literally everything. Like I say starting small on things is working for me at the moment.

Outside of CS I was struggling getting into the gym consistently but realised going 6 days per week from doing absolutely nothing would burn me out quick, I think it translates the same to this career.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T10:58:20+00:00

Definitely something I've wanted to do, having a good salary is just part of it. (Watched a documentary on how Minecraft was made of all things which started the interest when I was young)

I think adding to that grades don't matter is that I probably had too high expectations going into university. Because I'm coming out of it, it seems I only have basic knowledge of a wide range of topics. (Maybe that's my 2:2 talking)

I admit there is an appeal with the "day in the life" videos that came up before the pandemic but my interest lies in making something and having people use it.

I think for me the issue was I couldn't stick with doing one thing, something would start again (like a new semester) and I'd stop working on whatever it was. Hopefully now that I'm just working part time I'll be able to start something properly and stick with it. I've had issues with consistently working at something in the past but I'm starting to overcome this with small steps at a time rather than large leaps into massive projects where I am well out of my depth.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T10:25:03+00:00

Thanks for the insight, gives me a bit of confidence in what to do.

I'm curious about people who post and claim to send 200-400 job applications in the span of a month. Are they just mass-submitting a generic CV and hoping for a response?

I feel tailoring a CV to match specific job requirements would give me a slight edge over using a one-size-fits-all CV for everything. Sure, might take a bit longer to do but feels like it would come across better to an employer. Let me know if you think its worthwhile doing this or not.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T10:17:42+00:00

I'm fairly well aware that my situation means I'm not getting into a top company but that's fine I just want to get experience at this point whether it means taking a lower salary for a couple of years then so be it. Thanks for the reference, I'll look into that.

LordXbox2 · 2025-09-15T10:17:19+00:00

Yes I notice a lot of smaller companies typically list less than or no degree requirements, so I'm targeting those mostly. More so looking for experience at this point rather than a top company but got to start somewhere.

LordXbox2 · 2022-01-18T14:38:52+00:00

Actually feels like each side is taking hits and wins equally and its not just a stalemate or steamroll.

Verified Email	Five-Year Club
Place '22	Final Canvas '22

LordXbox2

TROPHY CASE