"Tell me about yourself." You have 2 minutes to make a first impression. Most Interviewees blow it in the first 30 seconds. Here's how to nail it every single time. What most people do wrong: They ramble about their entire life story. They overshare irrelevant details about jobs from 5 years ago. They talk about projects that have nothing to do with the role. Or worse, they give a 20-second answer that says absolutely nothing meaningful. The interviewer zones out. You've lost them before you even get to the technical questions. Here's the structure that actually works: 1. Start with your education "I graduated from [University] with a degree in Computer Science, where I focused on algorithms and data structures." Keep it brief. One sentence. Move on. 2. Talk about your projects or professional experience. Now this is where you shine. Share 2-3 relevant experiences, but here's the key: only mention accomplishments that directly relate to THIS job. Read the job description. If they want someone with API development experience, talk about the REST API you built. If they need cloud expertise, mention your AWS projects. Example: "At my last role, I built a payment processing system that handled 50,000 transactions daily—I noticed your team is working on similar high-volume systems. Before that, I developed a microservices architecture that reduced deployment time by 60%, which aligns with your focus on CI/CD optimization." See what you're doing? You're connecting YOUR experience to THEIR needs. 3. Show you're a great fit Don't be shy about this. Literally say: "Based on what I've seen in the job description, I believe my experience with [specific skill] and [specific technology] makes me a strong fit for this role." 4. Add one fun, personal detail This makes you memorable and human. "Outside of work, I love hiking and have a goal to visit every national park" or "My family is from Spain, so I grew up speaking both English and Spanish." One sentence. That's it.

When I first broke into tech, my dream role at the time slipped through my fingers. Not because I lacked the technical skills, but because I bombed the behavioral interview. Despite not having a mentor or mock interview partner, I was determined to succeed. I read every blog, studied every STAR framework, and rehearsed in the mirror for months. Eventually, I tried mock interviews with strangers online. But I knew awkward silences, judgment, and even ghosting were part of the deal, so I had to swallow my pride and push through the discomfort. I over-explained. I froze. I rambled. Interviewers smiled politely and rejected me silently. That job hunt failed, and I faced months of uncertainty, shame, and a savings account near zero. For half a year, I carried the weight of rejection into every new application. I worried whether I could even hold a conversation that made someone believe in me again. However, a few months later, I finally landed a role that saw me not just for what I can code, but for what I brought to the team. Why am I telling you this? Because what you see online isn’t the whole story. People only show you the offer letters, not the breakdowns between interviews. So if you're experiencing rejection after a behavioral round right now, I assure you it won't last forever. You’re not “bad at interviews.” You just need to practice like your career depends on it, because it does. If you're looking for someone to help with your mock interviews, send me a DM.

You're applying to one company at a time, hoping for the best. Meanwhile, the developers landing multiple six-figure offers are running coordinated campaigns. They're not better developers. They're better at creating competition for their skills. The secret isn't being perfect for one role. It's being valuable enough that multiple companies fight over you. Time your interviews to cluster within 2-3 weeks. Let each company know others are interested (without naming names). The anxiety of losing great talent makes hiring managers move faster and offer more. Its simple supply and demand. Once a company feels like you are in demand, they become more attracted to you as a candidate.

Every senior developer has impressive repositories. Few have quantifiable transformation stories. "Reduced server costs by 40%" beats "proficient in Docker" every time. "Led migration that eliminated 6 hours of daily manual work" trumps "experienced with databases." In senior interviews, they're not buying your technical skills. They're buying your business impact. Stop talking about what you built. Start talking about what you fixed, what you saved, and what you made possible. Numbers don't lie, and hiring managers don't forget them.

Are you following up after EVERY SINGLE interview? Send a thank-you within 24 hours that references specific conversation points and reiterates your interest. Remind them of a funny moment or similar interests you both discovered during the interview. If you discussed a technical challenge, follow up with a brief solution outline or a relevant article. Show continued engagement with their problems, not just gratitude for their time. If you were unable to answer a question you know you should have nailed, it's appropriate to provide the correct answer in your follow-up email. Just make sure you only do this with one question. Persistence with value beats generic politeness.