Interviewing at MentorMate: Process, Tips, and Advice

Going through job interviews can be a stressful and time-consuming ordeal. No matter how qualified we might be for a specific role, it is sometimes difficult to convey our experience, character, and knowledge in a short interview session with people we’ve just met. However, there are certain things we can consider that help us prepare for the interview process that just might land us our dream career opportunity.

Let’s get you ready for your career start at MentorMate by sharing some tips and going through our process in detail.

What to Expect:

So you found the role most suited to you and your skills on our careers page, you decided to apply, and you got the call for your interview? Let’s set your expectations for the hiring process at MentorMate and set you up for success:

A Fast, No-nonsense Interview Process Without Unnecessary Delays

At MentorMate, we value the time of our candidates and the experts involved in their interview evaluation. We aim to make the hiring process as time-efficient, informative, and helpful as possible for both sides.

• If your application is approved, we will schedule your interview within a couple of days.
• Our hiring staff will interview you online.
• Your interview will be in the form of a conversation, or rather a discussion.

А Step-by-step Introduction to Our Process

First step: Interview With a Talent Acquisition Specialist 

Your first MentorMate interview will be with a representative of our Talent Acquisition team. Our specialist will provide you with all the information you need to better understand our business, work culture, and how we work and collaborate during the meeting. At this point, you’ll demonstrate your soft skills and personality, so be prepared to talk about your professional experience, current job search, and career expectations. Our Тalent Аcquisition specialist will conduct this initial interview partly or entirely in English.

Second step: Technical Interview

After a successful initial conversation, you will move on to your technical interview and meet some of your new potential team members. Here is where you can let your technical expertise shine. More than just answering technical questions, you should expect to find solutions to job-related problems, discuss technical approaches, and demonstrate your programming skills in short live coding sessions.

Third step: Meeting With Your Team’s Manager

In some cases, we might schedule a meeting with the manager of the team you will potentially be joining. In this final meeting, you will have the opportunity to get to know the specifics of working with the team a little better.

Final step: Offer 

Your interviews went great, and you got the opportunity to join our team. During this final step of the process, we will discuss your employment offer, future development plans within MentorMate, and the benefits package you will receive.

How to Prepare for Your Interviews

Ok, now that you know what to expect, it’s time to share some tips, best practices, and advice to prepare you to go through our hiring and interviewing process.

Before the Interview:

• Find out more about MentorMate. Check out our website, social media, and press coverage. Get to know us and our work culture a bit, and think about how your experience, skills, and personality might help us evolve together. 
• Get some questions ready. Think of everything you want to know about the position and what is most important to you. Asking questions shows that you care about your career at MentorMate and gives you the opportunity to interview us as well. We want to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision about the next step of your career. 
• Think about your previous experience. Go through your resume and think of examples that correspond with the role that you might want to share. 
• Prepare an answer for one of the most essential questions. “Why are you applying for this position?”
• Prepare for an online interview accordingly. Check your camera, microphone, and internet connection, and find a nice quiet place where you can talk.

During the Interview:

• Be honest. That might sound like an overly basic tip, but honesty does go a long way. You know best what you can and can’t do, how you deal with potential problems, and what you expect from the people you’re working with, so be honest about it. 
• Talk about your professional experience. Share some examples of your successes and mistrials. Highlight your achievements, and use as much data as you can — this will help you show how big of an impact you have made in your career journey so far. 
• Prepare to be challenged. We’ll try and place you in an unexpected hypothetical situation to see how you might deal with it. Don’t be afraid to improvise and think on your feet. Many of the questions we will ask you will sound something like this: “How did you handle the case?”, “Tell me about a difficult situation where…”, “Have you ever had to…”.
• Be mindful of your time, but don’t let it pressure you. Collect your thoughts, write down some notes if necessary, and structure your answers as much as possible. Furthermore, involve us in a discussion! If time permits, bounce around ideas with us and collaborate to solve a hypothetical problem — this will give you a glimpse of the reality of working with us. 
• Breathe and have fun! Starting a new career journey can be stressful, but it is also exciting. We are happy to meet you, and we are always eager to welcome new additions to the team, so show us who you are and what you can do. And don’t forget to have fun!

Thank you for taking the time to prepare for your interview with MentorMate. Good luck!