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After you've sent out your proposal or your job application and you've heard back from the client,

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now it's time to nail the interview.

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The first type of question you want to get comfortable with are technical questions.

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This is also known as coding related questions, and this may be asking you to do a whiteboard coding

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assignment or do some coding on a computer.

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These technical questions are designed to find a freelancer who can help the client solve their problem

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and who has the current skill needed for their project.

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That does not mean, however, you will need to know every single answer, but it's all about you asking

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questions when needed and showing that you are adaptable and you're always willing to learn and to find

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a solution as quickly as possible.

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A great example of technical questions you may get asked as a developer is on 30 seconds of interviews

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dot org.

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This is arguably the most important thing in passing a coding interview because you have to be well

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prepared and the best way to do that is to practice the common interview, coding questions over and

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over again until you know them by memory.

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If you can practice enough and you really work at it, you'll be able to handle a question you've never

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seen before based on the problem solving that you've learned.

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Now you will have to gain confidence here, but once you do, you'll be able to relate it to something

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else that you've probably done in the past, and that will help you stand out and nail the interview.

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So if you go to this website, you can start to scroll down and once you see these questions, all you

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have to do is click show the answer and it will give you the in-depth answer to that question.

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And you can also sort it by different categories, by expertise, etc..

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So let's say you want to have some JavaScript questions here, and let's say you you look at some of

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these and you can also see the different difficulty of them easy, easy, intermediate, etc. And from

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there, this is where you can get some good practice.

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You can click, show the answer, and then you can also hide it and test yourself again.

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And there's a lot of practice that can get done on this website.

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The next type of question you want to get comfortable with for nailing the interviews are non-technical

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questions.

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So these are questions that are more on the side of tell me about a problem you solved or why do you

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want to work for us?

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Or tell me about yourself and what you're interested in.

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You want to get comfortable with these type of questions and have a general response ready for each

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of the most commonly asked questions.

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So you're not just making it up on the spot, but you have a framework for which you are working from.

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You also want to do your research before the interview.

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So do as much research as you can about the company that you are interviewing for and as well as the

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people who are going to be interviewing you.

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Now, if you don't know who will be interviewing you, you can ask the person who has been arranging

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the interviews, who will be doing that.

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And then you can use this information to prepare a thoughtful and specific question to demonstrate that

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you have curiosity, and you can also prepare additional questions ahead of time so that you were not

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the only one getting asked the questions.

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But now you're also going to ask the client questions, which shows that you are interested and that

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you are a problem solver.

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Now let's discuss what is important to focus on during the actual interview itself.

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The first is mindset.

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So during the interview you always want to focus on the mindset that you have because it's not a do

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or die thing.

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You are going to have many different opportunities and that will help take some of the edge off of it

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if you are nervous.

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And also it's important to remember that it's a huge learning opportunity every interview you go on.

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So if you show up with a positive attitude, you're excited about the potential project.

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Just let that shine through.

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Next is to be prepared for all of the questions that are going to be asked, as well as the questions

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that you want to ask the interviewer.

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And lastly, during the interview, you should have at least two stories that you can tell that showcase

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that you are a great fit for the job.

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Now, these stories should focus on how you got started in your field, what inspired you to learn the

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skills and basically anything that's relevant to the type of job that you are applying to.

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Another story could explain a past project or a job you've worked on in your portfolio where you can

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highlight the process of the project, the value that you delivered, and ultimately the problem that

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you solve for the client.

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Remember during the interview.

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You do not want to ever show any negativity.

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Always keeping positive and never be a Debbie Downer.

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Don't talk down on past projects or jobs that you have because all this does is shed a bad light on

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you.

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It makes you seem difficult to work with, and it will likely push the client to hire someone else because

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they may not see you as the best fit for your job.

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So even if they ask you what your biggest weakness is, find a way to answer it honestly.

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But then describe how you work on improving it.

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This shows that you are a problem solver and not just a complainer, and that's the type of freelancer

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that any client wants to work with.

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At the end of the interview always ask questions because like we said, that shows them that you are

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interested in the project and you're eager to find out more about specific questions that you have or

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next steps of the process.

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Now, of course, you always want to tailor your questions based on what you need clarified about the

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project.

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For example, a question you can ask that shows you are interested in the longevity of the company is

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Where do you see your company going in 5 to 10 years with the implementation of this website?

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This will show the client that you're not just in it for that short term money opportunity, but you're

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actually looking at the long term goals of the company, and that's what's in the client's mind.

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So if you can connect with them on that higher level, they will be much more likely to not only remember

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you, but also consider hiring you for the project.

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Next, once a client is interested and they start talking about pricing and things of that nature,

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it's up to you to negotiate and to close the deal.

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So if the project is a good fit for you and for the client, you have to negotiate the payment terms,

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the scope of work and everything of that nature so you can get the ball rolling.

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Now you want to give reasons for everything and you also can mention industry averages and always be

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on a positive and an open note.

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Once again, if you found out more information about the scope of work or anything that changes during

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your initial proposal, let the client know that you're going to revise your offer and get it back to

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them as soon as possible in writing.

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Usually you want to do that within an hour or two of that call because then you nail the interview and

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from there you're already sending them an updated proposal and it makes it as seamless as possible for

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the client to hire you and you to get started on that project.

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Remember, at the end of the day, the entire process is all about showing that you have the skills,

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the knowledge, and most importantly, you have the desire and the emphasis needed to focus on the problems

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that are there and to solve the problems that the client has so they can reach their goals.

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Because if you were able to solve the problem, you are ultimately very valuable to the client.

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It's all about your thought process as a developer and showcasing this to the client, even if you don't

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know the answer to every single question.

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Don't let that discourage you.

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And remember, it's all about solving problems.

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I look forward to seeing you in the next lesson.