How to prepare for your first tech interview, answer 'tell me about yourself', walk through a project, say 'sijui' the right way, ask good questions and follow up afterwards.
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Your first tech interview doesn’t have to be scary. The same few questions come up almost every time, and you can prepare for all of them. Usiende bila maandalizi.
Win it before you arrive
- Research the company: what they build, who they serve, recent news.
- Test your demo: open your project and run it the night before.
- Re-read your CV. They’ll ask about every line on it.
- Plan the trip. Arrive 15 minutes early. If it’s online, charge your laptop, buy data and find a quiet room.
- Dress one step up. Neat and simple, and smart casual is safe.
Q1: “Tell me about yourself.”
Present → past → future, in 60 seconds.
“I’m a Computer Science graduate who builds web apps. During FPT I set up an office network and built an equipment tracker. Now I want to grow as a backend developer here.”
Practise it out loud until it sounds natural, not memorised.
Q2: “Walk me through a project you built.”
Problem → your part → tools → result → what you’d improve. Pick the project you know best, show it running if you can, and be honest about what was hard. They’re testing whether you understand your own code.
Q3: “Why should we hire you?”
Their need + your proof + your attitude.
“You need someone who can support your systems. I did that daily during FPT, I learn fast, and I finish what I start.”
Read the job advert and answer in their words.
Q4: A question you can’t answer
Say “sijui” well: be honest, then explain how you’d find out.
“I haven’t used Kubernetes yet. I’d start with the official docs, try it on a small project, and ask a senior. Here’s how I learnt Docker last month…”
Guessing loses trust. Being honest and curious wins it. Sijui si kosa.
Q5: “Do you have any questions for us?”
Always say yes. Ask about the work and how you’d grow:
- “What would my first 90 days look like?”
- “How does the team review code?”
- “Is there mentorship for juniors?”
Never say “no questions”. It sounds like you don’t care.
After: follow up within 24 hours
Send a short thank-you email or message: thank them, mention one thing you enjoyed learning about the team, and say you’re excited about the role. Then wait patiently. If you hear nothing after a week or two, one short follow-up is fine. Didn’t get it? Ask for feedback, because every interview is practice. Hujashindwa, umejifunza.
Which question scares you most? Niambie kwenye comments, and save this for the night before your interview.
8 slides
8 slides
9 slides