Theory
What to expect in an interview
The interview is where you turn a resume into an offer, and software interviews follow a fairly predictable process with distinct rounds. Knowing what each round tests, and how to answer well, removes much of the fear and lets you prepare specifically.
This lesson covers the software interview process, the difference between the technical round and the HR round, and the STAR method for answering behavioural questions (which you met in your professional-development course). Prepared for the structure and armed with a method, you can walk into an interview ready rather than anxious.
Theory
The process and the two kinds of round
A typical software interview process runs: resume screening, then one or more technical rounds, then an HR round, then (hopefully) an offer.
The technical round tests whether you can do the work: coding and problem-solving, data structures and algorithms, technical knowledge, and often your projects (they will ask you to explain them, so know yours deeply). It may include live coding. Prepare by practising problems and revising fundamentals.
The HR round assesses fit and behaviour: your motivation ('why this company?'), communication, teamwork, strengths and weaknesses, and how you handle situations. It is less about technical skill and more about whether you would be a good colleague. Both rounds matter: strong technical skills with poor communication, or vice versa, can cost you the offer. Prepare for both.
Theory
STAR: answering behavioural questions
HR and behavioural questions often ask about past situations: 'Tell me about a time you faced a difficult problem', 'Describe a conflict in a team'. Vague, rambling answers fail these. The STAR method gives a clear structure:
S, Situation: briefly set the context (what was happening). T, Task: what you needed to do (your responsibility or goal). A, Action: what you actually did (the steps you took). R, Result: the outcome (what happened, ideally positive, and what you learned).
So for 'a difficult problem', you describe the situation, the task you faced, the specific actions you took, and the result. STAR turns a woolly question into a concrete, complete story that shows your skills in action. Prepare a few STAR stories from your projects and experiences in advance, they will fit many behavioural questions.
Quiz
You are asked in an interview: 'Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem.' What does the STAR method suggest you cover?
- Only the final result, skipping the context
- Situation (the context), Task (what you needed to do), Action (what you did), and Result (the outcome)
- A vague general statement with no specifics
- Someone else's achievement, not your own
Show the answer
Situation (the context), Task (what you needed to do), Action (what you did), and Result (the outcome)
The STAR method structures a behavioural answer as Situation (briefly set the context), Task (what you needed to do or your goal), Action (the specific steps YOU took), and Result (the outcome and what you learned). Option A is incomplete: skipping the situation and task leaves the result without meaning; the interviewer needs the context and your role. Option C is exactly what STAR prevents, vague, non-specific answers that do not demonstrate your skills. Option D is wrong and dishonest: STAR is about YOUR actions and achievements. STAR turns a woolly behavioural question into a clear, concrete story of what you did and achieved.
Think first
Why do interviews have separate technical and HR rounds instead of just one?
Why not assess everything in a single interview? What does splitting into technical and HR rounds achieve? Then tap.
Show the answer
Because being a good software professional requires TWO different kinds of ability, technical competence AND the human qualities to work well with others, and these are best assessed separately, by different people focused on each, so that a candidate is evaluated fully rather than on one dimension alone. A developer who is brilliant technically but cannot communicate, collaborate, take feedback, or fit into a team can be difficult and even harmful to work with, while someone who is personable but cannot actually build software cannot do the job; employers need BOTH, and a single mixed interview tends to over-weight whichever the interviewer happens to focus on. Splitting the process ensures each is properly examined. The TECHNICAL round is run by engineers who can rigorously probe your coding, problem-solving, and technical understanding, digging into algorithms, your projects, and possibly live coding, to verify you can genuinely do the work; this needs technical depth to assess well. The HR (or behavioural) round is run by people focused on FIT: your motivation, communication, teamwork, attitude, and how you have handled real situations (often via STAR-style questions), because these predict whether you will thrive in the team and the company culture; this is a different skill to evaluate. Separating them also gives a FAIRER, more reliable picture: a nervous start in a technical round does not doom your assessment of fit, and a smooth-talking candidate cannot charm their way past a genuine technical test. For you as a candidate, understanding this split is empowering: it tells you to prepare for BOTH, sharpening your technical fundamentals and problem-solving for the technical round, AND preparing thoughtful, STAR-structured answers and researching the company for the HR round, rather than assuming technical skill alone (or charm alone) will carry you. The two rounds exist because the job needs two kinds of strength, and both are being deliberately checked, which is exactly why succeeding means being ready for each. Prepare for the technical AND the human, because employers assess, and need, both.
Summary
Key takeaways
- Software interviews follow a process: resume screening, one or more technical rounds, an HR round, then an offer.
- The technical round tests whether you can do the work: coding, problem-solving, data structures/algorithms, technical knowledge, and your projects (know them deeply).
- The HR round assesses fit and behaviour: motivation, communication, teamwork, strengths/weaknesses, and handling situations.
- Both rounds matter; strong technical skill with poor communication (or vice versa) can cost the offer.
- The STAR method structures behavioural answers: Situation, Task, Action, Result, turning a vague question into a concrete story.
- Prepare a few STAR stories from your projects and experiences in advance; they fit many behavioural questions.
- Memory hook: technical round tests doing the work, HR round tests fit; answer behavioural questions with STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result).