Interviewing at Sevita? Congratulations! Landing an interview means your resume and credentials have impressed them enough to want to get to know you better Now it’s time to prepare for the actual interview,
In this article, I’ll walk you through what to expect during the Sevita interview process based on feedback from people who have interviewed for jobs there in the past couple years. I’ll also provide tips to help you ace the interview.
Here’s What the Sevita Interview Process Typically Looks Like:
The interview process at Sevita often includes:
- An initial phone screen with an HR rep or recruiter
- A technical phone interview focused on your programming skills
- An onsite interview consisting of:
- A coding challenge
- Several rounds of interviews covering technical skills, problem solving, company culture fit and behavioral questions
The onsite rounds will likely include interviews with your potential manager, members of the team you’d be working with, and a senior engineering leader.
For senior roles, expect the onsite to last 4-5 hours. For more junior roles, plan for 2-3 hours. I know that sounds long, but Sevita wants to get to know you from multiple angles before making a hire.
They understand interviewing takes endurance. If you can, I suggest that you schedule your in-person interview for the morning so that you are fresh and ready to go.
Now let’s talk about how to get ready for some of the most important parts of the interview: coding, technical questions, and questions about behavior and culture fit.
1. Practice Coding Challenges Similar to Those Sevita Uses
Software engineering candidates will almost certainly be asked to complete a coding challenge or technical problem during the Sevita interview.
Here are some of the most common types of coding challenges people report being asked:
- String manipulation – e.g. reverse a string in place, check if two strings are anagrams
- Array/matrix problems – e.g. search sorted matrix for value, rotate matrix by 90 degrees
- Tree traversal algorithms like inorder, postorder, preorder traversal
- Dynamic programming problems – e.g. Fibonacci sequence, coin change
- Object oriented design questions – e.g. design vending machine, parking lot etc.
I’d recommend spending time on LeetCode, HackerRank or a similar platform solving problems across these categories. Get comfortable with at least one programming language like Java, Python or C++.
While solving questions, talk through your thought process out loud as if you had an interviewer there. This will help you prepare for communicating your approach during the real interview.
Also become familiar with core data structures like arrays, stacks, queues, trees, graphs and hash tables. Know how and when to use them.
2. Brush Up on Technical Concepts Relevant to the Role
In addition to coding challenges, you will likely be asked technical questions testing your knowledge of key concepts for the role.
Spend some time reviewing the job description and research the team you’re interviewing for to get insight into the tech stack and skills that are important for success in the role.
Then brush up on those areas. For example:
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Front-end engineers – know HTML, CSS, JavaScript concepts like closures, promises, DOM manipulation. Be prepared to discuss frameworks like React, Angular, Vue.js.
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Back-end engineers – study up on REST APIs, microservices, SQL/NoSQL databases, networking layers (TCP/IP), API security best practices like OAuth. Know relevant languages and frameworks for the role like Java, Spring Boot, Node.js.
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Full-stack engineers – combine studying for both front-end and back-end.
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Mobile engineers – review Android/iOS mobile development frameworks, asynchronous programming, mobile design principles, caching strategies and tools like Flutter.
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DevOps engineers – know Linux, Git, Jenkins, Docker, Kubernetes concepts. Be able to discuss CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure as code, cloud providers like AWS.
Dig into the specific skills for your role, but make sure to understand them at a conceptual level rather than just memorizing trivia. Know why certain technologies are used and how they work.
3. Practice Discussing Projects From Your Resume
Sevita interviewers will likely ask you to walk through and discuss projects that you listed on your resume.
Be prepared to discuss the details of your most impressive projects, especially any similar to work you’d be doing at Sevita. Make sure you can discuss:
- The purpose and goals of the project
- How you approached designing and architecting the solution
- Any particularly interesting technical challenges and how you overcame them
- Technologies and programming languages used
- What you liked and disliked about working on the project
If it was a team project, be ready to discuss your specific contributions and responsibilities.
Treat this as a chance to showcase your skills and prove you can succeed in the role based on your past experience.
4. Prepare for Sevita’s Behavioral and Cultural Interview Questions
In addition to testing your technical ability, Sevita interviewers want to assess if you’re a cultural fit for the company.
Expect questions designed to learn about your personality, work style, values and past experiences that demonstrate skills important for the role.
Some common behavioral questions at Sevita include:
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“Tell me about a time you faced a difficult problem on a project. How did you approach it and what did you learn?” (Problem-solving skills)
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“Describe a time you had a conflict with a coworker. How did you handle it and what was the outcome?” (Conflict management)
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“Tell me about a time you failed at something. What did you do next and what lessons did you take from it?” (Growth mindset)
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“Talk about your proudest professional achievement.” (Self-esteem and passion)
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“Why do you want to work at Sevita?” (Culture fit)
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“Where do you see your career in 5 years?” (Ambition and self-awareness)
Brainstorm 2-3 examples from your past experience for each of these common areas. Think STAR – the situation, task, actions you took, and results. This will help you provide concise, compelling responses.
Also prepare an answer demonstrating why you’re excited to work at Sevita in particular. Study their mission, values, tech stack and products. Have thoughtful questions ready to ask about the company and role. This shows you’re truly interested.
5. Polish Your Communication Skills
During the Sevita interview, how you communicate your answers is almost as important as the answers themselves.
I recommend practicing out loud with someone who can give you feedback, or recording yourself and reviewing it. This will help polish how you:
- Structure your responses clearly and concisely
- Provide sufficient detail without rambling
- Maintain confidence even when unsure of an answer
- Take time to think through problems instead of jumping to conclusions
- Ask thoughtful follow-up questions to dig deeper into topics
Pay attention to your body language and eye contact too. You want to come across as calm, focused, thoughtful and engaged.
Solid communication skills demonstrate “soft skills” that are highly valued at Sevita alongside pure technical ability.
6. Rest Up and Eat Well the Day Before Your Interview
This one may seem obvious, but don’t underestimate the importance of being well-rested, hydrated and fed before a long interview.
Get a good night’s sleep the evening before so you can be at your mental best. Eat a hearty breakfast and bring healthy snacks to keep your energy up throughout the day. Drink plenty of water too.
Some find meditation or light exercise helps calm nerves and sharpen focus before an intense interview day. Do whatever works best so you can walk in feeling confident and ready to succeed.
Ace Your Sevita Interview with Preparation
Sevita’s rigorous interview process is designed to deeply assess candidates from multiple perspectives before extending a job offer.
While it can feel intimidating, thorough preparation will help you ace each stage and prove you’re the right fit for the role and company. Use the steps above to ready yourself for technical questions, coding challenges, behavioral scenarios and more.
Remember to apply your understanding, not just memorize facts. Show your communication abilities. And demonstrate passion for the role and alignment with Sevita’s values.
