How can AI professionals ace their phone interviews?
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Phone interviews are often the first step in the hiring process for AI professionals. They can be challenging, especially if you are not prepared or confident. However, with some tips and strategies, you can ace your phone interviews and impress your potential employers. Here are some of the best practices for AI phone interviews.
Before you dial in, make sure you do some research on the company and the role you applied for. Find out what their mission, vision, values, and goals are, and how your skills and experience can contribute to them. Also, learn about their AI projects, products, or services, and what kind of technologies, tools, or frameworks they use. This will help you tailor your answers and show your interest and enthusiasm.
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Gabriel Skelton
Director of Banking, Mortgage & Insurance Automation at OpenBots
I've received feedback from people believing they have to be pure play software developers in order to get an "AI-based role". This could not be further from the truth. One of the biggest pieces of value, especially from folks within the Operations space is to understand how & where artificial intelligence can be used within their industry/area of expertise. Most of these folks already know the manual, inefficient areas that should be automated using artificial intelligence. Diving deeper within the top AI tools and what is commonly used will bridge the gap and make you a much more valuable candidate for a role involving AI as technology companies consistently seek a mix of industry-expertise and foundational technology knowledge.
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Rob T.
Chief Innovation Officer | Keynote Speaker | Business & Career Mentor | Forbes Technology Council | Contributor Entrepreneur.com | LinkedIn Top Voice Artificial Intelligence (AI) + Motivational Speaking + Mentoring
A distinctive approach is to analyze a startup’s seed round pitch deck, if accessible. This deck is a blueprint of the company’s vision, strategy, and market approach share vital insights. By understanding the core hypotheses and the initial roadmap, you can reveal the evolution of their business model. Discussing this evolution during an interview demonstrates a sophisticated level of due diligence and strategic thought, showing that you are invested in the company’s journey and pote
The last thing you want is to be distracted or interrupted by noise, poor connection, or technical issues during your phone interview. Therefore, choose a quiet, comfortable, and well-lit place where you can speak clearly and confidently. Test your phone, headphones, microphone, and internet connection beforehand, and make sure they are fully charged or plugged in. Have a pen and paper handy for taking notes, and keep your resume, portfolio, or any other relevant documents nearby for reference.
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Rob T.
Chief Innovation Officer | Keynote Speaker | Business & Career Mentor | Forbes Technology Council | Contributor Entrepreneur.com | LinkedIn Top Voice Artificial Intelligence (AI) + Motivational Speaking + Mentoring
Don’t take your background for granted, a mistake I often see with engineers. While you focus on the content of the interview, your environment also speaks volumes. Ensure your background is professional and clutter-free; any item within view should be intentional. Good lighting and a properly angled camera are not just for influencers but are crucial for creating a positive visual impression. These pragmatic details can subtly influence the interviewer's perception and demonstrate your attention to detail.
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Madhu Vadlamani
Story Teller | Data Analytics Expertise | Growth Hacker | Motivational Speaker | Mentor | Trainer
Have a notepad/paper handy to note any points Your background matters a lot, it should be peaceful Your internet, charging are most important too Do not engage any other calls or door bells or kids
AI phone interviews often involve technical questions, coding challenges, or problem-solving scenarios. To ace them, you need to demonstrate your knowledge, skills, and abilities in AI-related topics, such as machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, data analysis, algorithms, or programming languages. To prepare for them, review your past projects, courses, or publications, and practice your coding skills on online platforms, such as LeetCode, HackerRank, or Codewars. Also, practice explaining your logic, approach, and results in a clear and concise way.
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Yasin Shah
LinkedIn Top Exclusive Expert | Re-turning Data into Applications | Sr.Software Engineer | Product @ Google Chrome & Earth | Interviewer @ CodePath | Ex-Meta | LinkedIn For Creators Alumini | Sr.Data Scientist
For AI professionals, honing their skills is vital. First, focus on coding proficiency, especially in Python and AI libraries like TensorFlow or PyTorch. Practice solving AI-related coding challenges and algorithms. Second, engage in machine learning projects. Independently tackle AI initiatives or contribute to open-source projects. Document these projects thoroughly, including descriptions, datasets used, applied algorithms, and achieved results. Third, stay updated with the ever-evolving AI field. Dive into research papers, follow AI blogs, and actively participate in online AI communities to keep abreast of the latest techniques and breakthroughs. This practical experience enhances your problem-solving abilities and demonstrates .
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Ajay Sabnani
Building Genexa.AI | Ex. VP @ Accenture AI | LinkedIn Top AI Voice | Generative AI Advisor | IIM Ahmedabad | Ex. Principal @ PwC
Executing AI/ML projects is an art of balancing algorithms & data with intuition & creativity. Succeeding in interviews involves showcasing both tech expertise & the artistry inherent in the field. Here are a few i'view strategies: Portfolio of Projects: Showcase a range of projects - academic, personal, or contributions to open-source. Highlight your tech skills & creative approach to problem-solving. Storytelling: Try explaining complex concepts or projects via a story. Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively is a crucial skill in AI/ML field. Reflective Learning: Discuss what you learned from projects that didn’t go as planned. This shows your ability to learn from failure, a key component of the iterative process in AI/ML.
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Besides your technical skills, your phone interview is also an opportunity to showcase your personality, communication skills, and fit for the company culture. To do that, you need to be polite, friendly, and professional throughout the conversation. Smile, greet, and thank your interviewer, and use a positive and confident tone. Listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and avoid interrupting or rambling. Also, share your passion, motivation, and goals for AI, and highlight your strengths, achievements, and values.
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Rob T.
Chief Innovation Officer | Keynote Speaker | Business & Career Mentor | Forbes Technology Council | Contributor Entrepreneur.com | LinkedIn Top Voice Artificial Intelligence (AI) + Motivational Speaking + Mentoring
To convey personality without being seen as a risky hire, it’s about striking a balance. Share personal insights that reflect your passion for your work and your collaborative spirit, not personal views that could be contentious. For instance, talking about a team project that excited you or a volunteer experience that improved your leadership skills is professional and humanizing. It's important because it shows you can be both personable and a cultural fit, without triggering potential HR concerns by oversharing or touching on sensitive topics.
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Paul Eder, PhD
TOP, TOP VOICE 🔥 79x LinkedIn Top Voice 🔥 Author of FIRESTARTERS 🔥 I've Generated $20M+ in Consulting Revenue | AI, Data, and Change Champion | Artificial Intelligence | President - High Value, LLC | ENTP
Personality is a huge differentiator for AI professionals. Most applicants are assumed to have solid technical skillsets. But the sift skills for tech positions are always a wildcard. Those with solid communication skills and personal demeanors stand out.
After you hang up, don't forget to follow up with your interviewer. Send a thank-you email within 24 hours, expressing your appreciation and interest for the opportunity. Reiterate your main points, skills, and fit for the role, and mention anything that you forgot or want to clarify. Also, ask about the next steps and the timeline for the hiring process. This will show your professionalism, courtesy, and enthusiasm, and keep you on their radar.
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Jon Wolheim
Vice President, People and Culture @ Games For Love | MBA, PHR, SPHR
Some of the most powerful tools of experienced interviewees are: 4. The interview thank you letter 3. The pre-interview confirmation message 2. The mid-process LinkedIn connection invites 1. The response to a turndown Dwelling on just that #1 item... You're going to get turned down. It's going to happen. Remember, you are Kenough. Seriously, though, rejection hurts and you're either going to experience it or you're experiencing it now. Here's the thing; about 20% of offers fall through. So if you're the "runner up", undesirable as that status may be, when you respond with grace, positivity, and curiosity about future opportunities you're the one standing there ready when the door is left open by someone declining the offer.
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Madhu Vadlamani
Story Teller | Data Analytics Expertise | Growth Hacker | Motivational Speaker | Mentor | Trainer
Feedback should be acceptable and acknowledgement should be respected. Kindly ensure that these are taken care of and that adds value to the oneself
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Dr. Sanaa Kaddoura
Assistant Professor of Computer Science - Award Winning of "Woman Leader in ICT Excellence Award" in the "22nd Middle East Women Leaders Excellence Award"
The candidate has to speak about the AI projects the candidated lead or participated in. Showing real industry/reseaech experience will attract the recruiter.
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James Hocking
Using data for Customer Insight | Discovering Personas and Nuturing Leads | Posts & Articles on how to do this all with Data, & AI
The role will always be more than pure data science. You need to appreciate that you will be delivering to a team that will not understand a word that you are saying. Honestly, they do not care. They only care about achieving a result and doing so in the quickest possible time. You need to roll up your sleaves and understand what is important to the business, and describe it in their words. Demonstrate your business acumen and data science skills together, and you will stand out from the crowd