How do I effectively explain my projects when asked in a technical Interview?

Like everything in an interview, think about this request from the interviewer’s perspective. What are they trying to learn? Why did they ask this?

As an interviewer, I am looking for several things when I ask about a candidate’s project.

1. Communication skills. Can they describe the project in 30 seconds? In five minutes? Can they effectively answer drill-down questions and convey a good answer about a technical detail?
2. Role in project. Were they a leader, a follower, or a fixture to the side? Does their description and their knowledge align with what they say their role was?
3. Technical savvy. Are they able to talk compellingly about the technology, its limits, its benefits? Can they support their technical choices or talk in a straightforward fashion about poor choices they made? Knowing what they know now, what would they do differently?

Before you interview, read over your resume. Make sure you can give a 30-second elevator pitch about your projects, and a five-minute overview of each. Be able to talk about why you chose the project, what your role was, what choices you made, how the result compared to your expectations, and whether or not the project was successful. Be able to talk about the scope of the project, if it was three months or three hours.

When you’re asked about the project, make sure you know whether you should give an elevator pitch or a significant overview. If there’s a pause after you describe the project, ask whether they want more information or drill-down on any particular part.