The secret is starting to get out. Offshore jurisdictions, The Cayman Islands, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands (BVI), more routinely known for their outsized financial industry are fast becoming some of the world’s hottest- if you’ll pardon the pun – technology centres.

It’s all down to the growing vibe in the tech sector as government incentives to attract fast-growing technology companies to their shores have resulted in a sharp uptick in the number of job opportunities for experienced and qualified IT professionals; from software developers and systems architects, right across to network engineers & IT sales there are positions at nearly every level in the IT sector.

If you’ve got the skills all laid out on your CV and you are fortunate to get an interview then you’ve already nailed the hardest part. But let’s not let such a great opportunity slip by. It’s time to ace that tech interview and secure a job Offshore.

Not sure which jurisdiction is the best for your life and career goals? Check out this article which goes through some of the key differences between the different jurisdictions.

Top Tech Interview Tips for Offshore Jobs:

1. Update your GitHub Account

First things first. Get your portfolio in shape by getting your GitHub account up to date (most relevant for software candidates). Prospective employers are going to want to see your coding abilities in action so show what you can do and make sure there are plenty of links on your CV (& share with your recruiter to give to the client prior to the interview). It’s essential to showcase as many of your skills as you can and the best way to do that is to keep your account current and update it as you learn new skills & be ready to speak about these projects within your interview!

2. Spruce up your CV

I know what you’re thinking – I thought this was about interviews, not my CV? It is, but your CV should contain details of all your relevant extracurricular activities. The tech community offshore is ever-evolving, and companies are keen to see individuals who are passionate about technology both in and outside work .. Meetup group participation, tech volunteering – it’s all relevant! Be prepared to speak about this within your interview.

3. The “Why/What/How Framework” for your Tech Interview

Before an employer in Cayman, Bermuda or BVI will be ready to take a chance on you, they are going to need to be convinced that you not only have what it takes to do the job but that you’ll be able to make the transition to island life and that you will not be looking to jump back on the first plane home.

From the employer’s perspective, they are going to come across a number of suitable candidates but they will always be asking themselves if this person can make a go of things offshore. I’d definitely suggest doing plenty of research about what life is like in whichever jurisdiction you’re interviewing in (check out the guides we linked above to help with this) and rope in any friends you have there to help give you that inside track. Essentially you will need to articulate why you want to make a life in the Cayman Islands/Bermuda/BVI and if you have kids, how you think they will settle in. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest considerations so make sure you give this plenty of thought before an interview.

4. Prepare for the Panel

For a tech interview, plan for up to an hour and a half, with representatives from both the HR team as well as a number of key business units being in on your video or skype conference call; It’s far easier for a panel to assess your tech skills in this kind of setting than your personal skills so you should expect an element of probing in this direction. A good trick here is the STAR technique where for any given scenario or question you can come back with a Situation, a Task an Action and a Result so you can demonstrate how you have successfully applied yourself in that particular example.

5. Show Your Appreciation of the Underlying Tech Scene

Another aspect of how your responses to interview questions will be perceived is if you are asked about how you see your career progressing. When you are asked that question then you should really respond with an appreciation of the underlying technology scene here, which means don’t say you plan to be a manager at a major multinational tech company because those kinds of opportunities simply don’t exist here (for now at least.. who knows what the future may bring here!).

6. Look the Part for your Tech Interview

Finally, just a few words on presentation: just because it’s a long-distance video interview, don’t forget to put your best foot forward in terms of looking the part. Be presentable and professional and show you mean business.

You’ve come this far, now ace that interview and I’ll see you on the beach!