An interview process combines preparation, evaluation, and discussion to judge a candidate’s skills, problem-solving, communication, resilience, and fit with a team. It also lets candidates assess whether an employer suits them. section 2.4.3 section 12.3.2
Use these practical approaches to prepare for or run interviews:
- Practice responses, questions for interviewers, stress management, and how to respond honestly when you do not know something. section 2.4.3
- Show enthusiasm, maintain a friendly and cooperative attitude, and bring a relevant project that demonstrates practical ability. section 2.4.3
- For hiring, review résumés for relevant information and continuous learning, then use a short coding test followed by targeted questions. section 12.3.2
- Assess candidates with coding exercises, system design questions, debugging scenarios, and questions about collaboration, learning, prioritization, and resilience. section 12.3.2
Demonstrating ability without extensive experience
A candidate lacking the requested years of experience won a first technology job by showing strong enthusiasm and presenting a relevant real project that demonstrated the needed skills. section 2.4.3
Table 12.2 Interview questions (view table figure)
| Question |
Relevance |
|---|---|
| Describe a challenging project you worked on. How did you handle it? |
Assesses problem-solving skills, resilience, and the ability to handle stress |
| How do you keep up with the latest developments in technology? |
Gauges the candidate’s commitment to continuous learning and staying current in a fast-paced industry |
| Describe a time when you had to work closely with others. How did you ensure successful collaboration? |
Evaluates interpersonal skills and the ability to work as part of a team |
| What is your approach to debugging and testing code? |
Ensures the candidate has a methodical approach to ensuring code quality and reliability |
| How do you prioritize tasks when you have multiple deadlines to meet? |
Measures time management and prioritization, which are essential for productivity and meeting project timelines |
Browse interview questions paired with the qualities they assess, including problem-solving, continuous learning, collaboration, debugging, and prioritization. section 12.3.2
