Interview Questions Flashcards
How do you respond when you disagree with a coworker?
There may be a time when you and a coworker have different ideas about how to execute a task. The hiring manager may ask this interview question because they’re interested in learning about your ability to collaborate with other team members. By asking this question, the interviewer hopes to gain insight into how you handle challenging situations in the workplace, so focus on highlighting how you have resolved an issue with a coworker in the past.
In your answer, use the STAR method to outline your response. This acronym, which stands for “situation, task, action and result,” is a guide for answering behavioral interview questions with sufficient detail about the example you’re referring to and how you addressed it successfully.
Tell me about a time you had multiple responsibilities to manage. How did you respond to this situation?
As a software engineer, you may have many tasks to manage at once, and the interviewer may ask this question to see how you would perform in a busy environment. This question provides you with an opportunity to talk about your effective time management skills and your ability to remain flexible while adapting to new responsibilities. Consider using the STAR method to discuss a time when you dealt with multiple responsibilities in a professional setting and address how you reacted.
Can you give me an example of how you set goals for yourself?
Hiring managers may ask this question if they’re interested in learning how you set career-oriented goals that are both ambitious and achievable. Setting goals is an important part of your job as a software engineer because it shows your commitment to excellence at your job . Consider answering this question by explaining a time you set a goal and how you accomplished it.
In your opinion, what are some principles every software engineer should follow?
The interviewer is likely to ask this question to evaluate your diligence in your job and how you’d meet or exceed the expectations of the company. Consider mentioning the value of adaptability or resourcefulness, as these qualities are useful in many professional settings. You can also discuss your personal coding philosophy and overall thoughts about software engineering.
What are your organizational strategies?
When answering this question, be honest and reflect on what strategies have worked for you in the past. Discuss which methods were the most successful and why, and show that you understand your own work style and best practices. You can explain your time management strategies and give past examples.
Tell me about a time you needed information from someone who wasn’t responsive. How did you handle it?
If the hiring manager asks you this question during an interview, try to highlight your communication skills and your ability to handle challenges with your coworkers. The hiring manager may want to see your level of understanding toward your colleague’s perspective in the situation, so emphasize your ability to be considerate of others while obtaining the information you need.
How do you deal with unexpected changes to deadlines?
Interviewers use this question to assess how you react to time-sensitive projects and how well you work under pressure. In your response, highlight your ability to react quickly without sacrificing quality, and emphasize strategies that have helped you adapt to changes in your previous work experience.
What resources would you recommend to anyone looking to become a better software engineer?
Why this matters:
This question is an indirect way of asking whether the interviewee is actively pursuing professional development, and it can tell you whether they have a continuous learning mindset. To keep up with the rapidly developing field, the best software engineers are tapped into the trends of the industry at large and actively seek to enhance their knowledge and skills.
What to listen for:
Candidates may mention steps like attending conferences and boot camps, taking online courses, following specific message boards, and joining professional groups.
Top answers will include details of specific steps the candidate has taken and why they were beneficial.
Describe the traits your ideal product team would have.
Why this matters:
You want to know whether your candidate will work well with the existing team and feel at home in your company culture. Does the interviewee mention traits that support the work, like critical thinking, flexibility, and an eye for detail? Or are they more concerned about traits like empathy and strong interpersonal skills that can help a team get along?
What to listen for:
Consider which core values your company prioritizes and listen for answers that reflect those values.
A strong answer will indicate that the candidate sees the value of being surrounded by many different personalities.
Imagine you have a great idea for an important software project that you aren’t personally involved in. What would you do?
Why this matters:
This question can help you screen for both communication and teamwork skills. Would they identify the right people on the project and speak to them privately to share their idea? Would they feel resentful if they didn’t get credit, or would they just be happy to help their coworkers succeed? You can also take this question a step further by asking what they would do if their idea was dismissed.
What to listen for:
Answers should reveal that the candidate is not afraid to speak up when their insight could benefit the company.
A strong answer will show that the candidate understands the importance of being tactful.
Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a client or a stakeholder on a software engineering best practice. What did you do to resolve the situation?
Why this matters:
It’s always frustrating when someone disagrees with you, especially in a field as specialized as software engineering. To handle these situations gracefully and steer projects toward success, it’s important that a candidate knows how to be diplomatic while still relying on their logic and analytical skills.
What to listen for:
Look for answers that show the candidates listened to the client’s perspective, clearly and calmly explained their own, and managed to reach a viable solution.
A calm and thoughtful demeanor when answering is preferable.
Think about the most challenging piece of code you’ve ever written. Tell me about the project. Why was it so challenging for you and what did you learn from the experience?
Why this matters:
No one is perfect, and not every project will be a walk in the park. The best software engineers are able to identify their shortcomings and take steps to overcome them. If they have a sense of humor about the challenges they’ve faced, they may also be better equipped to handle the stresses of the job.
What to listen for:
Candidates should acknowledge their weaknesses, rather than laying the blame solely on outside factors.
Look for signs that they apply the lessons they’ve learned to avoid similar problems in the future.
Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a coworker who was behind schedule on a joint project? How did you handle the situation?
Why this matters:
Software engineering is a highly collaborative career choice even though the bulk of the new hire’s daily duties will be done on their own. This career requires working with a number of teams and clients, all with different personalities and leadership styles, to identify, solve, and fix software issues.
What to listen for:
Listen for signs that the candidate can take charge to ensure key deadlines are met.
Rather than complaining about the other person, a strong answer will focus on what the candidate did to find a solution to the problem.
How do you keep your coding workflow organized?
Why this matters:
An effective workflow not only helps software engineers stay productive, but makes it easier for others to find the right piece of code when they need it. There’s no single right way of organizing code though, so long as your new hire doesn’t leave all their code and assets in a hodgepodge, they will hopefully be adaptable to your team’s method of organizing code.
What to listen for:
Listen for answers that mention methods like creating separate folders and naming them clearly and consistently.
Some templates make it harder to organize files like this, so candidates may mention that they use code refactoring to organize code the way they like.
Aside from functionality and design, what do you consider to be the key attributes of an application, and how would you test for them?
Why this matters:
Users demand a lot from their applications. If an application is buggy, slow to load, or prone to crashing, there’s a good chance that they’ll give up on it and turn to one of your competitors’ apps instead. It’s essential for your software developments to take many attributes into account to ensure a happy user.
What to listen for:
Listen for answers that mention attributes like reliability, stability, performance, and integration.
The best responses will be thoughtful and thorough, delving into specific strategies for testing these attributes and markers for success.
