Three Types of Interview Questions Software Developers Should Expect

The article says software candidates at competitive companies face rigorous interviews and should be ready for three kinds of questions: computer science and algorithms, project and puzzle, and behavioral and informational. It also says candidates should speak clearly, explain their reasoning, and show confidence and preparation throughout the process.

Reading notes

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• The article says Google’s hiring process does not automatically exclude applicants without a college degree.
• It says technical candidates may go through trial projects, cognitive tests, and in-person interviews.
• The first category checks knowledge of fundamentals required for the role.
• Interviewers may ask either direct questions or unfamiliar questions with similar solutions to standard technical problems.
• The project and puzzle category asks candidates to talk through their reasoning aloud.
• Candidates should discuss the pros and cons of their algorithm and address space and time complexity in Big-O terms.
• Example technical topics include arrays, strings, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, and graphs.
• Example problems include merging sorted linked lists, printing prime numbers up to N, and designing a dialer for a feature phone.
• The behavioral and informational category focuses on personality and team contribution.
• For these questions, the article recommends answering first and then explaining, while staying specific and on point.
• It gives examples such as describing yourself, your perfect job, a challenge, what you are proud of, how you resolve team issues, and your problem-solving steps.
• The article says applicants should make an early impression through their resume and interview presence, including clear speech, confidence, posture, smiling, handshakes, and eye contact.
• It recommends practice interviews and cites Cracking the Coding Interview and Programming Interviews Exposed as resources.
• It also says active participation on Twitter and GitHub can show continued learning and help candidates stand out.