A job interview is a real obstacle race for many people. You can trip over at every step and be left behind. It’s not easy to prepare for the first interview in your life or for a completely different industry than the one you’ve been dealing with so far, so it’s worthwhile to prepare some ready-made answers before going to such a meeting. These answers can be used when stress overtakes you and everything else evaporates from your mind.

The variety of questions can be huge and that is why we have prepared a list of questions and the right answers for you, which will prepare you not only for questions about the IT industry, but also other questions that the recruiter may ask you during your interview. So sit back and have a look at what we’ve prepared for you, you will certainly not regret it.

General job interview questions and answers

 

Question: Tell us something about yourself.

Reason for asking this question: This is one of the first questions that are often asked during an interview. In spite of appearances, the recruiter asks this question not only to release the stress of the candidate but also to test the way the candidate presents oneself and the level of one’s interpersonal skills. When asking a question of this type, the recruiter expects a rather general answer. The best result is obtained by people who are honest, creative, unique and w are lack of arrogance, but who, at the same time, select the information they want to convey in a specific and thoughtful way.

Answer: I am very passionate about technology and all the latest news related to it. In my spare time, I like to spend a lot of time on programming and for relaxation, I like playing computer games. I always find something interesting to do and I never get bored.

Question: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Reason for asking this question: During the interview, both the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses are assessed. Most importantly, the recruiter does not always focus on what you say as your advantages or disadvantages, but on how you behave when talking about it. Don’t be afraid to tell about your successes and achievements, additionally mentioning some little weaknesses in a professional and rational way. A wise recruiter will try to use this question to examine your level of commitment, enthusiasm and potential. However, remember that cold declarations are absolutely minor during the interview. It is a great opportunity to tell true stories, examples and facts.

Answer: I enjoy teamwork, in my previous work I was often getting involved in the group activities and I am always willing to help and learn new things, but my only weakness is my limited professional experience which I would like to develop.

Question: What do you know about our company?

Reason for asking this question: Theoretically, all candidates know that they should know something about the company they are applying to, but only a few of them are prepared for the interview. A lot of people say that they haven’t found time for a proper research. This answer basically strikes you out because it suggests that you don’t care about the position you applied for. If you do not know what the company you are applying to does, you significantly reduce your chances of employment. In this way, you show your potential employer that you do not care about the job and suggest that you will not do your job well.

Answer: I’ve read a lot about your company and your work policy. I identify myself with your rules and I think I would be perfect as a part of a team. On your LinkedIn page, I read about current projects and one of them interested me a lot, so I sent my application, I think that the way you approach the problems of coding is really unique.

Question: Why should we hire you?

Reason for asking this question: This question has many forms and you will surely hear it during an interview. An employer may ask, for example, “What can you bring to the company” or “Why are you a suitable candidate for the job”. However, why is this question being asked? Recruiters ask this question to see if you are aware of your market value. By answering these questions, you can show your knowledge of the industry and the specifics of the job you are applying for. If you are convinced of your value, the answer to this question will certainly be good.

Answer: I guess a lot of people are trying to get this job but I stand out from the crowd due to the fact that over the last six months I have been completely dedicated to programming, taking part in a very intensive training course and working on my own projects. I am completely focused on achieving my goals and giving the best of myself. Additionally, I can easily pass my passion on to others and I am truly dedicated to the project I believe in.

Question: How do you deal with critical situations?

Reason for asking this question: On the basis of this question, the recruiter has the opportunity to find out about your ways of handling with stress, which is something that is not directly related to programming. It is important to emphasise how the candidate deals with issues connected with solving problems. Programmers very often have to work under time pressure which can significantly affect their productivity. It is worthwhile to use examples of your own experiences to confirm your words.

Answer: Working under pressure of time gives me an extra kick of adrenaline and motivates me to work even harder. In my previous job, I often worked under stress and it taught me to calmly approach any problems and talk to other team members. Brainstorming gives a lot of interesting ideas and every one of them is worth considering.

TIP: Always remember to give an exact example from your past when answering questions. This makes your statement credible and not only a general opinion.

 

IT job interview questions and answers

 

Question: What’s your favourite programming language?

Reason for asking this question: Everyone wants to do what they like the most in life, so a question about their favourite programming language can be used not only to determine whether a particular person meets the requirements of a specific corporation, but also whether they will be able to create a good team with other employees. It is very important that the programming language that you enjoy is the language that you use most often because in this case, the knowledge of the topic is very advanced which will allow the candidate to find a job as an expert.

Answer: I always liked Java because it offers many exciting development opportunities, and attractive solutions as well as it is used in many international companies.

Question: What do you enjoy the most about programming?

Reason for asking this question: This question is often asked to check if particular candidates and their skills will be useful in the team for which recruiters are looking for a staff. The recruiter can use the answers to determine what a candidate likes most about programming and whether a certain skill will be useful in a company.

Answer: My biggest enjoyment in programming is that it gives me the ability to create things that no one else can create. It is possible to move very quickly from an idea to implementation, which allows you to create many interesting projects and thus solve many unusual problems, and this gives great satisfaction.

Question: How do you keep your programming and technical knowledge up to date?

Reason for asking this question: If the recruiter asks such or similar question, it means that the company is definitely looking for people who value continuous development and enhancing their skills. It is very important for recruiters to find people who are exploring new technologies and show a strong desire for continuous improvement. Here it is good to mention the name of sources you are using to widen your knowledge. If you take part in a course – definitely mention that too.

Answer: I read a lot of specialist magazines and often look at websites with technological and programming news. Development is very important for me because I know that the IT industry is associated with continuous innovations and upgrades.

Question: What is the difference between String and StringBuffer?

Reason for asking this question: This question is related to the specialist knowledge of Java programming language and may be asked in order to test your theoretical skills. If you are interested in a particular topic or have attended a course, the question should seem easy to you, but sometimes it is worth considering the answer in order to make it coherent and to show your expertise in a very clear way.

Answer: String is a sequence of immutable character classes, which means that you can’t modify its content once you’ve created it. As far as StringBuffer is concerned, the situation is completely different, because it is a mutable class, which means that you can change its content afterwards, which is why StringBuffer performance is considered to be better than String.

Question: What do you know about loops?

Reason for asking this question: When applying for a specialist position, the recruiter can ask you very specific questions about the programming language of the position you are applying for. It is worth knowing the basic issues and being able to answer them, but if you don’t know the answer, there is no point in pretending that it is different, because the next question can lead to your failure.

Answer: A programming language loop is a structure that can repeatedly duplicate a set of commands up to a specified number of times or till a specified criterion is fulfilled. There are many different types of loops, such as FOR…NEXT Loop or Nested Loop.

TIP: For IT related questions always mention names of technologies, tools, frameworks etc. – this way you are showing concrete knowledge and experience.

 

Our examples of questions and answers may give you an outline of what you should take into account when preparing for an interview. However, it is worth to be yourself and honestly answer questions asked by recruiters. During the interview, it is the knowledge and involvement that counts, so it is worth to show the recruiters that you are passionate about IT industry.