Should i expect real world questions from interviewing agency? [closed]

Question

I started coding almost a year ago. By "coding" I mean HTML(5), CSS(3), and only few times I implemented some AJAX and JavaScript. I am interviewing for a position that expects me to know HTML, CSS, JS, JQuery, and AJAX. I feel confident in HTML5/CSS3 subject area and somewhat ok with javascript.

Will agency expect from me to write some code during the interview? I do have a live website as an example which contains snapshots of past projects which were sent to them.

I am little nervous, so any tips or recommendations are welcome.

Answer 1

From personal experience, I have always written some code during an interview. Mostly it is in the form of fizzbuzz type questions, but I was once asked to write a fairly lengthy piece of code (they allotted for 45 minutes and I didn't even finish in that length).

But they rarely want to see perfection, it's usually more about your thought process and if you can back up what you claim you know.

My advice, always go into a programming interview expecting to write some code. If you don't have to, great. But if you do, at least you'll be prepared. Also, as Andrew Finnell pointed out, in his comment, do not rely on an IDE, intellisence, etc. There's no guarantee that you'll do the test in front of a computer. I had to do FizzBuzz on the wall with a dry-erase marker (the walls were painted with whiteboard paint :) )

I would be a little worried if they didn't ask you to write some code. That may be an indication that they don't value talent (or their people in general) and there's no telling who you may have to work with or what conditions you may have to work under.

For practice, try finding a site, such as Project Euler, that provides you with simple tests that you can answer in the language of your choice. Then practice by going through the tests in the language that you will be using in the interview.

Answer 2

I would go in expecting to write some code, so bone up on the languages and libraries they use, but don't worry too much about not knowing exact syntax off the top of your head. When you're not sure of some method name or syntax, just write the code as well as you can remember.

There is some value for an interviewer in identifying how familiar an applicant is with a particular language or feature, since in general, the more familiar they are, the more productive they can be.

For the most part though, familiarity with a particular language shouldn't be a big factor in a hiring decision, since it's more important to hire someone who is good at breaking down and solving problems than someone who has memorized an API.

Answer 3

If i go for an interview, will they expect me to write code during the interview?

Maybe, maybe not.

It entirely depends on who is interviewing you. If it is a place that values good technical people, I would expect some code writing to be part of the interview.

This is more to see that you can do what you say you can and to see how you approach a coding problem.

Answer 4

This should be a comment, but I can't do that yet.

You may not be asked to write code, but you may be asked to look at a piece of code and explain what it does. You'd be surprised how many people just look at something like that and immediately say "Beats me", or "I can't do that". I got my first job because I was one of the few who looked at a language I'd never seen and said "Well, I think this does this and this over here does that".

One of the questions that I throw at interviewees is before the interview when they are filling out information, is I ask them to explain in detail how to fix an egg. Or how to change a light bulb. I could care less about what the answer is, what I'm looking for is the detail approach. For example, if I am asking them to change a light bulb, I want them to consider things like ceiling height to get an appropriate ladder, bulb wattage, how to remove the light cover, down to the proper disposal of the bulb and cleanup of the leftover packaging. The last interviewee that I hired did nearly two pages on changing a lightbulb.

Also, while you may not be able to code in it, at least be prepared to discuss it intelligently. Know what AJAX actually stands for, etc. Don't lie about your qualifications, but if they ask about it, say "I haven't done this specifically, but I've done that which will translate over".

Be honest, relaxed and confident. That speaks more than you know. (Ok, maybe that was a bit more than a comment.)

Answer 5

We started asking interviewees to write code on a white board because as my manager said "You can't BS your way through it." Any flaw that you have as a programmer will come to light fairly quickly. And while syntax is important, we also look at how well the interviewees follow directions and are able to think on their feet.

Also, be prepared to talk about your previous projects, not enough detail to reveal trade secrets, but enough to talk about some of the more technical challenges you had to overcome and how you overcame it. For example, let's say for a second you used JQuery to create a modal window that when closed would use AJAX to send back information to a server and the AJAX call would error out when a certain condition was met. Walking through that is a big help to get us a good picture of your technical skills.

Finally, if you include something in your resume be prepared to talk about it. It is shocking the number of people who don't understand that.

Answer 6

Not sure about agency, but your potential interviewer may ask you to write some code/pseudo code on a white board or paper. They might be interested to know how good you understand your primary development language without IDE and intellisense tools (Visual Studio, Eclipse, etc.)

Most important thing is just train yourself to be cool and calm, no panic. If you forget some technical details, just explain it in your own words. Bottom line - your potential employer wants to see how you solve problems and what is your approach and reasoning.