Java Job interview questions

[Billy Tsai]

These are some official questions that can be asked for a junior to intermediate developer positions during the interview. SInce I got turned down again for a junior position I will share my experience.
OO concepts
The applicant should really be able to answer all these questions.
Explain the following OO concepts:
�Inheritance
�Encapsulation
�Abstraction
�Polymorphism
�Interfaces
What is the difference between overloading and overriding?
Briefly explain the role of the JVM.
What is the difference between code declared as static and non-static code?
What is a thread?
What is the difference between a Session bean and an Entity bean?
What is the difference between a Stateless and Stateful EJB?
Describe the contract of a JavaBean?
Design Patterns
The applicant should at least be familiar with the concept of design patterns and at least define the Singleton pattern. The applicant may not know the J2EE patterns but it would be very handy.
Explain the following design patterns:
�Singleton
�Fa�ade
�Proxy
�Factory
Explain the following J2EE Design Patterns:
�MVC
�Value Object/Data Transfer Object
Given a task that needs to be delivered on an undeliverable time frame, what actions, if any, would you take to complete the task?
Can you tell us about a situation where you added value? Describe how you have worked to support a team member recently?
How have you expanded your knowledge or technical understanding recently?
Upon applying this knowledge or training, what were the results?
What motivates you in your career and what are your goals in the next 12 months?
What is your preferred style of management, what works best for you?
How do you signal when you are finding it difficult to achieve results?
What areas do you consider yourself to excel in?
What areas do you need further training in? What is your vision for the future of the IT industry?
whats the most chanllenging thing u ever encounter in ur previous working enviornment?
The interview is usually about a hour long.

[Brian Joseph]

Thanks for posting your experiences, I think it helps a lot of job seekers to have some kind of mental picture going into an interview, even though they can vary considerably from company to company.
I would hope that would be the toughest question asked would be the difference between overloading and overriding! That's probably a "weeder" question.
[ August 18, 2003: Message edited by: Brian Joseph ]

[Stephen Pride]

Originally posted by Brian Joseph:
I would hope that would be the toughest question asked would be the difference between overloading and overriding! That's probably a "weeder" question.

I got asked this question and the interviewer said that I was the first person to answer it correctly from the several that she had already seen. I figure it must be a "weeder" question as well. BTW, I still didn't get the position.

[Billy Tsai]

even you managed to answer all the questions right they can still decline you for poor communication skill or not talking cool and smoothly.
I am gonna borrow some money and buy a airplane ticket now , its completely hopeless in here

[Tim Holloway]

Billy, if one tenth of your gloom and despair leaked out in a job interview, I'd be reluctant to hire you for fear that you'd commit suicide, go postal or end up institutionalized for 2 months right in the middle of a critical project.
I was born with a brain chemistry imbalance. Not enough to keep me from functioning - in fact, in intellectual areas, it may even be a crucial part of what makes me excel. It's apparently not uncommon for creative people to be depressive or manic-depressive; some of the greatest are. If you believe the science fiction author Ray Bradbury, it may even be essential to the whole creative process. However, I missed out on the parties and girls in college (which is where you had an advantage over me), and my social life was pretty miserable well into my 20's.
I finally ended up being placed on a crude precursor to Prozac. It wasn't nearly as innocuous or subtle as modern-day meds are, but it helped. Not to make me happy, but to lift a weight off me that had been so much a part of me that I honestly didn't realize that it was there. It was like I'd been walking around with this giant thumb squeezing down on my back and now it was gone. It was also at this time that I discovered that I couldn't drink tea - even decaffeinated - without psychological side-effects. An so, while I really prefer tea to coffee, it's now just an occasional indulgence.
So did modern chemistry cure all my problems? No. I'm still waiting to see if my 2-year employment drought will come to an end. But at least it made me more or less fit company for human society - I only wierd-out half as many women now. If you're getting actual face-to-face interviews, I envy you. Most of the last 28 months for me has consisted of emailing resumes to the shredder. However, even with my own extensive experience, excellent interviewing skills, and widely-recognized talent, things have been pretty grim for a while now. Still, even I may end up employed again someday.
One of the popular bits of psycho-garbage I hate to encounter is the adage that "You can make yourself be happy". Well, it's true that you can adjust your expectations. But I can also keep my head out of water by paddling while wearing a weight belt. So? It's extra work, and who needs extra work? It wears you out and keeps you from being as effective as you might otherwise be. It saps your reserve energy and shortens the time before you go under. Who needs it? If there's a way to remove the "weights", try it.
One of the best things about modern antidepressants is that they usually either work or they don't. Regardless of what some groups who have a vested interest in their own dubious cures may say, it's usually more dangerous to not do anything than to try, even though we're not yet to the point that a simple test can determine if you need something and indicate what that something is without having to experiment with different solutions.
Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree, but from here, what I can see as one of your worst problems is that you're already defeated in your own mind long before the interviewer has had the chance to swat you down. You don't need that - the odds are long enough already.

[Al Newman]

Great post, Tim. I mean, really great post!

One of the popular bits of psycho-garbage I hate to encounter is the adage that "You can make yourself be happy". Well, it's true that you can adjust your expectations. But I can also keep my head out of water by paddling while wearing a weight belt. So? It's extra work, and who needs extra work? It wears you out and keeps you from being as effective as you might otherwise be. It saps your reserve energy and shortens the time before you go under. Who needs it? If there's a way to remove the "weights", try it.

I once subscribed to this theory. It's easy to do this until you find something which you cannot handle. In my case it was a sick building, one which made a noise which convinced me that it was going to come down, right now! I ended my first week on the job close to a nervous breakdown. Due to an understanding emergency room doc and a decent manager who moved me as far as possible away from the noise source, I managed to cope. Later another manager moved me right next to the source, but that's life I guess.....
More recently with my last employer (a Big 5 consultantcy) I felt stuck in a hostile organization with nowhere to go. Due partly to my immigration status in the UK. I was trying to hang on until I could get my permanent visa. I didn't make it.
Then something interesting happened. Some people helped me. It cost me some money, but I first got a temporary work permit and now have permanent residency. One's worst fears don't always come true. In fact they rarely do. People can and will help you if you let them....
So now my belief is that I personally can usually manage my emotions, but that is as far as I will go.
But Billy, many or most people can manage their emotions, at least to some extent. It's worth a try. Rather than going for another certification, may I suggest joining a local job-searcher's group which meets regularly? They can help, and it's usually free. I'll bet your local library or public jobs service can steer you toward one. Or even your university. These groups (made up largely of fellow unemployed) are notable for good advice and psychologicial support.
[ August 18, 2003: Message edited by: Alfred Neumann ]

[Andres Gonzalez]

Good questions Billy. I think overloading and overriding is one of the easiest questions from that pool. In an interview I had, they asked me if I knew the differences between EJB 1.1 and EJB 2.0. After telling them about local interfaces, I was asked to explain what exactly was the advantage of using them.
I did pretty well, because I was confident of what I was talking about. they also asked me about all these patterns you mentioned billy, specially singleton. Ohh.. and Value Object/DTO is a must, you must know at least what it is.
I was gonna ask you -billy-, which area did you feel weak about? If I'm not mistaken, you're SCJP, you should be able to answer 80% of those questions. Not only answer them, but answer them wit confidence. Did you get nervous?

How have you expanded your knowledge or technical understanding recently?

I bet you did pretty well on this one hey?

[Andres Gonzalez]

BTW, Tim.. what a post!!!

[HS Thomas]

Billy,to me, has been sounding quite positive, lately ! Seem to be enough Aussies on the ranch, who could help in some way. Also ,I think Australia have decided that they have enough talent and have decided to stop immigration for the moment. There was some news article a while back.
AAnd, they are expecting a lot of Aussies to return soon.
So jobs should start opening up for some. Just try and be prepared and do what these guys tell you. Heck, recruiters are beginning to sound really positive. Seems they are looking for new skills and it's time for swings and roundabouts again.
regards
[ August 19, 2003: Message edited by: HS Thomas ]

[Al Newman]

One question which was asked me was how one handles threading within an EJB? I answered that one cannot use threads within an EJB container, but the interviewer replied that whether it is possible is implementation-dependent. We agreed that one shouldn't!

[Al Newman]

Good questions Billy. I think overloading and overriding is one of the easiest questions from that pool. In an interview I had, they asked me if I knew the differences between EJB 1.1 and EJB 2.0. After telling them about local interfaces, I was asked to explain what exactly was the advantage of using them.

Andres, I got the same question in tech interview with the outfit that hired me. I mentioned that, CMP differences, then talked about how cool MDB's are.
It's a situational thing, but sometimes showing a little enthusiasm can help a lot.

[Al Newman]

Once I got pinned to the mat and asked about inner classes. I passed the scoping questions, but he pinned me down with a question about how to define an anonymous inner class. 'Have to look that one up', I replied. He wasn't impressed.
Billy, sometimes shit like that happens in interviews. Keep going to them, keep searching. Sooner or later you'll be interviewed by a non-prick. And you'll get hired!

[Andres Gonzalez]

Originally posted by Alfred Neumann:

Andres, I got the same question in tech interview with the outfit that hired me. I mentioned that, CMP differences, then talked about how cool MDB's are.
It's a situational thing, but sometimes showing a little enthusiasm can help a lot.

I think it's very important what you mentioned Alfred. You might not know all the questions, but if you are capable of show interest and enthusiasm on the questions you feel confident, they will understand you're willing to learn, and that you cannot be an expert in every topic.

[Billy Tsai]

anyone know how to answer those non technical questions I posted?
I think I screwed up in them I did fine with the technical questions.

[Bhushan Jawle]

I think eveyone will have a different set of answers for non-technical questions mentioned above.