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Java Interview Guide: How to prepare properly

 
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Hello,

I have been on several interviews already and what I noticed is that each one is very different from the next one, although the positions I'm interviewing for are similar.
Sometimes it's really technical on language basics which I totally understand when dealing with juniors and mediors even.
And sometimes they just ask some relevent info on previous jobs and what you think about some specific problem you mention.
And then there are the google-level interviews..

But how can you properly prepare for any of these.
The technical stuff should be there but some things are not as easy to prepare for.

Thanks for any input on this.
 
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Hi Tim,

Every interview is a different experience for sure. My first interview was a conference room with 4 different people drilling me with technical questions. My second interview was a phone call with zero technical questions. My last one was seven different interviews with seven different people for the same job! But my method of preparation was the same for all of them.

First and most importantly, you need to be solid on your fundamentals. I would expect that to be necessary on any interview. I'd actually be concerned if they didn't ask me any thing about that - in fact I went on two interviews that didn't ask me any core java questions (and didn't know me beforehand), and both of them turned out to be bad news.

Aside from that, the rest of the interview usually revolve around two things: Your ability to communicate and your ability to solve problems.

Communication comes easier for some than others, but its a skill that can be learned through practice. Practice answering non-technical questions out loud, things like your prior experience, your weaknesses and strengths, reasons for leaving your job. I have a list of these types of questions in the end of my book. They ask these questions because they are interested in you, so make your answers interesting!

Problem solving is the hardest aspect of an interview, because it can really only come from lots of practice and experience. There are great resources such as www.codingbat.com, which can help with the building blocks for problem solving. But there is no shortcut for it.

In the end, it comes down to confidence. If you are confident in your fundamentals, and your ability to communicate, you will have a great chance of passing an interview.
 
With a little knowledge, a cast iron skillet is non-stick and lasts a lifetime.
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