How do you describe your programming approach to an interviewer?

It is a really common problem, so before your interviews do practice these things 1. Speaking out loud, means whatever you are thinking should be known by Interviewer. 2. Give mock interviews 3. Always start with brute force approach, but if time doesn't allow go for the optimal one

I have used the following approach to build applications: 1. Understand the overall task, then come up with a high-level plan that breaks the project into smaller tasks. 2. Figure out what tools (programming languages, databases, etc.) can help me achieve the tasks most efficiently. 3. Learn to use the tools I need but don't know how to use yet. 4. Begin to implement and test each small task. 5. Repeat step 3 and 4 above until all tasks are accomplished. In conclusion, its all about identifying a task, laying down a plan on accomplishing it efficiently in the shortest time using the least resources, implementing the plan using the best identified tools for the job and then testing to ensure the project requirements have been met.

In my experience, taking the time to thoroughly research the company, the role, and the interviewer's background has consistently proven to be a valuable approach. An example of this is when I applied for a web development position at a startup known for its innovative approach to user experience. I tailored my answer to showcase not only my technical skills in HTML, CSS, and JS, but also my ability to adapt and learn new technologies. I agree that aligning your responses with the company's expectations can make a strong impression. However, it's also important to strike a balance between highlighting your strengths and being genuine about your areas of growth.

This is an interesting question. First, we need to realize that what the interviewer is really asking is how well we solve a problem, communicate, collaborate, listen, learn and adapt. Always focus on the job description and the résumé. Each programming project is different and may require different skills, but in the grand scheme, they can be categorized. The job description should provide enough information to research the necessary skills and to present those that you know as strengths and possible tools. Never say anything about yourself in a negative vibe. When describing the programming strategy, make sure to cover each point of what is being really asked.

As an interviewer for the Software Engineering roles, We look for a problem-solving mindset and an open-to-change attitude. So when practicing for interviews at software firms, learn to think out loud, which means you need to say what you are thinking in terms of approach, obviously, thinking is not correct on first time and you iterate over it till you achieve your goals, but just say it out, don't leave the interviewer think that you are not thinking. The second thing I would recommend is to try using software terms, terms which we use in documentation, like don't call it "Repeating function" call it an "iterator". The third thing I would recommend is to go easy, don't overcomplicate things, and bring a solution to the table.

A great programmer in my opinion is someone who develops code which is (1) easily understood (2) efficient in resource usage (3) and testable [can develop tests for it easily and effortlessly]

When I am asked to explain my approach. It’s pretty simple - Understand and analyse the problem - Break it into small problems - Divide n Conquer - Keep stakeholders in loop as you make progress

In an interview, I would describe my programming approach as systematic and collaborative. I emphasize the importance of understanding the problem thoroughly before diving into code. I prioritize modular and maintainable code, breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable components. Collaboration is crucial, and I value communication with team members to ensure a shared understanding of project goals. I actively seek feedback, iterate on solutions, and stay updated on industry best practices and emerging technologies to enhance the quality and efficiency of my work. Adapting to challenges, continuous learning, and a commitment to delivering reliable and scalable solutions are integral aspects of my programming approach.

These are the techniques I usually follow in such case, 1. Make a quick decision based on your knowledge of options without second guessing and proceed with the chosen approach. 2. Develop a clear solution by writing it down, asking interviewers questions, and using assumptions or domain jargon to clarify and relate problems to your existing knowledge. 3. The divide and conquer strategy is used to divide problems into sub-problems, while considering performance, security, deployment, and monitoring when designing systems. 4. Effective communication involves relating problems to past applications, rationalizing decisions, and using technical jargon for abstract solutions, allowing interviewees to showcase their expertise.

Reiterate the problem statement and your understanding to the interviewer to make sure that both of you are on the same page. Then you tell them the brute force approach that comes to your mind just by looking at the question. Then you discuss the time and space complexity of your solution. Look at the constraints and see if your solution can be optimised. Take your time to think about optimised solution and communicate your thought process clearly with your interviewer. You can even ask for a hint if you are not able to proceed in the right direction. Talk to the interviewer if he is expecting the same thing that you are doing. It is possible that interviewer might want you to trade space for time or the other way round . Write your code.

While detailing your process, prioritize clarity over complexity. It's tempting to dive deep, but remain concise. Discuss critical decisions you've made in past projects and the rationale behind them. Did you choose a specific framework due to its performance? Why did you opt for a particular database design? Real-life trade-offs, like sacrificing a feature for faster delivery, can be insightful. Ensure you touch on how you handle unexpected issues or feedback. Demonstrating adaptability is as important as a well-laid-out process. Remember, the goal is to give them confidence in your ability to deliver results efficiently.

As an interviewee, I attempt to tie each broad question into a major project I've worked on. My goal would be to articulate from the 'macro', the business' domain challenges, the 'mid', system-level architecture, and the 'granular', precise technical implementations. As an interviewer, I look for candidates who take broad questions tie them back philosophical discussions on, realistically, what drives growth. Candidates who can articulate their skills in terms of: problem - action - solution - result, tend to leave strong impressions. Establish an overall approach, then dive into specific moving parts. Keep it conversational. Showcase fine details, tech prowess, yet always tie it back to introspection on what drives value. 12fa, xp, tdd+

When asked about my programming approach in interviews, I emphasize a comprehensive process. For a web development role, I shared my live project example. Starting with requirements, I stress clear communication for understanding client needs. Design involves wireframes and mockups, balancing aesthetics and functionality. Coding includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript expertise. Collaboration with colleagues refines code, and version control (Git) maintains organization. Testing and debugging catch issues early for a robust product. Documentation aids future maintenance, and deployment involves platforms like Heroku. Collaboration underlies all phases. Agile methods and code reviews ensure quality, fostering improvement and teamwork.

All the time the most important is to follow the top - bottom approach. While diving into the details the one can easily get struggled with those and miss the target point. So every time first focus on the target what should be met and then explain and adapt the details accordingly not the opposite way. If focusing on the details first the original target can be updated accordingly and the original target meaning can be easily lost. This is the typical failure of the bottom – top approach. OOAP helps here a lot.

For me, as with architecture, it "almost" always starts with sketches and includes identifying potential patterns, technology, libraries, etc. These sketches typically include a context diagram to understand the big picture, an ERD for data/objects, and some variation of a collaboration/deployment diagram. If communication becomes especially complex, I will do a sequence diagram too. I document decisions and why. I start by coding a skeleton/scaffold which I fill in and test incrementally. I refactor early and often as I learn. Whenever possible I find ways to review my work products early to get more information, challenge my thinking and pressure test any assumptions I've made.

In an interview, I go and compare my programming to being a chef. It starts with selecting the right ingredients (requirements), followed by crafting a menu (designing solutions). Coding is the cooking part, a mix of precision and creativity. Testing and debugging are like taste-testing, ensuring everything is perfect. Collaborating with a team mirrors a kitchen brigade, where each plays their part. Version control acts as my recipe book. Finally, deploying code is like serving the dish, each project a new culinary delight.

After understanding the problem or project requirements, I begin by gathering and clarifying the necessary details to ensure I’m aligned with the objectives. I then move on to designing a solution, carefully considering the best approach and tools to use. Once the design is solidified, I start writing clean, efficient code, making sure to test and debug thoroughly as I go. Collaboration is key, so I actively communicate with other developers, clients, or stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page. I utilize version control systems like Git for code management and participate in code reviews to maintain quality. Finally, I document the process and deploy the code, ensuring a smooth transition into production.

One critical aspect of programming is working in teams and ensuring you can communicate the intricate details clearly. To begin with, always state your assumptions and clarify if you understand the problem correctly. It helps to sketch our a quick solution and gather inputs from the interviewer before you proceed on the actual implementation of the problem. Ensure that you talk about the finer details of the code you're writing so that you can have a conversation with the interviewer and they aren't a spectator. Before you start the implementation it would also help to clarify if they want production quality code or scratch and tailor your solution accordingly.

1 - When stepping into any new task I always try and understand the initial question being asked first Understand clients needs and requests and stakeholders. Communication is key 2 - Once understood, see how you can break the task down into smaller tasks and make an organised plan as you break down. 3 - Once broken down, think about what tools you have at your disposal to accomplish the task. 4 - Learn tools if needed, if not start wire framing and coming up with use case diagrams and psuedocode 5 - Review and ensure your diagrams make sense maybe ask for a review 6 - Implement your psuedocode one by one 7 - test test test If you start with a solid foundation at the beginning you will set yourself up for success, mitigating bugs.

~ Utilize Metrics and KPIs: Don't just say you write efficient code; back it up with metrics. For instance, you could mention how a particular optimization reduced load times by 30% or how incorporating caching mechanisms lowered API calls by a significant factor. ~ Consider explaining your Non technical Process (like decision-making) Explain how you prioritize tasks or choose one technology stack over another. For instance, if your company is primarily using Django 4.1.7 and Python 3.8 for web apps, you might discuss why you've chosen this stack over other options, such as Node.js or Ruby on Rails. This gives the interviewer insight into your problem-solving and decision-making skills, which will matter even more on the long-run.

Highlighting your achievements as a programmer is the best way interviewer can understand your programming and technical skills. An interviewer couldn’t know your technical skills and approaches with in a 40 to 45 min interview But if you mention your achievements and challenges and how you handle the cases that explains much more about your programming skills. This also helps a interviewer to ask questions based on your skill sets.

I have hired many people in my career and I have realized that you can see who is an expert or not within seconds. My advice: - speak confidently about your profession like you own it. - don’t be cocky or patronizing - always try to think how you will help the team you have in front of you but never say it directly I hope this helps.

While it's important to highlight your technical strengths, it's crucial to emphasize your "soft skills" and how they translate into effective work. You should talk about your teamwork skills, especially in cross-disciplinary settings. Highly valuable in today's Agile cultures where constant comms between development, product, and business units is essential. Another angle to consider is your experience with specific methodologies or tools that are relevant to the job role. For example, if you're applying for a position that requires integration with ML models or NLP, mentioning your experience with libraries like TensorFlow or GPT APIs could give you an edge. This shows that you're keeping up-to-date with cutting-edge technologies.

Speak loud as you solve the problem, explain why you pick the specific approach, data structure, etc. Don't be shy and be clear to make sure that you explain your answer.

For me it is very important to tell what I have done, how I have worked and how I like to work on projects. Interviewers are looking for the best profile that suits the company they work for. From my point of view it is interesting to be able to tell what one knows in a simple, easy way, and avoiding using super technical language that makes the person who is talking to us unable to understand. We are going to generate a good conversation if we manage to convey achievements that we have made, telling it as a story that allows us to demonstrate what we have achieved as a person on a professional and personal level. To close, it is important to tell what strengthens you as people, how we add value within an organization/work group.

Showcase your technical strengths by delving into specific languages, frameworks, and tools you excel in. Share details of projects where your contributions were pivotal to success. Discuss any specialized skills relevant to the job, such as database management, cloud services, or deployment processes. Quantify your achievements – mention performance improvements, successful optimizations, or notable features you implemented. Additionally, emphasize soft skills, like effective communication within cross-functional teams and your ability to adapt to evolving project requirements.

Resaltar logros como programador revela habilidades técnicas y enfoques, ya que en una entrevista breve es difícil mostrar todo. Mis logros, como mejorar un 30% el rendimiento de una aplicación mediante soluciones innovadoras o diseñar algoritmos que optimizan procesamientos en un 40%, reflejan mi capacidad de resolver desafíos técnicos. Mostraré cómo manejo casos y proyectos para evidenciar mis habilidades de programación, permitiendo preguntas más específicas del entrevistador.

There is no substitute for experience. Sharing your learnings from your previous jobs helps the interviewer understand your background, strengths and also guides them to focus on your strengths. Be as specific as possible. If you've worked on performance optimization, talk about the bottlenecks of the system and how your changes impacted overall system performance. Another critical aspect is to showcase your curiosity and passion. The job entails a continuous learning process and showcasing that to the interviewer would help them understand how you can be a valuable asset to the company.

Experience forms the bedrock of my programming journey. Through years of hands-on work, I've amped up performance by 40% through optimization and trimmed query time by 60% by resolving complex database issues. These encounters underscore the pivotal role of experience in honing problem-solving skills. Alongside, my unyielding curiosity and passion keep me aligned with industry trends. Every hurdle surmounted and skill acquired validates that experience is indeed the catalyst for innovation and enduring success in the programming realm.

Don't forget to discuss your strengths beyond just coding that make you a great programer. Talk about your team and collaborations, how do you encourage others to help ensure you have the product that is needed. These power, or soft skills can be what separates you from a good and efficient code developer and an amazing one.

In an interview, I describe my programming approach as a balanced blend of leveraging my strengths and actively addressing areas for improvement. I'm aware of my expertise in certain aspects, like algorithmic problem-solving, while also recognizing the need to expand my knowledge in newer technologies. To this end, I engage in continuous learning through courses, reading, and participating in coding challenges. I also value feedback from peers and mentors, seeing it as a crucial element in broadening my approach and enhancing adaptability. This combination of self-awareness, skillful application, and a commitment to growth forms the core of my programming philosophy.

Never try to frame a strength of yours as a weakness. Be honest when addressing your weakness. If you weak in networks, tell them upfront that you probably aren't the best when it comes to solving network issues. You can highlight what you've done to address your weakness - it could be a podcast, book, or a primer on the internet - or you could just state that your current job doesn't require you to be an expert in the particular field.

Everyone has weak spots and that's alright. Trying to sell your 'perfectionism' as a weakness when in reality you just want to humble brag about staying late every day isn't gonna cut it. I want to meet the person behind the mask. If you are afraid to pick up the phone and call people, say so. Then we can work together on how to solve that. Try to be as honest as you are comfortable with.

I once answered: "my biggest weakness is answering questions about my weaknesses". Here's an oppurtunity to demonstrate that you can take feedback, reflect on yourself, aquire resources, and improve your technique. Nothing is ever perfect the first time through, software development is an iterative process. Likewise, so is personal growth and development. Giving an honest, serious weakness can lead you down a hole of signaling red flags, but dishonesty is your enemy (same with arrogance). It's important to describe real feedback, non-circumstantial dilemnas & what you are doing to remedy shortcomings, your progress with this process. -1: "my biggest weakness is javascript and react" in a JS/react interview 🤦♂️. Have some discretion.

When talking about weaknesses, for me it is extremely important to talk about opportunities for improvement that we are working to continue improving. They are not negative things, but things that we are working to improve. We are all people and we want to grow on a personal and professional level.

While conducting interviews, my initial focus is on the candidates' previous work experience. I review their past projects and assess their problem-solving abilities by engaging in a discussion about a specific problem. This allows me to evaluate their thinking process and the tools they would employ, such as assistant programs or programming languages, to arrive at a solution. During the interview, I also discuss the potential business model for the program, considering whether it should be open source or a paid product. Additionally, we explore the possibility of establishing copyright protection for the program.

When addressing weaknesses in an interview, it’s important to be honest while also demonstrating a commitment to self-improvement. Start by acknowledging the areas where there’s room for growth. It could be a specific technical skill that’s still developing or a challenge with time management. Then, explain the steps being taken to address these weaknesses, such as seeking feedback, engaging in continuous learning through courses or books, and practicing coding challenges. It’s also important to express a willingness and eagerness to learn more, showing that self-awareness and growth are priorities.

Acknowledging the pursuit of perfection as ongoing, I've identified areas for enhancement. Strengthening time management amid intricate projects is one, met by adopting the Pomodoro technique for improved focus and productivity. While adept in backend technologies, I'm actively bolstering frontend expertise. Recently completing a React course, I'm narrowing this knowledge gap. Constructive criticism is embraced, guiding skill refinement. Through coding challenges, peer input, and industry reading like "Clean Code," I cultivate growth. Recognizing limitations as avenues for progress, I'm unwavering in my commitment to constant learning, shaping a more comprehensive and versatile programmer's profile.

It's key to frame your weaknesses in the context of your overall career growth. Discuss how confronting these weaknesses has led you to develop other complementary skills. For instance, if you initially struggled with time management, you might have become proficient in various project management and tracking tools, which is an added skill set. Moreover, in a tech-heavy field like software engineering, it's beneficial to discuss how you leverage technology to mitigate your weaknesses. For example, if you find it challenging to keep up with rapidly evolving programming languages and frameworks, you could mention how you utilize automated learning platforms or follow industry-standard news outlets and blogs to stay updated.

Here's a sample answer to address your weakness: "I recognize that I sometimes face challenges with time management, particularly when deadlines are tight. For instance, in my previous role, I underestimated task durations, causing stress and late nights to meet deadlines. To address this, I've proactively taken time management courses, embraced productivity tools, and developed detailed project plans. Recently, I achieved an early project completion by implementing these strategies. I have a growth mindset and see this as an opportunity to improve. I believe this commitment to enhancing my time management skills will significantly benefit my performance in this role, ensuring I deliver quality work promptly."

I personally start with that in mind that it's not a test of my skills but a conversation about if the company and I are a great match. So I ask questions and follow ups. Things that matter to me personally are the culture, the project ownership and empowerement, how fast can I go from dev to prod, how many hoops do I need to jump through to get a solution approved, what people like and dislike the most about their days. I love interviews when I meet most of the members of the future team as it gives me a feel if I'd enjoy working with them. Because to be honest, they already know I can do stuff they need me to do if they read my CV. What they don't know is what sort of person I am 😁

Ask what you will do when you start. Are there any specific projects they have in mind or are they just recruiting cannon fodder for the meat grinder. How would a typical day look like? Is your boss an asshole? (Ok maybe don't ask that but remember that people generally start because of a company and quits because of their manager.)

My best advice on this one: ask questions about things you honestly care about, so that you're engaged and can support any follow-up discussion they lead to. Don't just Google 'top 10 questions to ask during a job interview', they will have heard them 1000 times before and know they're not really things you care about. One of my personal favorites is to ask about the history of the role: if it's a new role, it tells you something about the growth rate and direction of the company. If the last person moved to another role, you learn that the company supports internal movement. If the previous person was let go, there's a lesson there about things you need to focus on to be successful.

Before the interview, prepare a set of questions to be asked, i.e: 1. Ask about salary (or salary range) 2. Ask what the atmosphere is like in the company (show that it's something you care about) 3. Ask about the possibility of more training 4. Ask about career progression 5. Ask about health insurance conditions 6. Ask if they can be as specific as possible about your tasks and the company's expectations of the work you'll be doing. And of course, depending on your seniority, adapt the questions.

I would prioritize these three things: 1. Your role and responsibilities 2. The business' culture 3. Existing projects Understand if your role is well-defined or more of an R&D type. Understand if the company has a clear vision, what is their intention, and purpose, and if you can get behind it. What are their current projects? Do they excite you? In a nutshell: understand the environment you'll be put in, and whether you would like it.

During interviews, remember it's a two-way dialogue. Asking questions signifies interest and preparation. I'd inquire about projects, technologies, team dynamics, and company culture. This helps me grasp the role and environment better. I'd avoid irrelevant or basic queries to ensure a meaningful conversation.

Consider asking about the challenges the team is currently facing. Similarly to a customer interview when you have a new product, you want to sell yourself as the solution to one of their problems. It could provide you an opportunity to discuss how your programming approach can contribute to solve the challenges they face today. For instance, if the team struggles with maintaining a large legacy codebase, you can talk about your experience and strategies in refactoring and improving older code. You can also show your commitment with questions like "What's the team's philosophy on code ownership?", which can help you discuss how collaborative or independent your programming style is.

Depending on how much time is given to you, you can decide on how many questions to ask. In my opinion you should have at least two questions. Usually you should ask first about the things you are interested in the most, and you want your interviewer to know about your interests. For example ask about: - what the ways of working are in the company in general or in the team you would get assigned to. - company/team interest in quality vs quick delivery. - if it’s a tech position ask about the tech stack, the architecture patterns used, and how often developers are given the chance to tackle tech debt. If you still have time for more questions, and you feel confident, ask: “If you can change one thing in your company, what would it be?” ;)

Always come prepared for the interview: study the job description in-depth, at least go to the company's website and try to understand what they do, why they do it and how they do it. During this process write down all the questions you think you did not get enough information about. Another question I like is: What keeps you in this company for this long? Most of the interviewers I've talked to, did not expect this one, but this way you get to know whether the work environment is good and how can you evolve in the company.

Demonstrate your interest in the company and role by asking thoughtful questions. Inquire about the team's development methodologies, preferred tools, and collaborative practices. Seek insights into the company's approach to innovation, and inquire about the onboarding process to showcase your eagerness to integrate seamlessly into the team. Ask about opportunities for professional development and how success is measured in the role. Your questions should not only reflect your curiosity but also reveal your strategic thinking and alignment with the company's goals.

When I was young, I want to watch how our car was being serviced by a car mechanic, and we always opt for the senior guy to fix our car. The reasoning is that, *the senior mechanic can pinpoint the exact problem by just listening to the sound of the engine makes.* It doesn't mean that the juniors/mediors are uneducated, it just means that we hire the senior mechanic because - they know what they are doing - they are reliable - they are senior enough to lessen the stage of experimentation (due to the expense of our limited resource) - quickly fixing the problem is cheaper - we are in a limited financial situation Now, seniority levels are too saturated, but ask, does that senior have a superpower similar to the senior mechanic has?

Ask for clarification whenever you need it! It shows your communication and problem solving skills! Try to think out loud when you're asked a problem solving question!

I would also discuss my strong attention to detail and my commitment to writing code that is easy to read and understand. I would explain that I believe in creating modular and reusable code, and I would mention my experience with version control systems like Git, as well as my familiarity with agile development methodologies. Finally, I would emphasize my strong communication skills and my ability to work well in a team. I would mention that I am comfortable taking on a leadership role when needed, but I am also happy to collaborate and learn from my peers. Overall, I would describe my programming approach as methodical, efficient, and team-oriented.

My way of having a two way discussion with the interviewer: 1. Is the goal to change the manual process into automatic? 2. Or is the goal to improve the existing automatic program? Both of these questions lead towards the hidden goal of saving time and ultimately increasing the profit margins! If I have the skills to help the interviewer towards their goal, great, and if my skills don’t match the requirements, just be honest and move on rather than pretending to help and letting people down.

Beyond technical skills, emphasize your adaptability to emerging technologies. Discuss instances where you quickly learned and implemented new tools or languages. Highlight your proactive approach to problem-solving, showcasing scenarios where you provided innovative solutions or contributed to troubleshooting efforts. Share your involvement in the developer community or open-source projects, illustrating a broader commitment to the field. Mention any experiences working in diverse teams, underscoring your ability to collaborate effectively in varied environments. Express your enthusiasm for continuous learning, detailing how you stay updated with industry trends through courses, conferences, or self-directed exploration.

In essence, being able to communicate effectively is a much better place to be than just being able to code a solution to a problem. Real-world work happens with collaboration, and while code is great, explainability is much more important.

In a coding interview, if you had understood the question then most of the part is already cleared. Using brute force approach, try explaining the flow of code from which interviewer can assure that you’re in the right direction . Then start implementing Standard libraries to optimise your code as asked my interviewer. With this process if somehow you get stuck, interviewer is ready to give hints too.